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Temp Plateau at 400-500/gasket?

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LostinQn
LostinQn Posts: 21
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
i have been having an issue with temp, namely i cant obtain temps over 500 degrees very easily anymore, and had an issue getting temps up to 400+ it takes along time at the moment. This has been going on over the last month or so, maybe a bit longer.

My BGE is 15 months old, and this is the first time i had any issues,other then when first learning how to work with it when i first bought it. I have tried the following.

1. used B&B and Royal oak Charcoal with no real difference
2. complete clean on bge, double check placement of firebox
3. Started gasket replacement, still working on it, it was flaking off.

i am baffled by the low plateau, i never had an issue getting 600+ degree temps. Any help would be appreciated
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Comments

  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    LostinQn, With those temps I lite my lump in several places and leave my daisy wheel off. I also poke up from the bottom with my wiggle rod to help with the air flow. ;) Tim
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    What Tim says, also, you might want to calibrate your dome thermometer, they have been known to get out of whack B)
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    you say complete clean - do you mean you removed the firebox too and got all those ashes in the back cleaned out? If not that may be your problem.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • LostinQn
    LostinQn Posts: 21
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    Yes, i pulled all the internal parts and cleaned everything. As far as the Dome Therm, i calibrated it with my Thermoworks instant read and double checked it again.

    From what i read gasket shouldnt reduce temps, so kind of stuck trying to eliminate what the issue is.
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  • berrygood
    berrygood Posts: 372
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    What about lump volume? How high are you stacking it?
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  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
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    Air flow is probably your problem. Even though you have done a thorough cleaning (which isn't really necessary, in my opinion), the holes in the fire grate could be getting clogged after you fill the BGE.

    After loading my BGE, I always use a wiggle rod to make sure the fire grate holes are clear. If the fire doesn't get up to temperature quickly enough, I'll use the wiggle rod again. This has always solved my problem.

    You can buy or make a wiggle rod. For a very good one, see:

    http://thirdeyebbq.com/WiggleRods.aspx
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Any chance your lump got wet?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • MemphisQue
    MemphisQue Posts: 610
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    Earlier posters had some good ideas. We have fairly damp winters and I have noticed my lump not performing well when I left it outside for more than a day. I began storing in my garage and haven't had anymore heat issues. Good luck.
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