Having a pellet grill is great. You get to do some barbeque like a pro. The summer days and weekends are made for getting the family together and having some grill time. Kids running around, the adults talking about the upcoming Monday Night Football clash – everything’s perfect.
That is until you realize that some of the parts of the grill are not working properly. You forgot to check how it looks since the last season, and now it’s unusable. See more about pellet grills here.
To be sure that this isn’t going to happen to you, make sure you do regular checks. In this article, we’re going to go over a few points and tips that will show you how to do perfect maintenance of the replacement parts of your pellet grill. Follow up and learn more on this subject if you want to keep your pellet grill safe.
Table of Contents
1. Do regular ash cleaning
The pellet grills and smokers are using pellets to work. The pellets are made of wood. There are generally two types of wood used for making them – soft and hardwood. The hard ones are producing a lot more ash than the soft ones, but are also producing more heat and smoke.
In both options, you’ll need to do regular cleaning. The soft ones will produce less dirt, but it will still be there. The hardwood will produce more ash and it needs regular vacuuming and cleaning with specialized cleaners.
It’s recommendable to clean the ash at least once a week if you’re using the pellet machine every day. If you’re only using a grill once a week or less, then you get by the season with just one or two cleanings. Still, don’t forget to do them, so the parts inside the machine are working perfectly.
2. Make sure the igniter is always clean
The worst-case scenario is to have your direct igniter clogged. This can happen because of built-up ash inside the machine. You might clean everything nice from the outside, but you didn’t see that the igniter is being clogged. This way, the grill won’t work at all or will need more power to start working properly.
What you need to do is to open the grill at the end of the season and give it a more thorough cleaning. To do this, you first need to let the stove cool off if you used it recently. Then, you should take out the parts that are blocking the ignition if there are any. Depending on the stove this can be different.
Finally, you need to vacuum everything nicely, and then take out every soot there is. Dampen a cloth and go over the place until it’s perfectly clean. Leaving the soot to stay there for an entire year can make serious problems and malfunctions until the next year’s first run.
3. Clean the T-Pipe
The pellet grill and stove is an amazing machine. Everything’s made digitally nowadays, and because of it, there are lots of small parts that require regular maintenance.
One of these parts is also the T-Pipe. This is the place where you’re usually going to get a lot of dirt. That’s why it needs often cleaning. If you’re using the pellet grill only a couple of times per month, then you can get by with cleaning just once or twice per season. However, if you’re using it regularly, then you must do it every month.
Not cleaning the T-pipe is often a reason for accidents and fires. This is why it’s crucial for you and your safety to have this in mind and regularly clean the stove.
4. Do a yearly check and change old parts
Buying an entire new stove does not come cheap. These things can range from a couple of hundred dollars and up to a couple of thousands. Instead of throwing them into the garbage and buy new ones, you can get by with just a small amount for buying new parts.
Do a regular inspection of everything and see if there’s something not working properly. Most pellet machines are going to last at least 5 years without any problems. After this period, you can expect some of the parts to become obsolete. You’ll need to change them with new ones. Luckily, they are affordable, so make sure you always have everything in perfect shape.
5. See the flame to know if everything’s working properly
Most pellet stoves have a glass installed to see how the fire burns. Based on the color of the flame, you can be sure that everything works smoothly, or you have a particular problem that needs to be addressed.
If the fire is yellow or bright white, then you can be sure that everything’s functioning normally. This is the color you’re supposed to be seeing. If the flame is orange or red, then you have a problem inside the stove that needs a thorough check from a professional.
Conclusion
These 5 points are an excellent way to keep your pellet grill perfect. You can do a thorough check once a year, and conduct fast inspection and cleaning once a month. Check out more tips on this link: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-clean-and-maintain-your-pellet-grill_b_10278778.
If you’re not using the grill daily, then you can get by with less. However, don’t forget to end the grilling season without a serious inspection and thorough cleaning of the stove. This is the best way to be sure that you and the people around you are safe.
Comments