So why do folks in real hot areas have to lower the auger feed rate to prevent flameouts? Thanks for taking the time to explain this.The auger speed is fixed, not variable. Give that, the auger turns on and off as needed, and in tandem with the fan, it maintain the set temp. The lower the feed rate setting, the longer the interval between when the auger starts/stops. Or in other words, the minimum feed rate is the maximum interval rate between when the auger is on and off. Once the grill is set to a temp that is higher than what can be reached by the minimum feed rate setting, the PID controller takes over and increases auger feed rate and fan speed to reach higher temps.
Most people won’t have a problem (maintaining low temps) that needs fixing by changing the feed rate. It’s only applicable in hot climates. However, many people are of the opinion that changing the feed rate will lower the pit temps as measured by a 3rd party thermometer to match what is measured by the PID thermometer. That’s not going to work. On a properly functioning grill, only by changing the temp offset setting (+ or - 20%) can the user to get the controller to match what the user observes with a 3rd party thermometer. Hope this helps.