Heating element question PBV4PS2

[Edchad]

Hey guys. I have a question. Not sure if it’s a problem but just acting a little different.

Today after downloading and testing a version of the app, when I was letting it power down, I asked the wife if there was anything she wanted cooked while I had it out. She came back and had some chicken breast filets and asked about them. I told her great. I really wanted to do a couple of things anyway.


The app I tested, and I don’t want to get into that here, did pretty darn good. So in reality all I needed to do was the water pan.
So when it completely finished it’s power down I put water in the pan. I always line it with HD foil. Superstition I guess. And then I decided it would be a good time to try a new pellet. As some of you know I’ve got quite an inventory. Like a dummy lol. Anyway I looked em over and decided Bear Mountain. I have Hickory, Oak and I think their gourmet blend.
I decided on the Oak

I wanted to check em out by themselves with no smoke tubes.
I emptied the ashes. Also the grease pan.

As I had a fair amount of PB hickory mix with some PB charcoal in there I unloaded the hopper and shop vacced all I could see down inside the auger. At that point I put app 1/2 bag of the bear mountain oak in. Turned it back on and primed it a little after it got going just to rid what may still be in the front of the auger.

Everything went pretty good. And my wife even commented the could taste the smoke. Which surprised me as she’s my top critic. Lol. The smoke smelled strong coming out so I figured It would be ok at least. So this one goes on my list now with the Kingsford Hickory and the PB charcoal.

My question/concern is. For some reason it seemed the thing didn’t heat up as fast as it usually does. While testing with the other pellets in it seemed the same way. I just chalked it off. I mean it ran its S cycle for about an hour and I raised it to 250. And did the exact same thing on the tray of chicken. It just seemed it took way longer for it to hit the temp.
Now it did hit it and held nice. But it never took that long before.

I know the auger works. It did it with two different pellets. It just didn’t seem right. Now it may just be me. lol. Well I don’t think so really. But any input, opinion or advice? Is there some sort of maintenance needs to be done in the heat area? It’s never took that long to hit them temp setting. Never. So I’m concerned.
As always thanks in advance.

 

[Mike From R.I.]

I didn't notice any problem with a heat up last week using Bear Mountain Gourmet, but i was inside getting the ribs ready. Went outside and it was at 250 deg.

 

[Edchad]

I didn't notice any problem with a heat up last week using Bear Mountain Gourmet, but i was inside getting the ribs ready. Went outside and it was at 250 deg.

Hey Mike!
Im not suspect of the Bear Mtn pellets. When I did my little test run just before that I was burning a mix of hickory and charcoal pellets that were already in the hopper. Even those didn’t seem to heat as quick.
thats one problem mine hasn’t had. Normally it heats fast. Im a little suspect of the igniter maybe? Something that seemed wierd and I’ll admit it may just be me, I was literally beside it and watching it like a hawk because when I started this morning I was testing the latest app. (Lol). Anyway the version I ran yesterday with the white interface the fan igniter and auger icons weren’t working right or at all. So with this app I was paying close attention To see what the icons were doing. Luckily they were spot on to the control. Which was great. But like when I cranked it ro 250 after I let it do it’s thing in the S setting it acted strange. Or to me or did. But I don’t know squat.
for example it’s set to 250. ACT is showing it at say 180 or so. When The temp was just hanging the fan would come on and off. But what I felt it should be doing was auger feeding pellets and ligniter burning. To get that heat up. Sometimes the fan auger and igniter all three would be showing. But the ACT was very very slow to climb.
I didn’t see unburned pellets when I emptied Though. May be a case of watching water boil. its always fast to heat. But I’m not staring it down either. I just thought I’d get some input beforehand. If I was missing something maintenance wise that may cause that.
the displayed ACT was close because it was running close to the probe I had snapped on the grate.

 

[Edchad]

To shorten and clarify part of that. When in my mind it should’ve been sending the pellets in and burning them pretty quick. It was just sitting sometimes. And when it WAS indicating auger ignitor and fan it seemed to sit forever before climbing.

 

[Mike From R.I.]

PBV4PS2 correct? You mention the fan would come on and off, was that on the new app display? My fan is always on, ignitor stays on till a flame is established, then I'll see the augur light come on then go off after a short time.

 

[Edchad]

Yes. The PBV4PS2. And yes sir icons watched was on that app, but also on the control itself.

And you’re right. come to think of it, I think I pretty much hear the fan on continuous but I’ve always seen the icon coming on and off on the apps, because I haven’t sat out there just watching the control. It’s just that I was yesterday and today because I was Leary and watching the apps compared to the control.

and today the auger and igniter seemed they would set forever before they’d run again.

When in my mind seems like they should have been running more to raise the temp as fast as it usually does.

This last app coincides with the control almost perfect as I WAS sitting out there watching his thing testing the apps yesterday and today.

That app I tried yesterday the icons didn’t work at all except the fan would come on and off.

 

[Edchad]

Mike I sent you a pm. And you’re right. I think the fan was showing pretty much continuous. Explained in message
Thanks

 

[mixed up]

could it be that the pellets were older and had moisture in them or may be a harder wood so it required more igniter to keep it burning just my thoughts

 

[Edchad]

could it be that the pellets were older and had moisture in them or may be a harder wood so it required more igniter to keep it burning just my thoughts

I thought about that but it did it with the pellets that were in the hopper when I was testing that app. and then the same thing when I changed em out to the Oak for cooking. The more I think about it it’s probably me being a little paranoid. Lol. I’ve never watch dogged the controls like that before. Lol. This started when I was watching that new app compared to the control to see if it was displaying the same. It may have been a case of ‘watching the water boil ‘.
this thing has always heated pretty fast.

 

[GeauxTigers]

I thought the igniter only came on during startup and at that point its a self sustaining fire?

 

[Edchad]

I thought the igniter only came on during startup and at that point its a self sustaining fire?

ri be honest I really don’t know. I’ve never really just watched to see what was going on till I started trying to get one of these new apps to work. I was watching fairly close for awhile to see how app corresponded to the control.
I noticed the igniter icon would come on and off occasionally. Not just at startup. But I honestly ain’t got a clue what the sequence really is.
it just worked. Lol.

 

[Sparky]

ri be honest I really don’t know. I’ve never really just watched to see what was going on till I started trying to get one of these new apps to work. I was watching fairly close for awhile to see how app corresponded to the control.
I noticed the igniter icon would come on and off occasionally. Not just at startup. But I honestly ain’t got a clue what the sequence really is.
it just worked. Lol.

On mine it seams to come on when it feeds new pellets into the fire box. I'll look at it closer Saturday when I install the updated app.

 

[Edchad]

Hey guys. I want to thank everybody’s input but I’ve concluded there is no problem at all. Typical case of watching the water boil. Lol. Testing those apps I was really watching the controls and well I guess I don’t reLly understand the sequence. And that’s fine because it just works. Lol.
since I’ve posted this I’ve done another app test or two and even another cook
It is working great. I won’t mention the app I wound up running because of so much controversy. lol. But I will say it worked flawlesssly. Thanks again for everybody’s interest and input. All is well!!