Heat shield?


 
Heat shields were added to the WSM for the 2009 model year when the 22.5" version was introduced and the 18.5" version was upgraded. Prior to that, there were none. It's always been a curious addition because to the best of my knowledge customers were not asking for this feature and cookers weren't setting fire to or even scorching the area below the cooker. I've always assumed it was a Euro safety requirement added to the smoker.

BTW, in the 14.5" WSM the heat shield is inside the cooker, placed in the bottom of the charcoal bowl.

I'm told the heat shield can be wrapped with aluminum foil and used as a replacement heat diffuser for waterless cooking in the 18.5" WSM.
 
I bought my WSM 18" Classic new in the year 2008 which has no heat shield. So to protect the car port I bought a large rectangular metal Oil sheet Pan which catches the charcoal ash drippings and place to put the lid during the cook.
 
If you have the WSM on a oil drip pan can you remove the heat shield? I’m looking to create a little more room for ash in my wsm14
 
LarryL said:
If you have the WSM on a oil drip pan can you remove the heat shield? I’m looking to create a little more room for ash in my wsm14
Click to expand...
Yeah, this problem is unique to the 14.5" WSM, given that the heat shield lives inside the bottom of the charcoal bowl. Yes, you can remove the heat shield if the WSM is sitting on a fireproof surface. Or you can do this mod and move it outside the cooker like on the other two WSMs.

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More room for ash 14.5

So it has been well documented that for long cooks due to the internal heat shield the 14.5 fills up with ashamed hinders the coals. I've seen where you can add tabs to raise the the charcoal grate or just remove the heat shield all together. I decided to go a different approach and make the...
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Another external heat shield mod for the 14.5" WSM

I just picked up a 14.5" WSM from Walmart on clearance for $99 and wanted to do the external heat shield mod that so many people other are doing. Although the other mods look like a better long term solution, I wanted to do it in such a way that I could return it to its completely stock form (no...
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My 22.5 WSM is missing the heat shield. I cook on a concrete patio and have never noticed any heat issues below.

YMMV
 
meh never had an issue with heat causing damage below the cooker, concrete-wood deck.....I took mine off and used it for something else on my 18, it rattled around every time I moved the cooker
 
I just scored an 18" WSM and the heat sheild is all beat to snot. I will just toss it and not replace it after I rehab it.IMG_20240402_151703.jpg
 
It's on my older 22, never noticed it doing anything special, but I just leave it in place. I cook over some pavers over dirt so even if the cooker did get hot theres no issue.
 
Mine doesn't have the heat shield and I have my 18.5 on the 3 wheel cart with plywood. It isn't an issue at all.
 
Back in the 80's, I ran across the aftermath of someone attempting to run a charcoal water smoker (it wasn't a WSM) on a wooden deck. Hot coals ended up on the deck somehow. The poor soul burned down his deck, his entire house, and part of a neighbor's house. I suspect that the heat shield was added to the WSM to prevent similar occurrences, or perhaps to prevent starting a grass fire if cooking over a lawn. Too much heat may also cause damage to concrete, causing it to chip or crack. I've left my WSM's heat shield in place, but YMMV.
 
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