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Screen burned through

Boileregger
Boileregger Posts: 614
in EggHead Forum
I've had my egg about 5 years.  About 6 months ago the screen door burned through and I replaced it.  After the brisket cook today, I noticed the second one has burned through already as well.  Has anyone else had this happen this quickly?
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  • kl8ton
    kl8ton Posts: 6,422
    6 years and still on original screen.  Do you have burning chunks of lump falling down from the fire grate.  My fire grate cracked badly and warped during a cook and some significant sized pieces were able to fall down there.


    Large, Medium, MiniMax, 36" Blackstone
    Grand Rapids MI
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  • smokeyw
    smokeyw Posts: 367
    Do you do nuclear clean burns?
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  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I only use screen for overnight cooks. Therefore mine is still in tact
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,656
    I think my wife gave me my first BGE in 2010, and I think the second one the year after, and so far, my screens haven't burned through.  I always use them except when first lighting the fire.  Once the fire is going well, I close the screen.

    It seems to me that it's pretty rare that hot embers directly touch my screen.  Does it seem like that happens a lot for you?  A few probably useless thoughts:
    • Do you use the regular BGE grate at the bottom of the fire box?  If not, I wonder whether doing so might reduce the frequency of hot embers getting to the screen.
    • Do you usually burn the coals all the way down to the bottom?  I usually fill the lump up to the top of the fire box, and add more if it seems like there's only a few inches' worth above the bottom, so during most of my cooks, the hot embers have some uncooked lump below them.  I still get hot embers below the bottom grate sometimes, but I wonder if maybe you usually put in less lump it might make it more common that hot embers fall through and get closer to the screen.
    Probably not helpful.  No other ideas at the moment.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    6+ years, 250-900* cooks. No problem. 

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • MO_Eggin
    MO_Eggin Posts: 284
    No issues in 8+ years, all range of temps, always use the screen.
    LBGE - St. Louis, MO; MM & LBGE - around 8100' somewhere in the CO Front Range
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Never heard of that happening before. I have held my heat gun set on 1100 degrees to that screen many times with no issue.
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    edited July 2016
    Mine is still intact since 2006. I have replaced the screen on the door to my house three times though...
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • Boileregger
    Boileregger Posts: 614
    Never done a clean burn.  Use the stock fire grate.  Always fill up the lump.  Guess I'm just unlucky.   =)
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Boileregger said:
    Never done a clean burn.  Use the stock fire grate.  Always fill up the lump.  Guess I'm just unlucky.   =)
    Something else at play here. Lump does not fall and move to the vent unless your egg is on one hell of hill, If you light from the top and let the fire follow the air down, there should not be an issue. My Primo doesn't;t have a screen and there is no issue - what size egg?
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    What do you mean by burned through?  I had a small hole in one of mine after a few years because of embers.  That being said, it was small and did not really need replacing.  I looked up the price for a replacement part; not worth replacing...  However, my dealer had a bucket with cheap spare parts last year and I decided to replace it.  A few months later and I now have another small hole... not a big deal.   I think that embers are falling through because of the ventilation hole in the firebox just above the draft door. I wonder if some kind of deflector would help.

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • Gunnar
    Gunnar Posts: 2,307
    Agree with Paqman...the firebox should be rotated so none of the small holes are above the vent....10 years and a non-issue.
    LBGE      Katy (Houston) TX
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  • Boileregger
    Boileregger Posts: 614
    paqman said:
    What do you mean by burned through?  I had a small hole in one of mine after a few years because of embers.  That being said, it was small and did not really need replacing.  I looked up the price for a replacement part; not worth replacing...  However, my dealer had a bucket with cheap spare parts last year and I decided to replace it.  A few months later and I now have another small hole... not a big deal.   I think that embers are falling through because of the ventilation hole in the firebox just above the draft door. I wonder if some kind of deflector would help.
    The first one was a hole about the size of a silver dollar and it was on the left side of the screen so even when I had low temps the hole was exposed for embers to fall out.  That's why I replaced it.  This one is smaller and is all the way on the right side so I'll let it go for a while.

    I'll check the position of the firebox as the ash does seem to pile up against the screen.  I clean out the bottom of ash after every 3-5 cooks, maybe im not doing that enough?
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  • jakebge
    jakebge Posts: 79
    Sounds like a Boilermaker problem.

    Go Hoosiers! =)
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  • EggNorth
    EggNorth Posts: 1,535
    Mine is about 6 years old and have the third screen ready to go on.  Not sure why I go through so many, some day I will figure it out.
    Dave
    Cambridge, Ontario - Canada
    Large (2010), Mini Max (2015), Large garden pot (2018)
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  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 11,601
    paqman said:
    What do you mean by burned through?  I had a small hole in one of mine after a few years because of embers.  That being said, it was small and did not really need replacing.  I looked up the price for a replacement part; not worth replacing...  However, my dealer had a bucket with cheap spare parts last year and I decided to replace it.  A few months later and I now have another small hole... not a big deal.   I think that embers are falling through because of the ventilation hole in the firebox just above the draft door. I wonder if some kind of deflector would help.
    @paqman: Can I ask which dealer you're using?
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    @GrateEggspectations I purchased my large from Capital Appliance & BBQ and my MiniMax from The Fireplace Center & Patio Shop.  The spare parts came from the Fireplace Center 

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 11,601
    paqman said:
    @GrateEggspectations I purchased my large from Capital Appliance & BBQ and my MiniMax from The Fireplace Center & Patio Shop.  The spare parts came from the Fireplace Center 
    @paqman: Do you prefer one over the other? I was indecisive about where to buy, but when I finally picked one I ended up having great difficulty getting them to respond to my calls or emails. After a few weeks without any response, I simply went with the other (which was a whole lot cheaper anyway!).
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    @GrateEggspectations Capital Appliance are usually good responding to emails so I assume that you had problems with the Fireplace Center.  There is one guy at Fireplace Center that gives really good customer service but the place feels like a car dealership.  Capital Appliance staff usually know their products but customer service is not as good.  I have to say that I had a problem shortly after purchasing my large and they made it right.  On the other hand, I deal exclusively with one guy at the Fireplace Center so I don't know about the rest.

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • The_Stache
    The_Stache Posts: 1,153
    I've had my Large egg 14+ years... Never had a screen burn through!  (Of course they didn't come with screens back then!)  =)
    Kirkland, TN
    2 LBGE, 1 MM


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  • Boileregger
    Boileregger Posts: 614
    I think you guys were onto something.  I emptied it all out for a deep clean and noticed that the expansion gap in the firebox with a vent hole was right above the draft door.  After I pulled the firebox and cleaned out everything (and noticed my fire grate is starting to crack) I put the firebox back in and rotated it so the expansion gap is no longer above the draft door, but just enough so the opening at the bottom of the firebox is still aligned with it.

    Hope that does it.  Thanks everyone for your help, well except for @jakebge.  Hoosiers are never helpful to anyone.  ;)
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