Pellet Hopper clogged

32Tudor · Aug 28, 2023

My PB1100PSC2 failed to complete startup and threw a ErL code. I checked the hopper and found that moisture had come in the corner where there is a flat metal plate that can be removed to allow pellets to fall through a chute for priming. Water had seeped in and saturated the very corner, resulted in saw dust instead of pellets in that area. that material then packed the bottom of the pellet hopper, making it stop feeding pellets when the auger rotated. Simple fix, but a poor design. If it happen again, I will calk it closed to prevent water from getting in. To fix it, I took the inner grate out of the hopper, scooped out the viable pellets and vacuumed the remaining material out of the hopper. Then, because I was too cheap to throw away the rest of the pellets, I used a strong fan above the hopper as I poured the pellets back in, blowing all the loose saw dust away, yet allowing the pellets to fall into the hopper. Hope this helps.

Cowboy1955 · Aug 28, 2023

32Tudor said:
My PB1100PSC2 failed to complete startup and threw a ErL code. I checked the hopper and found that moisture had come in the corner where there is a flat metal plate that can be removed to allow pellets to fall through a chute for priming. Water had seeped in and saturated the very corner, resulted in saw dust instead of pellets in that area. that material then packed the bottom of the pellet hopper, making it stop feeding pellets when the auger rotated. Simple fix, but a poor design. If it happen again, I will calk it closed to prevent water from getting in. To fix it, I took the inner grate out of the hopper, scooped out the viable pellets and vacuumed the remaining material out of the hopper. Then, because I was too cheap to throw away the rest of the pellets, I used a strong fan above the hopper as I poured the pellets back in, blowing all the loose saw dust away, yet allowing the pellets to fall into the hopper. Hope this helps.

Welcome from Texas to the group!!
Congratulations on Fixin your grill.
Just a thought
I sift my pellets through a colander
If you don’t have a cover for your grill I suggest you get one
I’ve never had a issue of water gettin in my hopper and it’s been through some bad storms.
And of course I always unplug it after each time I use it so a power surge or lightning strike doesn’t fry the controller

32Tudor · Aug 28, 2023

I do have a cover

Cowboy1955 said:
Welcome from Texas to the group!!
Congratulations on Fixin your grill.
Just a thought
I sift my pellets through a colander
If you don’t have a cover for your grill I suggest you get one
I’ve never had a issue of water gettin in my hopper and it’s been through some bad storms.
And of course I always unplug it after each time I use it so a power surge or lightning strike doesn’t fry the controller

I do have a cover and it rained while I was in the middle of smoking an 8lb pork butt. This is where the wetness seeped in.
A better design would have been a sloping angle to prevent water from seeping in.

Jimsmokes · Aug 28, 2023

32Tudor said:
My PB1100PSC2 failed to complete startup and threw a ErL code. I checked the hopper and found that moisture had come in the corner where there is a flat metal plate that can be removed to allow pellets to fall through a chute for priming. Water had seeped in and saturated the very corner, resulted in saw dust instead of pellets in that area. that material then packed the bottom of the pellet hopper, making it stop feeding pellets when the auger rotated. Simple fix, but a poor design. If it happen again, I will calk it closed to prevent water from getting in. To fix it, I took the inner grate out of the hopper, scooped out the viable pellets and vacuumed the remaining material out of the hopper. Then, because I was too cheap to throw away the rest of the pellets, I used a strong fan above the hopper as I poured the pellets back in, blowing all the loose saw dust away, yet allowing the pellets to fall into the hopper. Hope this helps.

I have the 1150 and a friend bought a 850 at the same time. Inside my hopper all seams are caulked. Joes is too but part of one seam got missed and the rest of it went right beside the seam. I noticed it when we were putting it together. So I pulled the grid out scrapped it off and re-did it. That seam is high temp orange now. LoL

Cowboy1955 · Aug 28, 2023

32Tudor said:
I do have a cover

I do have a cover and it rained while I was in the middle of smoking an 8lb pork butt. This is where the wetness seeped in.
A better design would have been a sloping angle to prevent water from seeping in.

You can make a cover for that that slopes
Seal it off