How to install new thermometer on 22 WSM?


 
D

D Brewer

New member
I would like to replace the original thermometer on my 22" WSM with this one:

Tel-Tru BBQ Thermomter

I don't know how to install the new thermometer as the connections are different from how Weber connected their thermometer. What additional parts would I need to order? Any suggestions?

Thanks.
Dave
 
Don't know why you would buy a Tel Tru for the Weber. Just get a Maverick and you'll get a better idea of the temp at the grate.
 
You would need to enlarge the existing hole from 3/8" to 7/8" and a step drill bit would be the best for that.
The install kit that Tel-Tru sells is just a 3/4" (conduit ) nut and washer that you can pick up for less than a buck at any hardware store.
How the new one fits in the existing shroud could be a minor problem.
Curious why you would like to replace the Weber one with the Tel-Tru, they'll both read the same temps @ that location on you're lid.

Tim
 
Dave,

Just to expand on what Tim says...

You won't be able to use the bezel (the silver part around the stock Weber thermometer) with that new Tel-Tru.

Just remove the existing therm and bezel and use a step bit or 7/8" hole saw to enlarge the existing hole. Go to your nearest hardware store and buy a large, flat metal washer with a 7/8" hole in the middle. Stick the Tel-Tru stem through the washer, then insert into the lid (washer stays outside the lid), then fasten from the inside with a 3/4" conduit lock nut.

I've had this setup on my WSM for almost 12 years, works great.

@Doug, the reason is because not everyone feels it's necessary to measure the temp at the grate. I gave up on that years ago, still making great barbecue measuring at the lid. It dawned on me one day...when I bake a cake or roast a chicken in my kitchen oven, I don't measure at the oven rack. My oven measures way up in the top right corner of the oven cavity. How come everything I cook in my oven turns out great when I'm measuring in the wrong place?

Not long after, I gave up measuring at the cooking grate.

Regards,
Chris
 
All,

Based on everyone's response, I am going to forgo the Tel-Tru and just stick with what I have.

I was curious because I see other users going to the Tel-Tru and was wondering if I was missing something. I am glad everyone set me straight.

Thanks everybody for your insight.
Dave
 
Chris:With all due respect,And im sure you have more xp in smoking then i have and so on. Sure there is not better to temp @ the grate.(i do it everytime) And im sure not everyone "feels it's necessary to measure the temp at dome". Doug dident say that its wrong to temp @ any place he just stated what He does.

Why I temp by the grate?:

1) I dont wanna have a probe thru the top went that i need to remove when i open the lid. I could clip my mav in the dome thermo but then i will have the same problem as stated.

2) I temp in the same spot during the cook,i use the Mav-732. And by hanging it thru the vent it will never hit the same spot twise.(after the lid is taken off)

3) There is no "wrong" place to read temp. Vent is fine,Dome works fine,Grate is just as good. The key is to use the same reading spot!?


All BBQ is great if you pull it when its done. How you get there is up to you. Right?
 
Wolgast,

I completely agree that you should use whatever method works for you and makes sense for you.

Dave Brewer was asking about replacing the stock Weber therm with a Tel-Tru, both of which go through a special hole drilled through the lid and fastened with a nut. We're not talking about running a thermometer through the lid vent as you mention.

Doug questioned Dave's reasoning for mounting a therm on the lid instead of measuring at the grate with a Maverick, saying "you'll get a better idea of temp at the grate". My point is it's just fine to measure at the lid. Not everyone feels the need to measure at the grate.

But as always, do what feels good to you.

Regards,
Chris
 
Hi Chris. I started using a Pitmaster IQ110 controller and I cut a small slit in the rim just deep enouGh that the lid doesn't ride on the temp sensor cable. So far so good. It really maintains a nice consistent temp - according to the IQ-110 controller. Ever used one? What do you think if you have? Pitmaster claims the Weber thermometers are cheap and inaccurate do you agree? When I have the IQ-110 set at 250 by dome reads about 215. Your thoughts appreciated and respected.

Thanks,
Frank
 
I don't use an automatic temperature control system, so I can't speak from experience. I know they come with a sensor that goes inside the cooker and the sensor has a clip on it and most people clip the sensor to the cooking surface.

I'm sure the Weber thermometers are not very expensive. Some have turned out to be inaccurate. But this is not rocket science. You don't need exact accuracy to cook barbecue, at least I don't. If the Weber therm is within 5*F +/- then I'm fine with that.

But let's not confuse mounting a dial therm in the lid with measuring temp for an auto temp control system. Two completely different animals. Mounting a dial therm in the lid was the original question in this thread.

Regards,
Chris
 
Dave, that Tel-Tru therm you linked to is nice to have when using on your kettles that do not have a built-in therm. I have the same Tel-Tru and use it on my 22" OTG + OTS.
And no drilling is required, I simply "thread" it into one of the top vent holes.
 
Dave, I also have a TelTru therm. I now use it in my UDS. The temp on the dial is about 25 degrees different from my Maverick. It really doesn't matter where you put the prob or what therm you use, as long as you know the error and compensate. And as Chris stated, BBQ will turn out good with temp variance. Look at the old pics of open pit BBQ, no therm but great Q.

Mark
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">How come everything I cook in my oven turns out great when I'm measuring in the wrong place? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I just reacted to this line. Couse he dident say that anyone was wrong. He just stated what works great for him.

*ontopic again*

Its nothing wrong with the weber stock thermometer. Any unit you put there will read different then the grate. As everyone has stated...Pick one place to read the temp and stick by it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top