RT-680 Fire pot overflowing

[ntrueman]

I have contacted recteq three times by telephone and also sent them videos and photos of my issue and I'm getting nowhere so HELP!

My grill self tests OK (passes all tests accessed via the control panel).
I have cleaned the grill out completely so there is no ash or old pellets anywhere in the hopper, auger etc.
I have removed the firepot and removed all ash around it too.
Used brand new recteq pellets

• The grill starts normally, fire starts etc.
• After about 45minutes of use (regardless of the tempreture I set), the ignited pellets start to overflow the fire pot and if left will fill up the bottom of the grill with smoldering pellets and the amounts of smoke produced at this point is unbelieveable.
• It will not get go more than 390 degrees (its very slow to gain heat).

Questions:
1. The last recteq person on thier support line got me to check the auger speed which was set to 20 and asked me to change it to 10, is that correct? what is the factory default.
2. He then got me to order a fan although my fan is working (it does seem a bit weak). Hopefully this works, anyone else had any experience of the symptoms of a weak fan or failed fan?
3. Anyone else had this issue and can point to a fix?

My smoker is a few years old now but I'd like to save it but its ruined three family cooks now and it's unuseable so either I find out how to fix it or its going to the curb as a bad job.

 

[Jim6820]

Well, a couple of things are pretty obvious from the photo; (1) incomplete pellet burn and (2) too much pellet feed. Since you have lowered pellet feed to 10 and it hasn’t solved the problem, either the pellet feed hasn’t actually been lowered (bad control board) or the fan isn’t working properly (also a possible bad control board or a bad fan unit) which results in an incomplete burn. Or, both (1) and (2).

If this is really a 680, that model has been discontinued for several years and I don’t know whether parts are still available from RT. The control board and fan unit may be the same as used in current models…or not. And, it is unlikely that RT will cut you any kind of price break on any parts needed.

Sadly, I think your 680 may have reached the end of its useful life and any attempt to resuscitate it may be economically impractical. It may be time to think “replacement.”

 

[Gonefishin]

I agree with Jim, I’d suspect the control be if it’s worth the price of a replacement, especially being it’s just a best guess fix.

Can you hear the auger cycling? On my 340 it sounds like it feeds for a few seconds, then stops for a few, this being after it’s up to temp.

I’d try to watch it and see if the auger just keeps running.

 

[kstone113]

Agree with above - this has to be a fan issue(lack of air flow on the firepot).

 

[ntrueman]

Thanks for the feedback all. I ordered a fan $30 plus postage so parts readily available still. If that doesn't work I'll put the old non-WIFI controller back in to test if it needs a controller.

 

[RHEINLEIN]

Did RT have you run through the test modes to determine if the fan was bad? Or just a best guess?

 

[ntrueman]

Did RT have you run through the test modes to determine if the fan was bad? Or just a best guess?

As per my original post the grill passes all tests but there is no test that I am aware of to test the fan speed only that it is running or not.

 

[Pete 396]

I would think parts would be available. I have always thought a manufacturer had to have parts available for ten years.