I have a Laredo model and 3 times in a row while smoking I get an error code that I am out of pellets while the hopper is still half full. It has happened at exactly the same time each time while the internal temperature of the brisket as 165. Any suggestions?
No pellets error
- Thread starter Ozman
- Start date
Welcome from East Texas to the group!,
sounds like an igniter issue. If it’s under 5 years old it’s under warranty
give pitboss support a call
hopefully this helps you
Sparky
Well-known member
Welcome to the club
Freedbyjc
Well-known member
The igniter only runs for the first 4 minutes of the startup cycle.Welcome from East Texas to the group!,
sounds like an igniter issue. If it’s under 5 years old it’s under warranty
give pitboss support a call
hopefully this helps you
Freedbyjc
Well-known member
Welcome from East Texas to the group!,
sounds like an igniter issue. If it’s under 5 years old it’s under warranty
give pitboss support a call
hopefully this helps you
Could be the friction of the pellets in the hopper caused them to stick, creating a pellet void or bubble, over the auger opening and it stopped feeding pellets. As the smoker smoldered and started to cool, the controller kicked in and as the auger ran continuously to increase heat; the pellets broke loose and, as the fire was already out, over filled your firepot.
The auger is like the ice dispenser in the door of your refrigerator; sometimes you get 1-2 cubes and others 5-6. I ALWAYS stir the hopper with a paint stirrer at the start of every session and periodically during long sessions. I push straight down right over the auger opening to breakup any voids. I still get occasional voids that collapse with a stir. You can try waxing the hopper or try spray Teflon to make it slick, but a simple stir will help alleviate any pellet voids, bubbles or funnels.
Start with a full hopper to assist ... these are gravity feed smokers and some folks set a brick in top to help avoid voids... also stir your pellets periodically.
Could also your firepot was full of ash... depending on ambient temperature and humidity, your choice of pellets, your dial set temperature or the initial burnoff of a simple smoke session could pile up enough ash to get it high enough to choke off the fire. Clean your firepot before every session or one day you’ll wish you had.
Freedbyjc
Well-known member
Have you checked your new smoker for the PitBoss air gap issue and done the air gap mod to fix it yet?
Air Gap Modification - Models Affected: Austin XL 1000 and Rancher XL 1000, 1000SC, 1000t2, 1000t3, 1000t4, 1000d3, ProSeries 1100, KC Combo, Charleston, PB 500, 1250 and 550 Sportsman, ProSeries 600, ProSeries 1150, 1600 Pro and Elite, and Navigator 550 & 1150 and Laredo 1000.
Unfortunately there is a well known, but easily corrected, design anomaly in some units ... a gap between the bottom of the drip tray and the top of the left side grease tray lip that allows firepot heat to blow directly on the digital temperature probe... see the photo below… it’s causes slower startups, flameouts and other temperature related issues.
Since the firepot heat is blowing directly on the digital temperature probe, (see the other photo below)It’ll cause the smoker to flameout for no apparent reason. It’ll cause a flameout because the digital temperature probes temperature readings are falsely reading too high; it causes the digital temperature probe to register higher than your set temperatures. And that’ll cause a flameout every time … shutting down the auger and starving your fire of pellets
The air gap mod is a big deal on the Austin XL , the pro series 1100, PS2 1150, 1600, Laredo and basically ANY 1000 inch barrels AND the KC Combo. It takes them forever to settle down especially in the Smoke setting, and that's why, when people have them set to Smoke they're wondering why it's up around 250 or 300 degrees ... and it's all because the firepot heat is all blowing on that digital probe. Do the mod and it registers the temperatures correctly and it settles them right down.
Additionally, a QUICK and simple foil fix will work ...(see the photo below) Fold sufficient aluminum foil to cover the gap from side to side and put in place. Try 4-5 layers … Done right, the foil will fold over and sit on top of the drip tray and as it hangs in the gap, this quick fix blocks the firepot heat from blowing directly on the temperature probe.
A detailed Instructional Video is below ... AND the Video is also in Announcements section of this page ... and if you’re interested, the prefabricated mod plate available at https://smokeslikeaboss.com/
This video explains better ..
