Pathetic recteq customer service

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As far as overshooting goes, I've been able to mitigate that by lowering the Minimum Feed Rate (MFR). It's in the advanced settings.

I'm going to guess it's at the default of 3.5%? If so, try 2.0 or 2.5 percent.

The lack of notification is because they run all that through the server side. We/they have all the information for notification in the client side -- the app already shows us everything needed to generate a notification. It would take maybe a day for someone on the software team to generate the code.

I suggested that to them, but maybe the short guy is in charge of the software team?

I wonder if the "software team" is in some other country. For whatever reason, they keep it server side, and Recteq sales have done exceedingly well last year. They just can't or don't want to spend the money scaling up the servers.

Someone else suggested they want to run it through the servers in order to do data collection to feed direct marketing. Makes sense, but the other suggestion I read was to collect that separately from the notification process. In other words, do the notifications client side and collect data in the background.
I didn’t come on here to get their attention, was just curious if I was the only having issues getting them to respond.

I have been through all of this with recteq on the phone. I’ve taken it to 1.5 and still nothing.

I have told them numerous times, the problem is with the fan. It never shuts off. They need to change the programing to pulse the fan. Mine runs continuously.
 
I didn’t come on here to get their attention, was just curious if I was the only having issues getting them to respond.

I have been through all of this with recteq on the phone. I’ve taken it to 1.5 and still nothing.

I have told them numerous times, the problem is with the fan. It never shuts off. They need to change the programing to pulse the fan. Mine runs continuously.
Why does the fan need to be pulsed?
 
My fan cycles on and off when I am set to 180 or when I drop the temps and it is trying to cool off. I have a 700 so it has the logic. I would think the newer units have that logic as well. Seems the new units can also get OTA firmware updates. Re-flashing the firmware might be an avenue in case it is corrupt for some reason.
 
Why does the fan need to be pulsed?
To control the heat. Similar to how a carburetor on an engine controls both fuel and air.

My GMG I had and even the pellet feeder I used to build my smoker, pulse/vary the fan speed. Both of these units will NEVER overshoot temperature by more than a couple degrees.
 
To control the heat. Similar to how a carburetor on an engine controls both fuel and air.

My GMG I had and even the pellet feeder I used to build my smoker, pulse/vary the fan speed. Both of these units will NEVER overshoot temperature by more than a couple degrees.

My 590 pulses plenty, and that is what helps keep the temps so stable on my 590.......they all do this far as I know? I don't vary my temp settings much "90% of the time I am cooking between 235/250", I bought this machine as a smoker first and foremost and not a grill. Be careful using the term NEVER, as that more times than not tends to be incorrect. ;)
 
To control the heat. Similar to how a carburetor on an engine controls both fuel and air.

My GMG I had and even the pellet feeder I used to build my smoker, pulse/vary the fan speed. Both of these units will NEVER overshoot temperature by more than a couple degrees.
Thanks. I thought the pulsed fan was for smoke, not temp control.
 
Same overheating issues on my new B beast been cooking on big egg almost 20 years quite attuned with the up-and-down temps, so I adjusted target temp downward problem solved.
My expectations of customer service with any business at this point, most likely, I know more than they do.
Still like the product
 
I’m not on the Facebook group or any other Recteq group but wonder if temp fluctuations are getting a lot of traction elsewhere. With all of these temp issues in newer grills I’m thinking Recteq has a bug in the controllers that they aren’t admitting to. My guess is an update will come along and they will suddenly go away. Every now and then we see an issue crop up like this. In the past a model would be dropped and something similar would come out a few months later. Now that they can update the controller they can just play dumb and fix it behind the scenes when they figure it out.
 
For what it's worth, I am beginning to see more temperature fluctuations than I did a few updates ago. Some fluctuations are in the 25 - 50 degree range towards the end of longer cooks. I'm guessing that they're messing around with something in their algorithm. Of course the Recteq app reports absolute rock solid temps, but my Thermoworks Signals has never lied to me and I even broke out a second Signals I normally have for in the house and different set of probes just to corroborate one set of data points.
 
I had thought about adding an "open door" switch to the auger. But, I'm not sure it would work well, since the temp would be low when you close the door and the controller would still add fuel to catch up the temp and likely overshoot the target temp. I suppose I could add a time delay relay to the switch and have the circuit close xx minutes after closing the door. But the danger would be leaving the door open long enough to have the fire pot go out, then closing the door and have the fuel dump in. It really needs a programmed open door mode to keep the fire going regardless of leaving the door open for extended time.
 
I had thought about adding an "open door" switch to the auger. But, I'm not sure it would work well, since the temp would be low when you close the door and the controller would still add fuel to catch up the temp and likely overshoot the target temp. I suppose I could add a time delay relay to the switch and have the circuit close xx minutes after closing the door. But the danger would be leaving the door open long enough to have the fire pot go out, then closing the door and have the fuel dump in. It really needs a programmed open door mode to keep the fire going regardless of leaving the door open for extended time.
IMHO, locking the grill temp when the door opens should work.
 
