Cracked XL bottom half (again)

MuadDale

So I got my XL a few years ago and with this latest replacement I'll be on my fourth bottom half.  Last time was in December '19, took 4-5 weeks for the replacement to arrive unbroken and it lasted only about four months or so.  Egg sits on a table nest in a solid custom table and never moves.  I may put the new one on a paver stone vice the table nest just to eliminate the nest as a possible cause.

Nothing special to add, I just want to put another data point out there on what seems to be a common failure with the product.  Warranty (Pinch a Penny on SR 13 in St Johns, FL) has been flawless though.  I had a crack in the charcoal grate that traveled across the face of the grate regardless of holes (casting fault) and it took a few tries to get one that didn't wobble on the fire ring, but I had zero issues with the customer service.

stlcharcoal

Don't use the paver without something in between to give you an air gap.  Otherwise it is a big conductor and will transfer the heat to whatever it's sitting on.

JJensen

@MuadDale sorry if I’m being ignorant here but why is it cracking? I just a new xl and I really hope it’s not something that just happens 

lwrehm

I'm just interested as to where and how is it cracking?    Is it a complete failure that renders it unusable?

BigGreenKev

JJensen said:

@MuadDale sorry if I’m being ignorant here but why is it cracking? I just a new xl and I really hope it’s not something that just happens 

I have had my xl for about 8 years and it's still all original.  Not sure if it's climate or storage or something.  I'm in MN for what it's worth and use 2-4 times a week year round.  Including high heat pizza and chicken breasts at 20 below 0 f.  I think it's just hit or miss maybe.

Photo Egg

lwrehm said:

I'm just interested as to where and how is it cracking?    Is it a complete failure that renders it unusable?

Over the last 15 years, I’ve replaced, under warranty, close to 10 bases on 4 different size Eggs. Only my 2 Small Eggs are still on original base.
Ceramic material is not invincible, but I have never had one fail in a way that made it unusable or stop a cook.
BGE has stood behind every warranty claim. 

QDude

I have had to replace my XL base twice in 6 years.

cookingdude555

Lots of data to support many of us have had problems vs many of us that have not.  I have replaced bases before, on a large and a mini, but my two XLs have never needed a new base.  Firebox was another story however.  I find it awesome that every time I have had an issue, BGE has made it right.  Almost all of it through a dealer as well.  Glad to hear you are being taken care of as well.  Good luck with the new base, hopefully your fortune will change.  

caliking

 I don't know if this would make a difference, but is there an air gap around the egg ( not under)? 

Hub

I was a proud owner of a BGE for close to 14 years and have no regrets.  However, it was the cracks and the stubborn refusal to make improvements that caused me to move on.  And I have no regrets about that decision either.

Gulfcoastguy

I had my medium for about 11 years. No cracks on the base or lid. The fire ring was in two pieces and a hairline crack ran from one hole to another on the fire box. That is my nephew’s problem now, I gave the medium to him when I got my large a couple of months ago.

elpescadorzih

I replaced 2 bottoms so far in 7 years on my XL. Dealer took care of me. 1st one was a bit of a hassle, as I was my dealer's 1st warranty claim.

MuadDale

This latest crack might be the result of a high-heat clean out burn combined with the leavings of the just completed chicken wing cook, the cooking grate was gummed up pretty good and I wanted to burn it off.  This is just conjecture on my part, but I suspect a bunch of sauce dripped down and perhaps made it's way onto the bottom of the egg and maybe soaked into the ceramic a little.  Not sure this had anything to do with the crack, but when I noticed the smoke coming from under the egg there was (and still is, I haven't cleaned the bottom exterior) a bunch of drippings clinging to the underside.

I have no clue why the two cracks previous to this latest one happened.  I'm in hot and humid NE Florida but the egg is shaded all day and doesn't receive any direct sunlight.

I've done a few cooks since then with no issues but haven't gone over 500 or so on the dome thermometer.  Unlike my previous cracks this one is not readily visible on the inside, but to be honest I've copped a bit of an attitude with the thing since the new break and haven't given it a good inspection.  I'm kind of done with it for now lol.  I haven't even started the replacement process yet.

There's no air flow restriction at all around it.  I don't have a picture to post but this is basically what I built for it:

https://heyfitzy.com/the-big-green-egg-diy-table/

The last crack I had in December went from the bottom close to the front of the egg to about halfway up the back, was readily visible on the inside and I'd say probably about 1/16th of an inch wide on the exterior.  I felt it was way too big to attempt even a low temp cook so it was out of commission for the 5-6 week duration.  The first replacement was part of a shipment that arrived broken at the store and the priority reorder the guys placed for me got lost in the shuffle.  Other than that the warranty support has been spectacular.

Just thinking out loud, but would the Kick Ash basket with its more open architecture make the bottom of the Egg hotter than the stock cast-iron charcoal grate?

I suppose all ceramics have issues, but similar to what Hub said above, if I had a do-over I'd have probably gone with either a smaller Egg or tried one of the big Kamado Joes.  I like KJ's stock chimney, gasket, hinge and ash basket much better than those of the BGE although the new stock BGE chimney is really nice.

I'll get some pics of this latest crack for the warranty process and post them here for posterity.  I think I still have pics of the previous crack as well and I'll put them up too.

fishlessman

thermal expansion in the corners of the lower vent probably is the cause of most cracks, none of the ceramic guys have solved that problem yet. ive had one pop at 325 during a turkey cook, sounded like a shotgun echoing across the lake so its not just a high heat issue. for years bge said not to use the old school feet with the xl, that the xl needed support with a paver under it, then they made the nest, it doesnt add up

YukonRon

Two types of ceramic out there; cracked ceramic, and ceramic that is going to crack.

