Basic Maintenance Question

JamesB

Well-known member
Messages
67
I have had my Bull for about four months. I’ve probably used it about 75 times for both long cooks and shorter ones. I’ve gone through 300+ pounds of pellets.

I recently saw a post here describing an accumulation of pellet dust causing an operational problem. The poster said he fixed the problem by vacuuming out the auger feed mechanism. I’m starting to wonder if I’m experiencing something similar because I have to set it at 400+ before it starts actually heating up.

If pellet dust accumulation is an issue, I’d appreciate suggestions about remedies.
 
For a simple first try, you could use either a shop vac or compressed air line. That should either suck or blow out any loose stuff.
 
I’m starting to wonder if I’m experiencing something similar because I have to set it at 400+ before it starts actually heating up.
Are you putting a handful of pellets in the fire pot before starting the grill? I have found that helps with a quick startup. Otherwise, the auger will need to push pellets into the fire pot so that the ignitor can light them. Just a thought.
 
If any accuracy exists regarding per hour consumption of pellets (~1lb/hour), that’s not too many hours. I would however, take Jim6820’s and RecTeq’s advise on a good cleaning. I have many more hours than that on my Bull but I typically do a thorough cleaning every 30 or so hours by vacuuming and blowing out the operating components. I also never let my unit run “dry” but I live in SoCal and it is relatively dry. My Bull gets used a few times every week. Your mileage may vary but I usually only use RT, Kingsford and other better quality pellets in my rig. I never use the “shake” left in the bottom of the bag when I reload because I am sensitive to any dust accumulation possibilities. I also scoop out the pellets not dump them which also helps keep the dust monster away. If you are in a high humidity area, you may want to do a visual check on your burn pot and the rod. Look and see if there is any accumulation of corrosion or soot buildup just in case. Also, one tip I learned early in the game is to let about an inch of ash build up in the bottom of the cooking chamber (not the fire pot). It can be very helpful in keeping moisture and drippings from shortening the life span of your unit. Let us know what you find out. We are always open to learning on this forum because it helps us to get better at what we do.

Regards
 
I keep my pellets in a sealed bin, also don't keep an abundance in the hopper unless I am gonna use it. If living in a high humidity area, if you keep a cover on your grill outside, you are wise to empty out the hopper after each use. I have minimum sawdust as I sift all my pellets, there are for sure some tricks and best practices for long lasting and consistent performance.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top