Author Topic: Temperature Out of Control  (Read 10134 times)

Elliottbte

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Temperature Out of Control
« on: December 27, 2015, 04:56:09 PM »
My #1 is just more than a year old.  Today I am doing some ribs.  I have the #1 set at 225 and am monitoring smoker temp with my maverick.  Temps rose nicely and held steady at about 240 through the first three hours.  Then temp ran up to 282 in the next hour.  I turned the thermostat down to 200, but it didn't lower.  I thought maybe the probe was bad so I changed probes, but then I got the same temp result.  I lower thermostat to ~180 but no help, temp still 280 and rising.  I finally decided to turn the #1 off and will turn on/off as needed to control temp until the smoke is done.

Any idea what can be causing this temperature control issue?  Again, my #1 is just over a year old as I got it last Christmas and I've done probably a dozen smokes.  Any help is appreciated.

Brad
Brad from Chattanooga
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BedouinBob

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2015, 07:38:52 PM »
Brad, double check your temp probes. Maybe in ice water to see if you get 32 deg. I haven't heard of any of the analog controllers going bad but I guess that is possible. If it is, contact Steve at Smokin It. He will tell you what to do. The nice thing is that if a new part is needed, they typically aren't that expensive.
Bob - Colorado Springs
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old sarge

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2015, 07:52:14 PM »
Elliottbte - And you have the 3 year warranty!
David from Arizona
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SuperDave

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2015, 10:15:34 PM »
Someone else recently posted the same problem.  We thought it was a rheostat problem, which Steve sells for $30 if it happens to not be covered under warrantee.
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SconnieQ

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2015, 02:06:17 AM »
Do any of you guys know... is there ever an issue with the built-in probe inside the box getting gunked up? Making the rheostat thinks the box is not as hot as it is, thus, turning on the element and making it run hot? I never really pay much attention to cleaning that other than wiping a little with a paper towel, but I've often wondered if I should be cleaning that better.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2015, 11:06:18 AM by SconnieQ »
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Elliottbte

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2015, 09:38:54 AM »
Thanks for all the replies.  I think I will do a test today without actually smoking anything.  First I'll check the condition of the temperature probe in the #1 and make sure it is decently clean.  Then I'll turn it on at 150 and monitor temp.  I know an empty smoker would normally have pretty big swings around the 150 temp, but they should swing, and not just go up and up and up.  We'll see what happens.
Brad from Chattanooga
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Elliottbte

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2015, 11:11:27 AM »
Thanks for all the replies.  I think I will do a test today without actually smoking anything.  First I'll check the condition of the temperature probe in the #1 and make sure it is decently clean.  Then I'll turn it on at 150 and monitor temp.  I know an empty smoker would normally have pretty big swings around the 150 temp, but they should swing, and not just go up and up and up.  We'll see what happens.

Ok, finished the test.  First, cleaned up the probe inside.  It really wasn't too bad.  No thick layer of anything, just a bit dark and cleaned off easily with mild soap.  Then turned on with thermostat at 125 .... two maverick probes I put inside settled at 234 and 235.  Then I moved thermostat to 150 .... temp rose to 300 on both probes, and were still rising so I shut it down.  Time to contact Steve I think.
Brad from Chattanooga
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H3

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2015, 01:23:05 PM »
I just had the same problem. Smoker got up to over 300 and it would not cycle on and off, it just stayed on. Called Steve and he was very helpful and nice. He sent me a new temp control under warranty. I changed it out this past weekend, tested it and problem solved.   
Howard from Panama City Beach

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2015, 06:43:27 PM »
Cannot beat the customer service.
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Elliottbte

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2015, 02:28:11 PM »
I just had the same problem. Smoker got up to over 300 and it would not cycle on and off, it just stayed on. Called Steve and he was very helpful and nice. He sent me a new temp control under warranty. I changed it out this past weekend, tested it and problem solved.

I contacted Steve yesterday and he's sending one to me as well.  I hope the new controller is straightforward to install.
Brad from Chattanooga
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Elliottbte

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2015, 02:29:45 PM »
Cannot beat the customer service.

That is for sure.  I emailed him two days ago, and a new controller is already on the way !!
Brad from Chattanooga
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DivotMaker

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2015, 07:46:12 PM »
Brad, the controller is very easy to install.  Wear some rubber gloves when you take off the back, though - that fiberglass insulation is itchy! 
Tony from NW Arkansas
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H3

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2015, 10:27:46 AM »
It is very easy to fix. Rubber gloves +1
Howard from Panama City Beach

Elliottbte

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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2016, 03:32:16 PM »
H3 and DM, thanks for the suggestion on the gloves, good idea.  I don't know that I would call the replacement easy, at least the first time, but it wasn't too bad.  Most annoying thing was my dropping the small screws and washers and searching for them in my garage.   I mention the first time above because after re-assembling, I didn't get any heat despite the LED light coming on.  Took everything apart and found one of the crimped wire connectors to the burners had come apart so I had to recrimp that connector and re-assemble again.  I'm pretty sure it came apart when working with the insulation at the back.  But now that I've re-assembled twice, maybe I can say it's easy now given the practice.  After getting it all together, I put some bricks in as a heat sink tested the #1 out.  Looks like the temperature control replacement parts from Steve did the job.
Brad from Chattanooga
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Re: Temperature Out of Control
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2016, 09:42:45 PM »
Good to hear, Brad!  Yeah, it's easy to say it's "easy," if you've done it before!  Sounds like you got it figured-out, though!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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