Troubleshooting

There are a number of problems that can cause the burner to fail to light. Following is a list of things to check:

1. Make sure the switches are turned ON, the doors are closed, and all the valves for the gas supply are turned ON.

2. When the thermostat knob is set to a temperature that is high enough to call for heat, is the red indicator light near the thermostat knob ON? If this light is not ON, turn the thermostat knob back and forth several times and watch to see if the light comes ON. Sometimes this will help clean the contacts inside the thermostat and help it to start working again. (There is a chance that the bulb in the red light may be burned out. If this is the case contact the service department to get a replacement bulb). The thermostat has two wire connections (one for incoming power and the other for outgoing power). There should be 120 VAC to a ground on each of these two wires if the thermostat is working correctly. If there is 120 VAC on only one, the thermostat may be bad.

3. Ashes can accumulate in the burner tube where the flame normally comes into the fire box. In the bottom of this tube is the pilot burner-igniter assembly. If ashes build up to the point that the gas isn’t ignited by the spark, the burner won’t ignite. This can be cleaned by blowing compressed air into the burner tube, mainly in the bottom of this tube. Canned air can also be used (Make sure there is no fire burning in the fire box or any hot coals are removed as the propellant in these canned air products is propane). A shop vac can also be used.

4. The Hi Limit thermostat that may be tripped. This Hi Limit must be manually reset by pushing the red button. If there is click when this red button is pressed, the Hi Limit was tripped and should now be reset. The Hi Limit is designed to turn off the burner if the temperature inside the cooking chamber gets above 325 degrees. Cooking at very high temperatures can cause the Hi Limit to trip. The Hi Limit can be found inside the side compartment next to the drive chain on the EL series models. On the side loader models, it is in the end compartment where the drive motor and the fan motor is located. It should be on the side wall.

5. Before the burner will ignite, the combustion air blower motor on the top of the assembly must be running at full speed. If this is not running, the burner will not ignite.

6. The spark to ignite the burner is created by the ignition module, attached to the lower right side of the burner assembly. When this is working correctly, a clicking noise can be heard inside the fire box. This should continue for about 90 seconds after the thermostat is activated. If the combustion air blower motor is running and there is no clicking sound from the spark, the ignition module may be burned out. To test this, the orange spark cable can be unplugged from the ignition module and the end of the wire can be held close to the terminal where it was plugged in. If it is working correctly, a snapping spark should be visible. WRAP A DRY RAG AROUND THE WIRE OR WEAR A RUBBER GLOVE TO AVOID GETTING SHOCKED. If no spark is seen, the ignition module may have failed.

7. The combustion air blower motor has a centrifugal switch which is designed to prevent the burner from trying to ignite if the combustion air blower motor isn’t running at full speed. When the blower motor reaches full speed, a micro switch button completes the circuit to the ignition module. Occasionally, this micro switch can get dirty and not operate correctly. This micro switch can be cleaned and lubricated by spraying WD40 or a similar product on the motor shaft and the micro switch button. When working correctly, this button will move in and out freely.

If there is still no spark between the orange spark wire and the spark terminal on the ignition module, unplug the two wires attached to the 24v and 24V ground terminals on the ignition module. Check for voltage (24VAC) across these two wires with a volt meter.

If there is 24VAC across the two wires and there is no spark, the ignition module is not working and should be replaced.

8. If there is a spark but the burner is not lighting, the problem may be caused by the pilot burner not getting gas from the gas control valve. The gas control valve has two parts; the pilot flame side and the main flame side.

The pilot flame must light before the main flame with ignite. The gas to the pilot burner comes from a small tube that connects the gas control valve to the burner. The small pilot tube can be unscrewed from the burner end and pulled out of the hole. When the burner is sparking and trying to ignite, there should be a flow of gas from the end of this tube. If there is not gas coming from the tube, either a regulator may be stopping the gas flow or the gas control valve may not be working.

The blue wire connected to the gas control valve should have 24VAC when the burner is trying to ignite. If there is 24VAC at the blue wire and no gas is flowing out of the pilot tube, the gas control valve should be replaced.

If the pilot flame lights but the main flame does not, the pilot assembly located in the bottom of the burner tube may be dirty or ashes may have accumulated in the tube. The heat from the pilot flame must be sensed by the spark ignitor before the main flame will ignite. Blowing the spark ignitor and pilot burner with compressed air will clean these parts and may allow the main flame to light.

