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Burnt gasket??? High temp cooking??

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Whittsend
Whittsend Posts: 20
edited August 2011 in EggHead Forum

Just got my BGE.  First attempt at pizza last night left the gasket burnt.  We made 4 pizzas.  The grill was at 600-700 degrees for probably an hour.   I kept the lid closed as much as possible to avoid damaging the gasket (like the dealer said to do), but it still happened.  At the begging of the grilling session, when the lid was closed, I noticed that I could see a small gap in the back of the egg (1/8 inch??), between the top and bottom gaskets.  Smoke was coming out at this point with the lid closed and I could smell the burndt gasket.  Obviously the lids weren't aligned correctly or something was setup wrong.  The dealer assembled and delivered the unit.  Should I be right in expecting them to come out and replace the gasket at no charge???

Or is that gasket not very quality, and should it be replaced with a different product????   Seems pretty crappy if the egg is toted as being a good high temp grill, but not having a gasket that is able to withstand high temp grilling......

Any recommendations or help is appreciated.  Thanks!!!

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Comments

  • Spoon
    Spoon Posts: 328
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    It's a bit of both. The felt gasket is not the best choice of material for a gasket to start with and the gap at the back will burn it up. If your dealer is good they could/should get you a replacement BGE high temp gasket (Nomex) for free. I don't know if they will come out and adjust the bands for you, but you need to get it fixed or you will keep having the same problem.
    "Pork so tender you can pull it with a spoon." ~Spoon
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    If the dealer assembled the unit, they screwed it up and should come out and make it right.
    The Naked Whiz
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  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
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    D    id the
    gasket actually burn off or did the adhesive melt and the gasket came off?
    Anyway, that gap needs to be fixed and like NW posted, dealer should take care
    of you. Are those carriage bolts tight to where they are bending? I have
    noticed at 2 different dealers in my town where they don't tighten them enough
    as the bolts are still perfectly straight. Need to double check that after they
    finish the repair. Go ahead and call the mothership and tell them your story
    and have them send you the white gasket. Then go to Lowes/Home Depot and get
    the 3M Super 77. Dealer can take it from there although if it were me, I would
    just do it so I know it is done right. Anyway, good luck and keep use posted.

    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    If there was a 1/8 inch gap, it was guaranteed to burn. The felt gaskets are not impervious, but if the dome is properly seated, they can take several years to char away. They can also come loose if the adhesive is not well cured, but that is another issue.
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  • GeekGod
    GeekGod Posts: 52
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    This seems to be a common problem.  It happened to me with my local dealer "Steepleton" as well - they assembled the grill wrong and after the 2nd high temperature cook within a week the gasket literally peeled off.

    Call BGE and talk to support (Duane) and request a high-temperature gasket.   I would then call the dealer and politely force them to come out and install the new gasket.

    In my case I did not want anything to do with the dealer and ended up doing it myself.

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  • Whittsend
    Whittsend Posts: 20
    edited August 2011
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    Adhesive wasn't an issue, but the gasket actually charred right up. Gap between lids was the main problem, but it happened along most of the gasket surface area, even in the front. I don't undersand why BGE lets these units out of the factory with the non-high temp gaskets. If they advertise high heat grilling, they should have every part of their product stand up to the task, including the stock gasket.

    Yes, bolts were tightened properly to bending. But dealerships should probably recognize this deficiency and swap gaskets out before the units even leave the store... Or BGE should ship them gasketless and have the dealer put in the right high temp gaskets themselves... (BGE mothership told me it was too time consuming at the factory to put on the proper gaskets...) ????

    Thanks for the help. I'll contact the dealership and see where that gets me.

    Much appreciated - cheers! :)
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  • Whittsend
    Whittsend Posts: 20
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    Follow up.  I called the dealer and they came out that same afternoon.  They installed a high temp gasket and re-set the lid for a better seal, free of charge.  Excellent service.  To be honest, it is what I would expect after spending so much cash on a grill and loads of accessories, but nonetheless I was still impressed that they delivered so quickly and got-'er-dun.


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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,471
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    Great to hear they followed up like that right away!
     
    Hope the new gasket works better for you, if you're doing four pizzas at a time a Permatex Ultra-Copper may have been a good bet (what I'm going to when my felt finally gives it up).  What kind of gasket did they install?  
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • Whittsend
    Whittsend Posts: 20
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    That white Nomex one I think.  Can't be much worse than the original gasket....

    :)


    "Country ribs" on the grill right now for the first over-night slow cooking trial run.  Hoping the fire stays lit all night!  :)



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