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Wet dome thermometer

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mattk330
mattk330 Posts: 74
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'll preface by saying that I do have a cover for my XL. However, one night she wasn't cooled down enough to put her to bed and ended up getting rained on. My thermometer took in quite a bit of water. Makes it next to impossible to read. My question: is this supposed to be waterproof? Believe it or not, out of frustration, I just drilled a tap-hole into it to drain the water and I see that it has a seal in there. Should I invoke the warrantee and send it in? Or am I just stupid for allowing it to get wet?
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    If it's the original equipment BGE thermometer, this is typical and your method of getting the water out is also one others have used.

    However, the BGE thermometer is, shall we say, not the same fine quality that the rest of the Egg is. In fact, it's junk (IMHO). If I were you, I'd get a Tel-Tru and be sure of your equipment.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    no big deal...
    this is my general advice, just like you did.

    thermodrill.jpg

    the business end of the thermo is down in the tip. believe it or not, the seal was there to keep water out. since you have a hole now, it won't happen again. well, if it does, it'll get out.

    i hate window screens.
    ever see a fly buzzing against a screen? what's he tryna do? GET OUT.
    i never seen no fly tryna get IN banging against a screen.

    let the water out... which you did.
    plus, drilling the hole voided any warranty. ....though i don't think it;'s a warranty item anyway.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    i have a bent BGE thermo that is five years old. bent. still works. there's no super science to a bimetallic strip, and tel-tru doesn't make them from some special element that fell from space.

    ...i think "junk" is a bit overboard in my OWN humble opinion. FWIW

    --editted-- shoulda added a little green " B) " thing so nobodaddy thinks i'm being p!ssy.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    It's not the bimetallic strip, but everything surrounding it.

    It's hard to go two pages on the forum without seeing at least one thread from someone saying his or her BGE thermometer is malfunctioning in some manner. That doesn't strike me as a quality instrument.

    I'm not an old-timer here, but I can honestly say that I've never seen a single thread with someone complaining his Tel-Tru isn't reading properly. Considering the two are virtually the same retail price, why would anyone choose to use the BGE?
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,895
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    a small dab of silicone will plug the hole and prevent more rain entering that new hole from capillary action.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Jeffersonian,

    Uh, cause it comes with the egg :whistle:

    Did I win?

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
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    Mine died after just 3 months and was replaced @ n/c.
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    Well, that'd be the only reason. :P

    Even then, however, I'd toss it and get a Tel-Tru as soon as humanly possible. You can get one at your door for about $25, and it will prevent the almost inevitable moment when you discover you've been cooking your $20 of ribs at 450* or your $30 of butt at 120* (or, heaven forefend, your $80 prime rib at 500*) for several hours and they're ruined. It will also save you that $30 for Pizza Hut delivery to take the place of your ruined meat.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    well. it got in when there wasn't any hole to begin with. i leave it open. if anything gets in, i don't know about it , because it's out by the time i ever see it. i think sealing it again would start it over again. plus, there's humidty in the air, and i'd be sealing that in. i'm pretty sure they factory seal them in a dry (less-humid) enviro just to guard against that.

    in my case, i was pretty sure it was condensation, not rain. rain would need to WANT to get in to that thing. over time i think the seal maybe dried out (being next to a 600 degree dome would do it), and maybe allowed air in (water vapor. colder day, bam, condensation. i just decided to short-circuit that, and to let it drain.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • NooBBQ
    NooBBQ Posts: 134
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    A hole of a big enough size should not see capillary action
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    well, in my case, because it ain't broken.

    there are a lot more BGE thermos in use on BGEs than tel-trus. i don't have a dog in this fight, but to assume that there are fewer complaints about tel-trus than BGE thermos means they are that much better is not very logical. the sample of tel-tru users versus bge users (on this forum) is probably 100 to 1.

    again. i'm just saying that there's no evidence to arrive at the conclusion that BGE's stock thermo is "junk". there are posts about BGE's having an issue, but a lot of folks could be damaging these things themselves. out of the box, it's not a bad thermo.

    your results may vary.

    "everything around it" isn't clear to me. sounds like you are saying every component is junk. sounds a bit hyperbolic...
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    if someone cooked a rib roast at "500 for a few hours", a thermometer isn't going to help him. common sense needs to be a component of the cook too. hahaha
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • mattk330
    mattk330 Posts: 74
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    I got it. Yeah, my BGE is only about a month old and it wasn't just condensation but it was 1/5 full of water. Perhaps since it was cooling down it had negative pressure inside and thus 'pulled' the rain water into it?