If cleaning the pilot assembly does not help, the main flame side of the gas control valve may be sticking and not opening to allow the gas to flow to the burner. With the pilot flame burning, the red wire can be unplugged from the gas control valve and tested with a volt meter. There should be 24VAC between the red wire and a ground. If there is 24VAC present and the main flame is not igniting, the gas control valve should be replaced.

When cook times start running long, the cause is normally one of two reasons.

CONVECTION FAN

Inspect and clean the convection fan blades. Dirty fan blades do not circulate the heat and smoke inside the cooking chamber. Make sure the fan motors are running.

FLUE PIPES

If the flue pipe and or rain cap is dirty, the gas burner cannot blow the heat into the smoker. The flue pipe should be cleaned all the way through, including the internal flue that extends down inside the smoker.

PROBES

If the sensors that are inside the cooking chamber become caked over with grease and gunk, the thermostat is not able to regulate the temperature correctly. These should be cleaned with a nylon bristle brush using hot, soapy water.

CALIBRATION

The thermostat could possibly be out of calibration. See the website for calibration instructions. This should not be done until the other possible causes have been checked.

In the event the racks get uneven or out of parallel, they can be reset so they are level again. The spoke arms are held in place by a keyless bushing called a transtorque. This is a two-piece assembly that creates the friction to hold the spoke arm tight to the shaft. Using a big crescent wrench or a 2″ open end wrench, loosen the smaller nut enough so the spoke arm will rotate on the shaft. When the arms are both aligned, tighten the smaller nut to around 190 ft lbs. of torque. You can step back and make sure the rack hangers in the back are parallel with the shaft and the door opening. It does not matter which side is moved and the threads on both sides are right hand threads (COUNTER CLOCKWISE TO LOOSEN AND CLOCKWISE TO TIGHTEN). It is not recommended to use a pipe wrench. This can cause the smaller nut to be egg shaped and not let it turn enough to loosen.

The most common cause for this to happen is loading meat on the shelves incorrectly. Letting the meat hang over the edges can cause it to slide off the shelves and cause the racks to dump. It is best not to load the largest cuts of meat on the top shelf.

The other cause for this is if the main shaft gets an accumulation of grease. This reduces the amount of clearance between the shaft and the racks, and can cause the shelves to dump.

After loading product in the pit you should run the rotisserie a couple of turns with the foot advance while watching to see that there is proper clearances.

If the rotisserie stops turning, the 6-amp rotisserie breaker may need to be reset. This breaker is located in the side compartment, right behind the switches and gauges, on the end loader models. On the side loader models it is inside the compartment behind the switches and gauges, near the drive motor. The breaker that has the wires connected to it is the one that needs to be reset. Flip the white toggle lever the other direction to reset the breaker. There should be another new, spare breaker installed on the same bracket. If the first breaker keeps tripping, unplug the wires and reconnect them to the spare breaker.

It is important to load product onto the shelves evenly. While loading product, loading one shelf and then advancing the rotisserie to load product on the shelf opposite of the first one will help to balance out the load. The most extreme load on the rotisserie is when one set of shelves is loaded completely. Once the shelves are loaded evenly, the rotisserie will be balanced and will reduce the load on the drive motor.

If resetting the 6 amp rotisserie breaker does not make the rotisserie turn, check to see that the belt is not broken. If the belt is broken, a replacement can be found at an auto parts store. The most common size belt is a number 4L320. Some of the larger pits may use a 4L360.

You may contact our service department to obtain a replacement belt.

ROTISSERIE DOES NOT STOP

If the rotisserie does not stop when the cooking chamber doors are opened, the door switch button may be stuck in. The door switch button should pop out when the doors are opened. Clean this button by spraying WD40 around the sides of the button. This should help it to move freely. If the foot switch cord becomes damaged, causing the wires to touch together inside the insulation, this will also cause the rotisserie to keep turning when the cooking chamber doors are opened. If this happens, the cord will need to be replaced.

If the burner blower is blowing, the following sounds should be heard. After about a 40 seconds after the burner blower starts, the gas valve should click and the igniter should buzz for a few seconds. If you don’t hear either of these sounds, the ignition module may be failing. The two yellow wires plug in to the ignition module at terminals marked 25V Ground and 25 V. Unplug these two wires and check across the two wires with a voltmeter with the burner blower running. There should be 25V AC present across the two wires. If a 25V reading is present on the voltmeter, the ignition module has failed and must be replaced.

*Refer to service department for exact model.

