Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[wahoowad]

Man I'm just having a bad experience as a new Camp Chef owner. After a fairly successful all night cook (but that still included excessive temp swings) my unit just stopped putting out heat despite not running out of pellets. I noticed temps were plummeting down past 170 so I thought maybe my pellets had become blocked and stirred them up to get them to drop.

Not sure if that was it but after about 5 minutes temps then skyrocketed from 90 to 340 and kept climbing. Thick smoke was pouring out and I thought I had a grease fire, but I did not. It was passing 350 so I opened the lid, both to lower the temp and release some of that super thick smoke off my food.  But it just wanted to run high so I am doing a shutdown and will restart it using bypass so I can finish my porkbutt cook.

[Bar-B-Lew]

wrap and finish in the oven

[glitchy]

I know it’s frustrating when set it and forget it doesn’t work that way. To me it sounds like you had a flame out. I don’t know the CampChef controller and googling pics didn’t see a hole for p settings like a traeger, but your swings are just like mine can be when I’m way off. As for a fla,e out, does the Woodwind auto restart or only turn on the igniter when on a smoke setting? Or did you happen to turn the dial when the temp dropped reigniting a burn pot full of pellets maybe?

Anyway, hope the new controller shows up soon and takes care of it all for you. Another thing to do early is raise your vent cap up as far as you can keeping it securely attached until you get everything dialed in and make sure if your foiling drip trays your wrapping them tight not to affect airflow.

[wahoowad]

Not sure what a flameout is, but I think i experienced my first auger blockage that led to the temp drop. After restoring pellet flow I think the chamber pot cooled to where the pellets did not initially ignite. They piled up, then eventually the residual heat ignited a larger than normal pile of pellets.

I decided to do a shutdown, cycle power, then let it it start back up normally as it was significantly cooled off by this time. My meat lost a few degrees, but it is pork butt which can take a little extra abuse. It will be done soon.

I'm probably learning more about the operation and different modes by these initial struggles. It's just as well - I really want to understand it at a detailed level.

[Bentley]

I do not know why, but the fire is getting to low, going out, pellets are still being fed in and the unit is relighting.  I am embarrassed to say I can't remember if it has a relight feature, but am almost positive by what you are describing it does.  The only way what you are describing is going to happen is the unit going out and relighting!  Lost of smoke, then a huge temperature spike = lots of pellets in combustion chamber when it restarts!

[wahoowad]

The replacement controller and temp probe Camp Chef sent me to address my wide temp swings arrived today and I installed them. Unfortunately the Windwood continues to exhibit the same wide temp swings. This time I did sit there and recorded back to back swings so I could tell exactly what it was doing.

I initially let it run awhile to get up to my setting of 225 and settle in. No wind. Upper 40's. New bag of dry pellets. Just leave it alone and let it run and recorded this:

   186 to 304 (-39, +79)
   210 to 271 (-15, +46)
   206 to 267 (-19, +42)
   222 to 248 (-3, +23)
   197 to 266 (-28, + 41)
   190 to 298 (-35, +73)

Very disappointing, especially when I consider the prospects of next steps. They will probably want to send more parts, possibly items requiring more involved replacement, wait another week, spend time repairing it, see if anything improves and quite possibly be in the same situation. Feels like I got a lemon and starting to think about the grills I passed over when I selected this one 
 

[glitchy]

Does the fan seem to run correctly? How far up is your vent cap? What’s the fan do when these drops and spikes occur?

[wahoowad]

I saw 2 fans while replacing these parts. It’s not clear to me when each should run and if their speed should vary. I do hear one of them running harder at certain times but can’t state the pattern, but there does seem to be times where one either is running variable or cycling on/off. I assume the controller is telling them when to run. Sounded the same with either controller.

Chimney is 0.75”, right in between the 0.5” and 1” that Camp Chef support recommended.

[Bentley]

I guess it begs the question...What food has it ruined? 

Since the #1 reason you bought a pellet unit was to have temperature control, I would see right now if you can return it and look for one that will meet that need!

[glitchy]

If you want to experiment, try raising it as high as you can and still lock it down. More airflow might help keep combustion more consistent. With the flameout and bouncing temps airflow is a possibility. Cooler temps and no wind? How was humidity? Following Bentley’s comment, my Traeger bounces all over the place, but still cooks good food. Though I think your flameout is related to the swings. Here’s my cook today, got to 46 here with little wind.

[glitchy]

Also, another thought, are you watching the pit’s own probe temp or your Maverick?

[Bentley]

If Kristin gets this Service Puppy, she will be in your city, which is just a few miles to the South of us!  I am no expert, but would be happy to come by and take a look at it and see if a 2nd set of eyes might help! 

Maybe the SG I am going to Performance Test will have some good performance and they would let you swap it out?  That is a long shot, but ya never know...I did not know it but you can put your sear box on it too!

I am kind of speaking out of turn, but you never know!

[wahoowad]

Also, another thought, are you watching the pit’s own probe temp or your Maverick?

Primarily the pit probe, but I did run my Maverick earlier today and it showed the swings too. And I put in the new pit probe from CC today and it still worked the same.

Bentley - when are you folks going to be here? That would be very nice of you. Who knows - there may be something obvious to you that i’m just not picking up on since this is my first pellet grill.

[glitchy]

Bummer, was hoping it was the Maverick only and maybe you had it in a bad spot. Hoping to help you find an easy answer is all.

[ylr]

The only thing that makes sense to me is that your auger may be binding on something. It cools off when the auger binds, and then the temps shoot up when the auger releases. Do you hear it squeal or grind when it runs?