Hi Adam , yes , the smoker is a fickle little blighter . Too much oil and it will drown the heater element , a few CC's only ,it lasts quite a while - or not enough and it burns out

- If you think there is too much fluid in it you can invert the tank (on newspaper) overnight , it may start working again . Otherwise a replacement is the answer

- I don't think much of them and normally leave mine switched off .
Sounds like you are enjoying it though
