- Messages
- 499
- Grill(s) owned
- RT-1070
First up to 350 for one hour for potatoes. The up to 500 for 45 minutes to grill steaks. Then down to 240* to cool down while we ate dinner. Then started shut down. Soon smoke coming from both pit and hopper. Less from pit and more? from hopper. Took apart to inspect and found all dark pellets in pot, and smoke from them and hopper both. Lots of ash in hopper. I gave it15 minutes and it was still smoking but no fire. So I went into test mode and activated the auger which put out a lot of black smoldering pellets before running fresh pellets. Dipped all the ash and pellets from the pot into a fire bucket, then primed with pellets for next start.
Investigation suggests that perhaps less resistance to air flow from auger, than grill vents. I used two GrillGrates fitted for the 1070 to do steaks, and they overlap the drip pan both fore and aft.That does block air flow on the right side of the drip pan. I wonder if they block the flow enough to cause the back pressure???? Plan: will turn them sideways after using for hot cooks, so the space in front of and back of the drip pan is not compromised??? Also consider using a gasket on the top of the hopper to prevent air flow from below???( a very thin gasket will do the trick without preventing the lid from closing.) I don't think the fire pot was to loaded with ash.
Investigation suggests that perhaps less resistance to air flow from auger, than grill vents. I used two GrillGrates fitted for the 1070 to do steaks, and they overlap the drip pan both fore and aft.That does block air flow on the right side of the drip pan. I wonder if they block the flow enough to cause the back pressure???? Plan: will turn them sideways after using for hot cooks, so the space in front of and back of the drip pan is not compromised??? Also consider using a gasket on the top of the hopper to prevent air flow from below???( a very thin gasket will do the trick without preventing the lid from closing.) I don't think the fire pot was to loaded with ash.