It happens. Try leaving a layer of ash at the bottom when you clean it out for protective insulation.

A fellow egger suggested it to me after my XL base cracked several years ago. So far, so good.

abpgwolf

I'm on my 5th XL base since 2012. They all seem to crack down the back and across the bottom. I'm fortunate to have a good dealer. They have replaced quite a few XL BGE bases. They also carry the eggs of a different color and say they never replaced a base on those.  

Canadianegger2020

They crack , its a huge pain even with dealer support. I noticed a hairline crack last year . Looks to be no bigger this year . If it gets bad I'll go through my dealer who unlike many of you guys is brutal to deal with . In the meantime I would maybe use JB weld on it while I wait likely months for a replacement. I went through 3 platesetters in 2 years and finally gave up , bought a CI one and fixed that issue for good .  Firebox? Cracked to pieces but usable . 

Bama Chad

My medium is from 2002 and XL from 2008.  Replaced innards but never the outer shells.  Both are the old versions and with ~1k cooks or more on the medium. Maybe there is something with the newer designs.

fishlessman

Canadianegger2020 said:

They crack , its a huge pain even with dealer support. I noticed a hairline crack last year . Looks to be no bigger this year . If it gets bad I'll go through my dealer who unlike many of you guys is brutal to deal with . In the meantime I would maybe use JB weld on it while I wait likely months for a replacement. I went through 3 platesetters in 2 years and finally gave up , bought a CI one and fixed that issue for good .  Firebox? Cracked to pieces but usable . 

last time i had a base replaced i started the procedure in the fall, did not get it til the spring. i would start the claim while its still usable

Canadianegger2020

fishlessman said:

Canadianegger2020 said:

They crack , its a huge pain even with dealer support. I noticed a hairline crack last year . Looks to be no bigger this year . If it gets bad I'll go through my dealer who unlike many of you guys is brutal to deal with . In the meantime I would maybe use JB weld on it while I wait likely months for a replacement. I went through 3 platesetters in 2 years and finally gave up , bought a CI one and fixed that issue for good .  Firebox? Cracked to pieces but usable . 

last time i had a base replaced i started the procedure in the fall, did not get it til the spring. i would start the claim while its still usable

  Its a hairline crack , I'm not concerned yet. It likely will never get that big , you can tell its not clear through.

Canadianegger2020

fishlessman said:

Canadianegger2020 said:

They crack , its a huge pain even with dealer support. I noticed a hairline crack last year . Looks to be no bigger this year . If it gets bad I'll go through my dealer who unlike many of you guys is brutal to deal with . In the meantime I would maybe use JB weld on it while I wait likely months for a replacement. I went through 3 platesetters in 2 years and finally gave up , bought a CI one and fixed that issue for good .  Firebox? Cracked to pieces but usable . 

last time i had a base replaced i started the procedure in the fall, did not get it til the spring. i would start the claim while its still usable

  Its a hairline crack , I'm not concerned yet. It likely will never get that big , you can tell its not clear through.

Thegrim1

Got a replacement 3 months ago for a crack. New one just cracked again...

Gulfcoastguy

It would be interesting to see how many bases cracked on all of the various sizes on a percentage basis. I'm sure corporate has the data and has determined that it is just cheaper to pay for replacements. 

abpgwolf

It seems that there is an issue with the XL based. You would think they would eventually address the issue. But, they just keep sending out replacements under warranty. 

alaskanassasin

Meanwhile they are loosing customers.

Lit

I had 5 or 6 eggs at one point. It wasnt a big deal for awhile especially when it was the smaller
eggs cracking but once the xl started cracking thats not fun to swap that base out. As stated above theres other options in the same price range that wont crack and some even have better options like push button start and easy ash removal.

Gulfcoastguy

All I know was my medium was 11 years old when I gave it to my nephew and hadn't cracked. The top needed adjusting, it needed a gasket, and the firebox had developed a crack but the dome, base, and daisy wheel were fine.

fishlessman

Canadianegger2020 said:

fishlessman said:

Canadianegger2020 said:

They crack , its a huge pain even with dealer support. I noticed a hairline crack last year . Looks to be no bigger this year . If it gets bad I'll go through my dealer who unlike many of you guys is brutal to deal with . In the meantime I would maybe use JB weld on it while I wait likely months for a replacement. I went through 3 platesetters in 2 years and finally gave up , bought a CI one and fixed that issue for good .  Firebox? Cracked to pieces but usable . 

last time i had a base replaced i started the procedure in the fall, did not get it til the spring. i would start the claim while its still usable

  Its a hairline crack , I'm not concerned yet. It likely will never get that big , you can tell its not clear through.

hate to tell you this, but its cracked right thru.

QDude

What is frustrating when you replace the base for me is that I like to use the Rutland gasket that RRP sells.  So even with the warranty, I'm spending money on the gasket, sealant, and 3M stripper thingy.  Not a ton of money I know.  I will wait to replace the gasket the next time until the factory gasket is destroyed.  Unless of course this base lasts forever, which I doubt!

Foghorn

I just filed a warranty claim for my cracked XL base with my dealer today.  I was warned that it would probably take a few months.

alaskanassasin

QDude said:

What is frustrating when you replace the base for me is that I like to use the Rutland gasket that RRP sells.  So even with the warranty, I'm spending money on the gasket, sealant, and 3M stripper thingy.  Not a ton of money I know.  I will wait to replace the gasket the next time until the factory gasket is destroyed.  Unless of course this base lasts forever, which I doubt!

Install the gasket on the lid instead of base