iQue 110 Review & Questions


 
D

D Mullen

New member
I got the chance to use my 110 this weekend and it worked perfectly. Smoked a butt for over 14 hours and the 110 held my temperature exactly where I set it for the entire length of the smoke.

Those of you who use the 110 I was wondering do you fill the water pan? I normally do not but read online that Pitmaster recommends it.

Also, my unit came with a couple of extra washers and wingnuts as well as a small piece of some type of reflective tape. What are these for?

BTW...I have the 22.5 smoker.

Thanks
 
The need for water is to provide "insurance" against any temperature spikes. The automatic temperature control controls the temperature and eliminates the temperature spikes. You do not need water, the water acts as a heat sink and it will burn up fuel to keep the water up to temperature. I do not own a 110, if you read the some of the other threads they will say the same thing for atc's like guru, stoker and auber. I dont know what the extra washers were for, the tape is a high tape to seal the area around the fan possibly.
 
My experiences with the IQ110 seem quite a bit different from others and I am looking for help figuring it out. i have contacted Pitmaster in the past and they felt everything is normal but I have pretty bad fluctuations in temps. On my Big Steel Keg today I tried running it again. I set the initial start up at 200* and it over shot by about 100* and finally stabilized 75* over my target temp and the fan would blow even when it was in the red.

I had taped off a bunch of my inlet pies as suggested by John at Pitmaster.
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On the WSM my temps are even more way off but someone had told me it is because I have an 18 and the IQ110 is really made better for the 22 so I just figured that is why I am having issues when using my WSM and IQ110 together
 
Have you swapped out the temperature probe? Have you done a boiling water/freezing water test? It may just be a bad unit or an anomaly. How long have you had it? Did it ever work properly?

If you are experiencing these types of problems I think that John at iQ110 should send you another unit and they should test yours, its called quality control. Having the owner tell me to tape up the vent would concern me if I were a buyer.

I always speak from experience and do my best to remain impartial despite my own personal opinions. I do not own a iQ110.
 
The shiny tape is for using the 110 with a weber kettle. You tape over the 2 remaining vents on the bottom that aren't covered after installing the IQ baffle.
 
Originally posted by Richard Diaz:
Have you swapped out the temperature probe? Have you done a boiling water/freezing water test? It may just be a bad unit or an anomaly. How long have you had it? Did it ever work properly?

If you are experiencing these types of problems I think that John at iQ110 should send you another unit and they should test yours, its called quality control. Having the owner tell me to tape up the vent would concern me if I were a buyer.

I always speak from experience and do my best to remain impartial despite my own personal opinions. I do not own a iQ110.
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Howdy, I got my unit in January and had problems from day 1, originally I was led to believe that it was because of the outside temps and the fan sucking in sub zero air. Sometimes it works OK but I seem to have a lot better pit control not using it. I have not done the boiling water test with the probes because I was under the impression that we could not get the prob end wet. Originally I had contacted john and was even on the phone with him when it overshot by 100* and the fan was blowing and he seemed to think everything was normal and it was because of the super cold air.

Surprisingly the one thing that I am shocked about is that I am now hearing for others that I need to tape up more of the vent openings and have even been sent pics of other peoples set up on the WSM and BSK and they are taped up to almost no openings.

This is my first attempt with an ATC and I can almost guarantee my last but I do sincerely appreciate the advice because it makes me feel my thoughts are not way off.
 
Since my earlier posting were a bit negative I felt that I should also post positive also.

Moments ago i talked with John on the phone, and he is seeing our postings and trying to resolve problems. Since I am having issues with 2 totally different types of cookers he actually took time to help me understand on each one.

i am probably not real good at writing how I was told but will attempt to. He suggested to me that of course have the 2 unused bottom vents closed, but after I attach the IQ110 adapter to the WSM then to close that vent to against the bolt that attaches the IQ110 to the WSM. He also suggested I use water in the pan, so I will try these things.

On my other cooker, the Big Steel Keg, he is aware of the issues some people are having and has come up with a solution that he is having a few people test
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so he knows if that makes it better.

Dont know if I will have better luck but at least he was willing to talk to me to try to resolve and if these things dont help he has told me to send it in for him to check out.
 
I'm happy to hear that he is working on the issues. I have heard he provides great customer service.

These posts are not about being negative or positive, its about relaying your experience and seeking experience from others.

One thing that does not sit well with me is the picture you have posted above with the black electrical tape covering the fan, I have never seen that before. Did someone recommend that? You may have to close down your vents more. I would ask John if the water is his preference or if it his recommendation. I did a lot of research before buying a atc I would say the great majority do not use water, some use a ceramic saucer.

Let us know how everything turns out. Good Luck!
 
I received my iq110 about 3 weeks ago and have used it twice with GREAT success. My 18" WSM has given me perfect results with the iq110. I fill about 1 quart of boiling water in the pan to start with and have found that it holds 225 for a 10 hour smoke. The IQ110 is always + or - 5 deg. from my Maverick et thermometer settings. I can live with a 5 deg. temp. variation. If i need my pit at higher temps i just turn up the temp. on the IQ and in 10 minutes my pit responds well. I leave both back vents closed and top vent open half way. The one bad thing I have found about the IQ is on higher temp. cooks you really go through the charcoal !!!
 
I haven't read alot of these yet, but I was looking at a pitmasteriq atc unit for my 22. After reading this post I think I might hold off untill the final verdict is out or they get the problem ironed out. Are alot of people having trouble with the iq?
 
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