Pellet Fan

Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => Firecraft => Topic started by: jgrayson on November 16, 2020, 04:22:03 PM

Title: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: jgrayson on November 16, 2020, 04:22:03 PM
Hello,
I don't have much more patience for my FireCraft unit.  Instead of continuing to fight with this I have moved on and purchased a Yoder YS640s.  I still have the FireCraft, but I'll be getting rid of it.  If anyone is interested in taking it off my hands, I'd be happy to help you load it into a truck but you'll be on your own to unload it your location.

The igniter is shot.  It will run for hours on end if you disconnect the igniter. 

It also has trouble maintaining temperature in the summer.  Not sure what was causing it, but I could set the temperature to low expecting it to hold 180, but then come outside to check on it and find the temperature up well over 300.  This problem went away with the hot and humid mid-Atlantic weather in September, but I don't know if it will be back again next summer.

I have upgraded the controller to a RecTec WiFi controller.  This could be the source of my igniter troubles, but the original FireCraft controller stopped working a few years ago and this controller works great as soon as the igniter is disconnected.

It's been great discussing these units and ways to keep them running after the demise of FireCraft (the company), but I'm not interested in replacing the igniter every 2 - 3 months which is what seems to be happening now.

If interested in taking on this project let me know.  I'll be happy to give it away so that I don't have to haul it to the dump.
Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: 02ebz06 on November 16, 2020, 05:20:19 PM
You might want to post where you are located.
Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: jgrayson on November 18, 2020, 02:06:26 PM
Yes, I probably should have mentioned that.

I'm in Washington, DC.  Not downtown, but about 5 - 6 miles inside the beltway.


Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: Bentley on November 18, 2020, 02:55:28 PM
If I knew how to fix it I would come get it!  I remember Performance Testing one and really liking them!
Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on November 18, 2020, 03:42:58 PM
If I knew how to fix it I would come get it!  I remember Performance Testing one and really liking them!

McGyver, you can figure anything out
Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: 02ebz06 on November 18, 2020, 05:10:22 PM
Seems to me a new ITC, PID, and Hot Rod from Yoder or Blazin' should solve problems.
But what do I know...   :-[
Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: jgrayson on November 24, 2020, 04:55:07 PM
Seems to me a new ITC, PID, and Hot Rod from Yoder or Blazin' should solve problems.
But what do I know...   :-[

I'm not the only one who gave up on one of these.  I've already replaced the controller once and the igniter twice this year (once before this year).  That gets me to more then $200 invested in replacement parts and right now I need another igniter and I need to put in a different controller that might provide better temperature control.  I'm not sure that it would be good financially or good time spent to continue fighting with a smoker that cost $700 new.

If FireCraft was still in the business of providing service parts, this might have been a different decision but for me it's time to move on.

Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: Bentley on November 24, 2020, 08:45:33 PM
I feel ya!
Title: Re: Retiring my FireCraft
Post by: MN-Smoker on November 29, 2020, 10:13:45 AM
If I lived nearby, I'd take it.

Shipping on it would require dis-assembly and fair amount of shipping cost.