Pellet Fan

Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => Camp Chef => Topic started by: BC Buck on June 10, 2018, 03:03:53 PM

Title: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: BC Buck on June 10, 2018, 03:03:53 PM
Bought Camp Cheff SG in April. Had big temp swings and occasional flame out problems.Had bad RTD and also replaced controller. Been running good last couple weeks. One big mistake I made today was telling myself this thing is running great. Ten hours into smoking a butt and it flamed out. No wind or temp changes just burned out. I dont know how I would send this think back to manufacture without box. >:(
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Bentley on June 10, 2018, 04:15:35 PM
So no cavitation of pellets in hopper, just stopped feeding pellets into the combustion chamber after 10 hours?
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: BC Buck on June 10, 2018, 05:59:01 PM
So no cavitation of pellets in hopper, just stopped feeding pellets into the combustion chamber after 10 hours?

I dont feel pellets bridging off is the problem. Pulled ash clean out and cup was about 1/4 full of ash and 3/4 full of unburnt pellets. Turned controller off then on and started normally.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on June 10, 2018, 06:52:31 PM
Pellets are not getting enough air to burn clean leaving too much ash then choking itself causing pellet run.  What brand of pellets are you using?  Where is your chimney cap set? Can you hear the fan running blowing air into the fire pot?
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Ross77 on June 10, 2018, 09:11:37 PM
No flame outs in almost 2 years. 
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Finn on June 10, 2018, 10:06:51 PM
Never had a flame out on my Camp Chef DLX. I have used it weekly three plus years.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: ScottE on June 10, 2018, 11:52:10 PM
My Traeger has never once flamed out - bought it in 2003.
My Louisiana Grills flamed out constantly until Dansons support had me change parameters that fix that problem, but introduce others.
My Camp Chef only has about 10 hours on it. It flamed out once on Lo Smoke, but I don't yet have enough experience on it to decide if it was a fluke.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: bregent on June 11, 2018, 02:39:53 AM
I had the same problem with my DLX. Just curious, did you add a gasket to the door?
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: BC Buck on June 11, 2018, 07:05:55 AM
I had the same problem with my DLX. Just curious, did you add a gasket to the door?

No.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: BC Buck on June 11, 2018, 07:16:06 AM
Pellets are not getting enough air to burn clean leaving too much ash then choking itself causing pellet run.  What brand of pellets are you using?  Where is your chimney cap set? Can you hear the fan running blowing air into the fire pot?
I did not clean the ash cup before the cook. I will before next long cook. Every time I do there is only small amount of ash because fan blows majority of it out. I was using Lumberjack competition and chimney cap is just about wide open.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Canadian John on June 11, 2018, 08:33:50 AM

Traeger Lil Tex, twice. In smoke mode. Fire pot hadn't been cleaned - 20 plus # of pellets burnt...Next time the "P" setting was set too low (long pause time). That was a few years back.

 Memphis Pro - never, in over a years use with some very long smoke times... The pit has an automatic relight feature that is temperature driven...I clean the fire pot after each use - every time.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on June 11, 2018, 08:47:37 AM
Pellets are not getting enough air to burn clean leaving too much ash then choking itself causing pellet run.  What brand of pellets are you using?  Where is your chimney cap set? Can you hear the fan running blowing air into the fire pot?
I did not clean the ash cup before the cook. I will before next long cook. Every time I do there is only small amount of ash because fan blows majority of it out. I was using Lumberjack competition and chimney cap is just about wide open.

If you can, buy a bag of cookinpellets.  They seem to generate the least amount of ash of any of the pellets I have used.  Lumberjack has been stated by others to create a lot of ash because they use bark in their pellets.  Pros - generates more smoke.  Cons - generates more ash and when the air holes in the fire pot are covered with ash it chokes out the fire.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Dave R. on June 11, 2018, 08:49:39 AM
My MAK 2 star has had a flame out twice. The first time it was me, the second well thats up for debate. If it happens again I will contact MAK and see if we can figure it out.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Conumdrum on June 11, 2018, 09:19:32 AM
None on the Yoder YS640.  I have always cleaned the burn pot every time before any cook.  I have run it 16 hours and burn pot was ohh 1/3 full of ash etc.
I have been using Lumberjack blends since I got the smoker.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: ylr on June 11, 2018, 10:36:47 AM
My PB 820 did once, but it was 0 degrees outside.........
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: Hoosier Daddy on June 12, 2018, 08:51:59 AM
Never experienced a flame out.
Title: Re: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
Post by: pmillen on June 12, 2018, 09:24:52 AM
No flame-outs except one that was due to pilot error.

I turned down one of my controller adjustments (the LHt that acts like a pilot light when the pit is at or above the set temperature) to almost zero.  I set it to deliver pellets to the fire for ½ second every 14½ seconds.  That wasn't enough to sustain the fire.