If the 25 V is not present across the two yellow wires and the burner blower is blowing, the centrifugal switch built in to the burner blower may not be working. This is a safety switch built in to the burner blower so the gas function will not work if the burner blower does not come on or does not reach normal speed. Sometimes this micro switch button cab be lubricated with light weight oil and get it to start working. Normally, the spring arms pull the white nylon cam away from the micro switch button and allow the button to move outward. If the button sticks in, the burner does not know the blower is running.

Remove the two nuts from the end of the cover and pull the cover straight off.

Move the white nylon cam to access the red micro switch button. Using a small screwdriver, you should be able to push the button in a slight amount. If it is stuck in and does not move try oiling with light oil like WD40.

If this is not successful producing the 25 V across the two yellow wires, the centrifugal switch is bad and the burner blower must be replaced.

Burner won’t stay on or making “poofing” sounds.

If the burner shuts off after a minute or so, or is making poofing sounds, try opening the fire box door and starting the burner again. If the burner stays on and does not make poofing sounds, the flue pipe or the flue cap may be plugged. If the flue becomes clogged, the burner is not able to continue blowing in the fire. The pressure inside the pit will keep the burner from working.

This is a dangerous situation and must be corrected immediately. If there are any bends or offsets in the flue pipe, these areas will become clogged as the creosote will condense and collect in these areas.

There are a few different reasons that can cause the gas burner to not light.

Following these steps may diagnose the problem.

During normal operation with the burner operating correctly, there are a few sounds that can help diagnose certain problems. Normally, when the thermostat is turned up, the burner blower will begin blowing air into the firebox and about 40 seconds later, the gas valve will click and the igniter will buzz. If the flame does not light, the buzzing will stop after about 5 seconds and the ignition process will stop. This will not repeat unless the thermostat is turned off and then back on.

If the burner blower does not start blowing, nothing else on the burner will work. If this is the case follow the steps to diagnose a faulty thermostat or a Hi Limit that is tripped.

A Flame Sensor electrode is located inside the burner tube. This is a safety device that allows the gas to stay on only if the flame sensor detects the heat from the flame. This flame sensor is located at the bottom of the burner tube.

This flame sensor is in the inside of the burner tube where the flame comes in to the fire box a few inches back from the end. It is possible for ashes to get into this burner tube and cause the flame sensor to fail. Blowing compressed air back into the burner tube from the fire box chamber can clean these ashes out and cause the flame sensor to work again. Compressed air in a can can be used as long as there is no fire or embers in the fire box. The propellant in these cans may be propane and could catch fire.

If this does not correct the problem, the flame sensor may need to be replaced. The following pictures will help show the steps to access the flame sensor for replacement.

Unplug the orange wire and remove the ignition module cover. Unplug the blue wire after the cover is removed. Unscrew the ignition module bracket so the ignition module can be moved.

Remove the 4 screws that hold the gas train to the front of the burner plate. This will allow the gas train to be moved to the side.

Remove the 4 screws from the corners of the burner plate. Separate the two burner plates with a screw driver. Pull the inner burner tube straight out.

The blue wire is plugged in to the flame sensor.

The flame sensor is held in place with a screw and nut. The new flame sensor will position itself correctly when the screw and nut are replaced. Be careful when inserting the inner tube back in to the burner when reassembling so the flame sensor does not get bent out of position.

Sometimes the function of the flame sensor can be improved by making slight adjustments to the air shutter on the burner blower. The small screw at the top holds the air shutter in place. The setting of the air shutter is important to control the proper ratio of air and gas but minor adjustments can be made to help improve the efficiency of the flame. Normal settings are between 1 and 2 on the numbered scale.

If the thermostat tests out good and the burner still does not light, the Hi Limit may be tripped. The reset button is located on the back side of the control box. Locate this button and press it in. If it is tripped, there will be a click when it is pressed. This will have it reset and allow the burner to work again. If the Hi Limit does not move in or does not click, it was not tripped.

The HI LIMIT for these is located on the back side of the control box.

The thermostat is the control device that controls the temperature and sends the power to the burner. If the contacts inside the thermostat fail to connect, the burner will not get power to it.

The thermostat itself is located inside the control box. With the cover off of the control box, the thermostat wiring can be accessed.

The thermostat is the rectangular metal box with the X on it. The two wire connections are at the top.

