Crazy thermometer problem


 
J

Jeremy S.

New member
I was checking the temp of a chicken breast on the grill with my probe thermometer, when the temp suddenly went from 150 to 300, to 400, and then just "HI", where it stuck and hasn't changed since. I thought I had accidently pushed through the meat and touched the grill grate.

A week later, same grill, same kind of meat. With my second thermometer I definitely didn't touch the grate, but the SAME thing happened. Now I have two broken probes. Anyone have any idea what is going on?
 
What type of probe--thermistor? thermocouple? What is the high temp rating?

What you describe tends to happen when probes are exposed to temps higher than they're rated or sometimes when the probe's lead wire is exposed to excessive temp.
 
I don't know if it's thermistor or thermcouple but the max temp on both is 400 degress.

I'm surprised that leaving the probe in a chicken breast and closing the lid on the grill could ruin the probe.
 
Who makes the themometer in question? I know I had a problem with a brand new Polder. I also know I'm not alone with having problems with Polders. As luck would have it my problem happened during my first smoke with the WSM. Lucky for me I realized it was the themometer and not the smoker. Everything has been great since.

Jim
 
One is a Thermo-tech, the other is a Pyrex.

Point of interest, as a method of last resort, I banged the Pyrex probe hard against the counter a few times and lo and behold, it works again. No such luck with the Thermo-tech.

I can't for the life of me figure out what could go wrong inside the probe that whacking it against a hard surface would fix.
 
Assuming this is like my Nu Temps where you have the probe, and then a wire that comes back to the main unit, you could be dealing with moisture in the wire. Especially if the wire is being pinched between the lid and the inside rim. I had this problem once, and it went away once I installed my eyelets from thebbqguru.com thebbqguru.com
I was able to "fix" the one that was giving me problems by leaving the wire on top of one of the furnace vents for a day.
 
Neither of those probes can take direct heat well (many can't); if the wire leads are exposed to direct heat (grill flames, e.g.) they are likely to be damaged. Pyrex probe's life deteriorates much more quickly if left in temps > 392 (unsure of the other model). Probe assemblies can be damaged--sometimes permanently, sometimes temporarily--if exposed to moisture, especially where lead meets probe. Why your Pyrex started working I've no idea.
 
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