IMHO, locking the grill temp when the door opens should work.
I could easily just put a switch on the power wire for the auger. That would work for all but some extraordinarily long door open scenario.
 
I didn’t come on here to get their attention, was just curious if I was the only having issues getting them to respond.

I have been through all of this with recteq on the phone. I’ve taken it to 1.5 and still nothing.

I have told them numerous times, the problem is with the fan. It never shuts off. They need to change the programing to pulse the fan. Mine runs continuously.
Early last year, I posted my take on what’s causing these high temps that some people are experiencing. I’ve had one person disagree with my theory of what’s happening. So you can take this info with a grain of salt or see if it works for you.

Here goes…
If you start your grill, with the lid open as many of us do (and prefer), I recommend you close your grill’s lid right after the fire in the firebox “catches” and the heavy smoke you’ll typically see during startup subsides. You’ll also know by the sound from the firebox…somewhat like a small jet engine. After closing the lid, set your cooking temperature and allow around 15 minutes or so to get up to temp. Use that time to finish up your prep for whatever you’re cooking.

If you should leave your grill’s lid open for a period of time after the fire catches, the chamber temp cannot achieve whatever temperature setting you set when you first powered on…even a low 180 or 200F. The heat is escaping past the open lid. The controller will do its job by attempting to make the fire hotter and hotter to achieve the set temperature. But the lid is open so it never achieves the set temperature but keeps trying. After some time, there’s a roaring fire in the fire pot by time you close the lid…hence the really high temperature reading you will see registered on the controller for the cooking chamber’s ambient temperature.

What should occur once the lid is closed and the chamber temp sensor passes along to the controller that it’s several hundred degrees in the cooking chamber, the fan will turn on and off and the auger will reduce its feeding rate to the fire pot in an effort to get the chamber temp down to the temperature you set your grill at. This is what the controller is supposed to do to reduce the cooking chamber’s temperature…whether it’s an overheating situation or you are simply lowering the chamber temperature for cooking purposes or in preparation to shutdown. That could take a half-hour or more. So be mindful of this “phenomenon” when starting your grill and before you put your food on to cook. Best advice is to close your lid after the fire catches in the firepot and the heavy smoke subsides.

Note: This sky high temperature reading is not some faulty controller or firmware upgrade issue…at least that should not be your first consideration. The controller’s logic is doing exactly what it’s programmed to do.

CAUTION: If your cooking chamber temp is extremely high or you have a fire, DO NOT UNPLUG THE GRILL. Close the lid, turn the temperature setting to its lowest setting, and let it die down on its own.

EXCEPTION: IF LIFE OR PROPERTY ARE AT RISK, USE A PROPERLY RATED FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO SECURE THE FIRE AND/OR TAKE ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY TO PRESERVE LIFE AND PROPERTY. None of my advice on dealing with a grill that overheated precludes you from making your personal safety (life and property) the most important factor in the action(s) you take.
 
I have actually been starting my grill with the lid closed for a good bit now, fires right up with no drama and hits my 235 set temp very quickly and stays there very steadily. Any time we open the lid unless it is quite warm outside, the chance off a temp flare up is pretty good.......this is my low and slow BBQ grill so I rarely need to open my lid, and when I do it is very quick and the heat loss and recovery is minimal. Like I have said many times, my consistent cooking temps are 235/245 with the occasional up to 275 and never above 300 unless doing a burn off.......my temps have always been very stable.
 
I have actually been starting my grill with the lid closed for a good bit now, fires right up with no drama and hits my 235 set temp very quickly and stays there very steadily. Any time we open the lid unless it is quite warm outside, the chance off a temp flare up is pretty good.......this is my low and slow BBQ grill so I rarely need to open my lid, and when I do it is very quick and the heat loss and recovery is minimal. Like I have said many times, my consistent cooking temps are 235/245 with the occasional up to 275 and never above 300 unless doing a burn off.......my temps have always been very stable.
I had started with the lid open many years ago with my old Traeger…I think they suggested that. Then, after getting my RT-700, and joining this forum, I started suggesting it to the folks that were experiencing the “lid pop” stuff. So it’s a habit for me. That said, I’ve done the “0-400 wings” a couple of times on my B380X and the sun is still rising in the east and setting in the west. 😊

Bottom line, though, if my theory of the high temp situation is correct, starting the pellet grill with the lid closed would be a good solution.
 
....

EXCEPTION: IF LIFE OR PROPERTY ARE AT RISK, USE A PROPERLY RATED FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO SECURE THE FIRE AND/OR TAKE ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY TO PRESERVE LIFE AND PROPERTY. None of my advice on dealing with a grill that overheated precludes you from making your personal safety (life and property) the most important factor in the action(s) you take.
I highly recommend you use a carbon dioxide extinguisher. They're not cheap, but you can use them in the kitchen too and there's no cleanup from the white powder of a dry chem extinguisher.
 

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