If a voltmeter is available for testing purposes follow these steps:

1. With the thermostat turned to the “OFF” position, there should be 120 V AC checking from one screw to a ground.
2. In the “ON” position and high enough to call for heat, there should be 120 V AC on both screws, checking one at a time to a ground.
3. If there is 120 V AC on one screw only with the thermostat turned up high enough to call for heat, the thermostat is failing.
4. SOMETIMES THIS CAN BE REMEDIED BY TURNING THE KNOB BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES. IF THE CONTACTS INSIDE THE THERMOSTAT ARE DIRTY, THIS MAY CLEAN THEM.
5. If a voltmeter is not available, there is another option for diagnosing a defective thermostat.
6. Unplug the power cord to eliminate the risk of electrical shock.
7. Loosen one of the screws that connect the thermostat wires to the thermostat and remove one of the wires. Loosen the screw on the other side and add the second wire in with the first. This will have both wires together under the same screw. Tighten the screw.
8. Plug the power cord back in and try the burner again. If the burner now comes on, the thermostat is not working and will need to be replaced. While the burner will burn with the wires connected together, there will be no temperature control and the temperature will continue to rise until the hi limit switch turns it off.
   
   An instructional video can be found on our YouTube Channel here.

If the gas burner stops burning, there is a chance that the HI LIMIT safety switch may be tripped. To reset the HI LIMIT press the red button one time. This may reset the burner. The HI LIMIT is set to trip at around 350 degrees but other factors could cause it to trip at a lower temperature.

The HI LIMIT is located inside the side cabinet that has the switches etc. on the front. Once the service panel is removed the HI LIMIT can be accessed.

The rotisserie circuit has a 6 amp circuit breaker to protect the components in the event that the shelves accidentally dump or something causes the racks to jam. The 6 amp breaker is designed to stop the rotisserie preventing damage to the components.

If the rotisserie stops turning, check the shelves and rack hangers to make sure nothing has jammed. Turn the power to the smoker “OFF” and remove the service panel. Look at the belt to make sure it isn’t broken. Locate the 6 amp rotisserie breaker that has the wires connected to it. The other breaker without any wires is a spare breaker. Flip the white toggle lever on the breaker and check to see if the rotisserie will turn.

The breakers are inside the side cabinet just behind the switches and instruments.

The rotisserie circuit has a 6 amp circuit breaker to protect the components in the event that the shelves accidentally dump or something causes the racks to jam. The 6 amp breaker is designed to stop the rotisserie preventing damage to the components.

If the rotisserie stops turning, check the shelves and rack hangers to make sure nothing has jammed. Turn the power to the smoker “OFF” and remove the service panel. Look at the belt to make sure it isn’t broken. Locate the 6 amp rotisserie breaker that has the wires connected to it. The other breaker without any wires is a spare breaker. Flip the white toggle lever on the breaker and check to see if the rotisserie will turn.

The breakers are located inside the end compartment on the same end as the switches and instruments.

If the gas burner stops burning, there is a chance that the HI LIMIT safety switch may be tripped. To reset the HI LIMIT press the red button one time. This may reset the burner. The HI LIMIT is set to trip at around 350 degrees but other factors could cause it to trip at a lower temperature.

If the smoker is installed through the wall the control panel will be mounted above the doors. The HI LIMIT switch button will be sticking through the bottom of the control panel.

If the smoker has the control box on the side, the HI LIMIT is located inside the control box.

The rotisserie circuit has a 6 amp circuit breaker to protect the components in the event that the shelves accidentally dump or something causes the racks to jam. The 6 amp breaker is designed to stop the rotisserie preventing damage to the components.

If the rotisserie stops turning, check the shelves and rack hangers to make sure nothing has jammed. Turn the power to the smoker “OFF” and remove the service panel. Look at the belt to make sure it isn’t broken. Locate the 6 amp rotisserie breaker that has the wires connected to it. The other breaker without any wires is a spare breaker. Flip the white toggle lever on the breaker and check to see if the rotisserie will turn.

The breakers are inside the cabinet that houses the drive motor and gear reducer. This is on the side of the smoker about halfway back from the front.

If the gas burner stops burning, there is a chance that the HI LIMIT safety switch may be tripped. To reset the HI LIMIT press the red button one time. This may reset the burner. The HI LIMIT is set to trip at around 350 degrees but other factors could cause it to trip at a lower temperature.

The HI LIMIT is located inside the service panel on the end of the smoker where the instrument panel is. Once this service panel is removed the HI LIMIT is located on the side wall.