Fire where it isn't supposed to be...


 

Mike D.

New member
My wife brought home a Weber Spirit E-210 grill, Model #3711001 that she picked up at a garage sale for cheap. It's problem is that it catches fire under the control panel. This was the reason they were selling it and wanted only $25.

The first time I heated it, it got to high temperature quickly with no mishap. The second time I lit it, after 20 minutes or so small flames caught under the control panel, next to the manifold, melting the front control knob and damaging the lighter housing. Before turning off the gas at the tank I peeked underneath and there were small flames just wandering around near the manifold. I couldn't tell where their fuel was coming from.

I've taken the manifold off and immersion tested it for leaks. Nothing. Valves closed, valves open with my finger over the jets; no bubbles coming up anywhere they shouldn't.

I removed the burners and they're clean inside and the holes are all clear and well formed. They're in pretty good shape; not new, but still sound.

The only thing I can see that might be causing this is mis-adjustment of the burner air inlets?

Does anyone have any thoughts, suggestion, or experience to guide me?

I'd like to restore this grill for use, but I can't have flames where they're not supposed to be. :p

Thanks!

Mike
 
If it's not the manifold it's the regulator. I would turn the bottle on and open both values and let it blow for a minute and then turn off the bottle, wait a minute and then close the valves making sure it's off both values. Turn the bottle on full, turn both values on full and fire it up. Clean burn, your done, funky burn, turn the bottle off and when it dies turn the valves off. Disconnect from the bottle and using the dust spray bottles for dusting computers, spray into the regulator a few times. Reconnect bottle, turn on bottle turn on BBQ fire it up. Good? Your done bad, you need a new regulator. One assumption. Your confident the fuel in the bottle is good
 
Anytime I've seen fire coming from the control panel of a grill, it's always been due to some kind of blockage in the burner tubes or the intakes. Are you sure there aren't any spider webs or some gunk buildup ?
 
If it's not the manifold it's the regulator...

Anytime I've seen fire coming from the control panel of a grill, it's always been due to some kind of blockage in the burner tubes or the intakes. Are you sure there aren't any spider webs or some gunk buildup ?

Well, I feel a little bit the goof! :o

I put things back together to do Chuck's regulator checks, after confirming the insides of the burner tubes were perfectly clear and that the flames were adjusted (just a little occasional orange at the tips) ... It's heating up for several minutes while I'm watching the underside of the panel waiting for anything to happen. WHOOSH!!! :eek: Not quite close enough to scorch eyebrows!

Looking carefully, there was a jet coming from the joint between the #2 valve body and the manifold that sprayed gas toward the front of the grill until there was enough accumulated to ignite from the firebox.

I turned it off at the tank and then confirmed the leak with soapy water.

The screw through the manifold tube into the base of the valve was about a turn and a half loose.

So much for my careful leak checking!

The only thing I can think of is while handling it to immerse it in the tub of water I pushed the valve against the manifold well enough to make the seal and keep it from bubbling. Even with the tank valve open and the burner valve off nothing came out. With the burner valve on and my finger over the orifice, it would have definitely pushed the valve body against the manifold and blocked the leak. Assembling things again nudged it out of line enough to open the leak.

Well, live and learn! With the screws both snugged down I've run it for over an hour without incident. It's heating up really well, and looks like it'll be ready for service with a little more cleaning and TLC.

Thanks for the quick replies, gentlemen.

Mike D.
 

 

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