    I drilled two holes so it would drain properly.

    Where do I get a tel-tru should I decide to replace it all together? And given my situation, are people here saying that the tel-tru is waterproof?
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    I wouldn't say my Tel-Tru is waterproof, but I've had mine for about 3 years now, uncovered, and it took nearly 30" of rain in the first six months of the year for it to show a little condensation in the glass. Temperature-wise, it's still spot-on.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,895
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    I agree if the hole is large, but I used a Dremel and drilled 2 holes one at 9:00 and opposite at 3:00. I then blew the water out, heated in the oven to dry it and then sealed both holes with scilicone. About a year later I threw away all three BGE thermameters and replaced them with Tel-Tru's. Never have had water problems since!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    Granted, we're in the realm of the anecdotal here. I didn't realize I needed to do a chi-squared statistical analysis of thermometer complaints before commenting. However, if I did, I'd have to enter a zero as the number of complaints I've found for the Tel-Tru, with the number of BGE failures at a number considerably higher. Thus, at some level of statistical significance, the Tel-Tru will be shown to be more reliable and thus my conclusion logical.

    Furthermore, every instance of recommendation of a change in manufacturer I've seen has been from the BGE to the Tel-Tru...not one in the opposite direct. Are all of these people wrong-headed?
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  • -=mirko=-
    -=mirko=- Posts: 54
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    These are the Tel_tru BGE replacement thermometers. They come in two temp ranges. You can order them online from the manufacturer. They are $19.00 each.

    150/750F
    LT225R (BIG Green Egg/Grill Dome/Kamado Thermometer) 2" Dial x .150" Diameter, 5" Stem, Glass, Recal Nut, Pan Clip

    200/1000°F
    LT225R (BIG Green Egg/Grill Dome/Kamado Thermometer) 2" Dial x .150" Diameter, 5" Stem, (10°/Div) , Glass, Recal Nut, Pan Clip
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  • mattk330
    mattk330 Posts: 74
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    Is a 5 inch stem OK for an XL? Seems like that'd hang pretty low inside.
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    Yes, you should get the 5" model. If it's too long, you can put some spacers between the readout and the Egg to retract it partially.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Just from reading the forum I would imagine that Tel-Tru makes a higher quality thermo.

    As far the comment of every recommendation is to go BGE to Tel-Tru and not the other way around is to be expected. We are on a BGE forum. People in here are starting out with a BGE thermo. If there is such a thing as a Tel-Tru forum with people complaining about Tel-Tru thermos the recommendations would be to switch to another brand.

    As far as the question to why would anyone buy a new BGE thermo, it could be that they love having their Egg 100 percent original. If my thermo lasts many years I may go with original equipment. IF my BGE thermo conks out in 6 months I will switch brands.

    One last point, is'nt it great to be able to have discussions in which people disagree, yet still act like adults?
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    I know you are, but what am I? :woohoo:
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    A pretty good cook, from what I've seen...though I admit I can't prove it statistically. You're gonna have to show me in person. :woohoo:
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    You guys are making my point. Not only do people on here disagree with class, but also with humor (LIU sold seperately). :woohoo:
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  • CaptGrumpy
    CaptGrumpy Posts: 58
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    Jeffersonian wrote:
    Well, that'd be the only reason. :P

    Even then, however, I'd toss it and get a Tel-Tru as soon as humanly possible. You can get one at your door for about $25, and it will prevent the almost inevitable moment when you discover you've been cooking your $20 of ribs at 450* or your $30 of butt at 120* (or, heaven forefend, your $80 prime rib at 500*) for several hours and they're ruined. It will also save you that $30 for Pizza Hut delivery to take the place of your ruined meat.


    Thus the use of the DigiQII pit temp thermometer!
    It's like the American Express card, don't leave home without it or in this case, don't egg without it!
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  • Inksmyth
    Inksmyth Posts: 308
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    I agree with Jeffersonian. The BGE thermo is junk.
    Mine sticks. Tap it and the temp varies 40 degs.
    Replaced it with a tel tru and have no problems.
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  • mattk330
    mattk330 Posts: 74
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    OK, just ordered a Tel-tru. My BGE thermo was way off this on this weekend's cooks. The water or the drill-tap ultimately screwed something up. It was sticking and then jumping 200-300 degress at a time.

    Thanks for the help, guys!
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