FIRE IS OUT!

2 common causes:
1 Ash build up over the ignitor. Clean fire bowl before starting to cook.
2 The auger is empty when you start. You can either turn on for five minutes, turn off, check that the fire bowl is not too full of pellets and start again. Second method is add a handfull of pellets and start at max temp. DO NOT forget to turn down the temp after 4 minutes.

That's my experience with the pre UL mods FEC-100. Which does not have the pellet ramp.

Thanks for the reply Conrad....I forgot to mention that this is a newer model with a pellet ramp and other UL mods. The auger was probably full because the cooker had been running fine for a least three hours before it went out...same for the ignitor,worked fine at start-up & with restart. I always start with a handful of pellets in the fire pot. Is there something besides a prolonged electicial outage that would cause the unit to shut down long enough for the fire to go out and then restart? Still wondering!
Oh btw...it's been running fine for the last three hours.

were you on smoke setting? was it very windy with the exhaust facing the wind? what kind of pellets? was there sawdust and not pellets in the bottom of the hopper?Just thoughts, so far I haven't had a flame out .

Had it on the 180* setting,very calm night..no wind at all. BBQ Delight pellets. Always clean out hopper and never notice much dust...but will check this one out later today...still trying to understand this. Just have turned it off and it ran fine for the eight plus hours after the restart!

quote:

Originally posted by Fast Freddie/Love Shack BBQ:
[qb] My pit had one flame out when it was new. Haven't had one since and I use mine almost daily, including overnight cooks. I think it is a "voodoo" problem on new models, that just has to show you it could happen. [/qb]

Need to check what your setting is on. Look on the back of the controller. It should be on number 2 setting. Also when you first start the smoker. Let the pot get some pellets in then turn it off and turn it back on after about 5-10 mins. What happens with the new one I have found is, If you clean the pot out the pellets then start to fall in to the clean pot but seem to hit the right side of the fire pot. The igniter turns off after I think it is 3 or 4 mins. Make sure that you have pellets covering the bottom of the pot so the igniter can burn the pellets. I have had this happen to me also. But this has worked for me. If you have any other problems call Cook Shack they will be more that happy to help you out.

Craig
FireHouseBBQ.us

How far along were you into the cook when you experienced your flame out? How many times has this happened to you? Going to check the setting now! thanks for the input! I'll let ya know.

This has happened at a contest this year. I started the smoker went to dinner. I came back and the smoker was as 80 degree's. You just need to make sure you are up and running before you leave it. I am also now running off a inverter and a deep cycle battery.


Craig

I've had this happen on both my FEs, one with ramp and one without. I think wind might have been a factor one time. Ash build up one other time. But, I have always had problems with the 180 setting, so I don't use it. One reason why I don't sleep soundly at contests!

Talked to Tony at C.S. yesterday and heres an update. It seems that in the 180* setting, the auger cycles in the on awhile/off awhile mode,until it reaches a certain temp. It then goes into the temp. mode to maintain the temp. If the temp. drops below a certain point (like when you open the door) it switches back to on awhile/off awhile. With me so far? According to him,enough pellets could be dumped into the fire pot to snuff out the fire. This does and has happened,again according to him. I'm my be confused as to the auger modes,running full time to reach temp. vs. on/off. but you see what could happen. Anyway, I consider this just a part of "knowing your cooker" which we all know is just as important as meat selection,cooking temps., etc. and as Fast Freddie pointed out,it's probably some "Voodoo" thing!

I had the exact same thing happen once. I started it on 180, put the butts on and didn't check for about an hour. Pellets were all over the bottom and no fire.
I cleaned up the pellts and cleaned out the fire pot with a handfull of pellets left. I restarted and it was fine.
I think it was a reminder that even as easy as this thing is to use you should still keep on eye on it until your cooking temp is reached.
Lee

I agree Lee. Which is why I always stick the smoker probe on a Maverick ET-73 and set a range that I want to be notified if it goes out of it. It takes two minutes, if that, to set up and helps to avoid this exact problem.

I have had this problem twice in the last three cooks. Yesterday I was doing some bologna for a superbowl party. Started the cooker at 3:30p. I have not had any luck with the cooker starting on it's own so I use a sterno soaked napkin with pellets shoved around it.....but I digress. Anyhow it took and was going well.

About 40 minutes later the cooker read 145 and I put the bologna in....I came back out at 6:10 and it read 50 degrees and no fire. Was I ever pissed....anyone could have bought a cooker cheap yesterday.

Luckily I had about 5 pounds of pulled pork left over from a 200 pound cook the day before. This has happened to us once before when I have had the cooker on the smoker setting for a prolonged period of time.

Call Tony and talk about it.

I run mine on smoke as long as eight hrs,and haven't had a problem.

Tom-Fl

take tom's advice and call.
i had the famous voodoo flame out when i first got my rig 2 years ago
since then nothing
but i do vacuum out the pot and hopper every time
and my fire up is 3 mins on at 180, turn off,turn back on at smoke and thats where i keep it for 4 hours. this is done every time i use the unit.
jack

Whats this #2 setting on the back of the controler all about? (FireHouseBBQ) posted previously

DAVE

There is a small printed scale,from 1 to 9 in the corner of your controller.

It regulates seconds off and on,in the smoke and 180 modes.

It typically works best in the #2 position.

Mine runs a little hot there and works well in the #3 position.

Talk to Tony in service.