RT-590 Explosion. Now What?

With an excess of pellets the igniter tries to light them but can't get enough oxygen to make a flame and just makes smoke which is full of flammable vapor. Then when the flame ignites it sets off the vapor laden smoke which is not really an explosion but a very rapid burn. That's why I always leave the lid open until the flame starts. You can tell by the sound when it does.
 
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Yesterday I was doing a small cook, just 30 mins @ 400 degrees.

When the cook was almost done the temperature of the grill plummeted to ~200 and kept dropping. I checked the pellets and they were very low but still covering/feeding the auger. So I added more pellets, removed the food, and waited to see if the grill would get back up to temp.

After about 15 minutes of waiting the grill started to smoke very badly, then 5 minutes later a small explosion occured. Not some horrible fireball of doom, but big enough to blow the lid open violently.

After that I evacuated the deck and then turned off the grill with my phone. The grill stopped smoking and seemed to do its normal shut down (fan spun for a few minutes and then the unit shut off completely.

I've already contacted support but I thought I would try my luck here with what I should do next? Is the grill damaged? How do I get it back in service safely?

Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
The same thing happened to me. I had just finished a long cook at 225 on the 590. Then my wife turned up the temp to cook some potatoes and corn. She then opened the lid and kept it open to heat some tortillas. She closed the lid and a short while later booom! It was enough to blow the lid up and scare the heck out of my guests. I think that while she was heating the tortillas with the lid open the grill kept feeding pellets to keep up with the heat lose due to the open lid. Then when the lid was closed there were so many pellets in the firepot that it got too hot and kaboom
 
The same thing happened to me. I had just finished a long cook at 225 on the 590. Then my wife turned up the temp to cook some potatoes and corn. She then opened the lid and kept it open to heat some tortillas. She closed the lid and a short while later booom! It was enough to blow the lid up and scare the heck out of my guests. I think that while she was heating the tortillas with the lid open the grill kept feeding pellets to keep up with the heat lose due to the open lid. Then when the lid was closed there were so many pellets in the firepot that it got too hot and kaboom
 
If your insurance company doesn't cover grill fires, you need to find a new insurance company.
I stated an "unattended" grill. Not sure I would want to fight that battle but feel free and let us know the outcome. Depositions are not fun if you've ever had to deal with one.
 
Yesterday I was doing a small cook, just 30 mins @ 400 degrees.

When the cook was almost done the temperature of the grill plummeted to ~200 and kept dropping. I checked the pellets and they were very low but still covering/feeding the auger. So I added more pellets, removed the food, and waited to see if the grill would get back up to temp.

After about 15 minutes of waiting the grill started to smoke very badly, then 5 minutes later a small explosion occured. Not some horrible fireball of doom, but big enough to blow the lid open violently.

After that I evacuated the deck and then turned off the grill with my phone. The grill stopped smoking and seemed to do its normal shut down (fan spun for a few minutes and then the unit shut off completely.

I've already contacted support but I thought I would try my luck here with what I should do next? Is the grill damaged? How do I get it back in service safely?

Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
That sucks.
 
Glad nothing very bad happened. Good thing you were there to address it and shut it down.
Did you have the lid open for awhile which could have caused the low temp?

And just think, there are people that think it's so cool they can start their grill with a phone app when not home. Guess they don't realize, things can go wrong and if you're not there in person, it could end badly. I'll never start mine without being present as I've read of explosions on startup too.
It’s always best to keep your grill or smoker away from your home or anything else that can catch fire. As a firefighter I’ve been on many propane fed grill fires because the regulator failed.
 
With an excess of pellets the igniter tries to light them but can't get enough oxygen to make a flame and just makes smoke which is full of flammable vapor. Then when the flame ignites it sets off the vapor laden smoke which is not really an explosion but a very rapid burn. That's why I always leave the lid open until the flame starts. You can tell by the sound when it does.
Exactly. Smoke is fuel particles.
 
The same thing happened to me. I had just finished a long cook at 225 on the 590. Then my wife turned up the temp to cook some potatoes and corn. She then opened the lid and kept it open to heat some tortillas. She closed the lid and a short while later booom! It was enough to blow the lid up and scare the heck out of my guests. I think that while she was heating the tortillas with the lid open the grill kept feeding pellets to keep up with the heat lose due to the open lid. Then when the lid was closed there were so many pellets in the firepot that it got too hot and kaboom
When I am opening the lid for more than minute or so I always turn the grill off and that stops feeding pellets. When I am done and close the lid, I turn it back on. I do almost of my cooks at 225 so it only takes a 2-3 minutes to get back up to temperature and I don't get the temperature spike like you do if you just leave it on with all the extra pellets it was feeding trying to keep it at the set temperature.
 
If your insurance company doesn't cover grill fires, you need to find a new insurance company.
Correct! I've worked 30+ years as an actuary in this industry. All sorts of situations from oops to flat out stupid are covered. Yes, I have seen stupid and Traeger smoker combined to create pretty large fire claim we paid. Intentional or criminal is another issue entirely.
 
Correct! I've worked 30+ years as an actuary in this industry. All sorts of situations from oops to flat out stupid are covered. Yes, I have seen stupid and Traeger smoker combined to create pretty large fire claim we paid. Intentional or criminal is another issue entirely.
If you insure against stupidity, I need a policy.
 
I have heard of guys having explosions before and seems it’s caused by a flame out and pellets building up in the pot. My question is what explodes?? I can see the fire getting too big because of the excess pellets but what actually explodes? Could understand it on a gas grill but on a pellet grill there is nothing to explode. Not saying it doesn’t happen…have seen several posts about it. Someone enlighten me please!
When wood is heated and not ignited, it gives off volatile gases (don't ask me what they are) and then when an ignition source and/or additional oxygen is introduced, those gases can explode. That's what causes the flashovers that often injure firemen in house fires when they open the door.
 
I stated an "unattended" grill. Not sure I would want to fight that battle
I think you're mistaken, and so does the insurance actuary who also posted here. All you need to do is to pick up the phone and call your insurance company, and/or others, to verify.
but feel free and let us know the outcome.
Comments like this are uncalled for and make you like a jerk.
 
Having a little (18 years) of experience on a bomb squad, detonations aka "explosions" happen when deflagrating (burning) stuff is confined to a point where overpressure occurs. While I just read this now, I would suspect that the overfeed of pellets effectively encased that little was already burning (or got reignited). The overfeed of pellets would envelope the burning/smouldering stuff. The igniter keeps blasting away until the pressure of the burning stuff breaches the pile of extra pellets. BANG!

It's the same concept as a pipe bomb or even a bullet.

My two cents as a newbie Recteq owner, but knowing something about explosive stuff is to take a quick peek at the hopper and the firepot before starting up one of these beauties. I have noticed that after long cooks with some pellets, you get hard resin chunks that builds up in the firepot. Left uncleaned, that would definitely help confine the firepot to create an overpressure explosion.
 

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