Fire bowl keeps cracking

gary2636

Has anyone had problems with your fire bowl cracking, or ring breaking in two. My wife and I have a large and a small egg for the past 7 years and have had to have them replaced 3 separate times. I do not know why this keeps happening and was wondering if I am not the only one...

Lit

Yes they crack but you don’t really need to replace them until they aren’t useable. I got a replacement fire ring for my xl and it stayed in my attic until I sold it and gave the new owner a fire ring in the box. You can go years with either of them cracked. 

Cornholio

My fire bowl developed a crack last year after 8+ years of use so I got a warranty replacement that is still in the box. As long as it is not crumbling to absolute pieces then use it while cracked.

Its not a matter of if ceramics will break but when. 

gary2636

Thanks for the comments!

ColtsFan

One of my larges has had its fire bowl cracked in numerous places for years. I won't replace it until it crumbles when I pull it out. 

RRP

Same as the others said - there’s no reason to quit using a cracked fire ring nor fire box. My large was in 7 pieces and in spite of having a new one on hand I kept using it. 

The rationale isn’t for bragging purposes, but what I think of as self-insurance against my dealer going out of business making a warranty replacement possibly more difficult. I have seen this happen in person with a friend of mine who purchased his egg elsewhere. Besides that some newer dealers don’t seem to believe any claims and expect pictures of your first born holding the sales receipt while cradled inside the pristine BGE!

and lastly - I believe I am giving proper credit to @CarolinaQ who said there are only 2 types of ceramic fire boxes and fire rings...those which are cracked and those that are not yet cracked! 

pgprescott

If you are using the original fire grate, make sure it is right side up. The beveled edge should face downward to help avoid it getting wedged against the fire box as it expands. 

pgprescott

RRP said:

Same as the others said - there’s no reason to quit using a cracked fire ring nor fire box. My large was in 7 pieces and in spite of having a new one on hand I kept using it. 

The rationale isn’t for bragging purposes, but what I think of as self-insurance against my dealer going out of business making a warranty replacement possibly more difficult. I have seen this happen in person with a friend of mine who purchased his egg elsewhere. Besides that some newer dealers don’t seem to believe any claims and expect pictures of your first born holding the sales receipt while cradled inside the pristine BGE!

and lastly - I believe I am giving proper credit to @CarolinaQ who said there are only 2 types of ceramic fire boxes and fire rings...those which are cracked and those that are not yet cracked! 

It’s not the dealers. They enforce their rules way more strictly than the “good ole days”

milesvdustin

My 10 year old large base cracked 4 years ago, I got a replacement expecting the worst but it keeps going. I have the new base in a box. I also have another large egg I bought but it's still in boxes, never assembled. Had plans then moved. Maybe this year I'll get my two egg grilling area 

RRP

pgprescott said:

RRP said:

Same as the others said - there’s no reason to quit using a cracked fire ring nor fire box. My large was in 7 pieces and in spite of having a new one on hand I kept using it. 

The rationale isn’t for bragging purposes, but what I think of as self-insurance against my dealer going out of business making a warranty replacement possibly more difficult. I have seen this happen in person with a friend of mine who purchased his egg elsewhere. Besides that some newer dealers don’t seem to believe any claims and expect pictures of your first born holding the sales receipt while cradled inside the pristine BGE!

and lastly - I believe I am giving proper credit to @CarolinaQ who said there are only 2 types of ceramic fire boxes and fire rings...those which are cracked and those that are not yet cracked! 

It’s not the dealers. They enforce their rules way more strictly than the “good ole days”

I believe you, Pete! I was just sharing my observation in general of new dealers as told about here. Back when I bought my first eggs from Gerry here in P-town he built up an inventory of replacement parts subject to warranty. You would walk in with a cracked whatever and walk out with a replacement.

Then after BGE changed management in Hotlanta that changed like a knee jerk! 

Just the same I’m still happy I have what I have in my garage!

Bentgrass

I have replaced both the fire box and fire ring several times. Figured it had something to do with cooking year round in the upper Midwest.  Obviously that’s not the case...

fishlessman

just replaced mine, it was in 30 or so pieces and still working but the pieces were starting to crumble in your hands.

Griffin

The only original pieces of my Large is the dome, the fire ring and the daisy wheel. Everything else has been replaced at some point or another including the base, the bowl, the fire grate, the lid, the hinges and the thermometer (multiple times). It happens.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Mine always crack within 6 months of getting a new one. I get a couple more years use out of them until they crumble. I have a crumbler firebox right now that’s only 2 years old though so time for a new one. If I claimed warranty for every ring and bowl that cracked as soon as they were eligible I bet I would have gone through 20 of each in the 14 or so years I have owned a bge. They work fine until they are are in several pieces so I have probably only gone through 4-5 boxes and 3-4 rings (the rings last longer after they get a single crack all thry way through- acts as an expansion joint).  I would assume there has to be a better way to manufacture these things but I’m sure bge Has a clear understanding of their costs. I’m good with it. 

DoubleEgger

Why would you keep using broken parts if you have new parts on hand? What are you trying to save? If the new one breaks, they’ll replace it. Why not get benefitial use out of the warranted parts? Seems like all a person is doing is storing parts. 

If you haven’t messed with filing a claim, I get that.

fishlessman

DoubleEgger said:

Why would you keep using broken parts if you have new parts on hand? What are you trying to save? If the new one breaks, they’ll replace it. Why not get benefitial use out of the warranted parts? Seems like all a person is doing is storing parts. 

If you haven’t messed with filing a claim, I get that.

i still have my original broken 20 something old firebox in the basement to go back in someday , still usable   why rush things.  warranty claims up here are a hassle, last firebox took 10 weeks and 428 miles of driving

alaskanassasin

DoubleEgger said:

Why would you keep using broken parts if you have new parts on hand? What are you trying to save? If the new one breaks, they’ll replace it. Why not get benefitial use out of the warranted parts? Seems like all a person is doing is storing parts. 

If you haven’t messed with filing a claim, I get that.

  That is a good question. Personally the claims process is a pain. If there was a online form and they mailed the parts to my house I would be more inclined. 

unoriginalusername

Sure you might want one not cracked but there was no loss of performance or ability to cook while I waited for the warranty replacement to arrive.

Fire rings for me aren't worth replacing as I've had ones crack on the initial cook after getting a new one so I don't bother anymore lol.  One in the shed if and when it becomes unusable.

On 4 Eggs and 10 years I've only lost one firebox so not sure why thats happening so often.

What charcoal are you using?  Are you doing pizza / high temp cooks only in a cold climate?  Do you use the stock charcoal grate or do you have something like the High-Que grate?