Kettle lid really loose


 

Charles Howse

TVWBB Wizard
Hi all, I have an 18.5 WSM, and I know it's not supposed to be air tight.
What about my Original Weber Kettle lid? Smoke comes out all around it, and I can move it back and forth about 1/4".
Any solutions, or is this trivial?
 
maybe set it on your table to make sure it isn't warped too bad but I doubt it's much to worry about. FWIW I bought one years ago that was warped and a quick call to customer service had a replacement at my door rather fast.
 
As long as you are not having problems controlling the temperature you should be fine...but...if it is leaking enough air that you can't snuff out the lit coals at the end of a grilling session, that is inconvenient and a waste of charcoal.
 
maybe set it on your table to make sure it isn't warped too bad but I doubt it's much to worry about. FWIW I bought one years ago that was warped and a quick call to customer service had a replacement at my door rather fast.
It's not warped. It's like it's 23" in diameter while the grill is 22.5"
 
As long as you are not having problems controlling the temperature you should be fine...but...if it is leaking enough air that you can't snuff out the lit coals at the end of a grilling session, that is inconvenient and a waste of charcoal.
It's difficult to control the temps, and I don't check on the coals, I just shut the vents and go eat. :)
 
I don't check on the coals
I don't either, but the next time I go to use the grill I will usually have charcoal left from the last cook. I use it as a bottom layer in the char basket and dump the live coals on top of it. My lid (and bowl) is not perfectly round and kind of snaps in place. I get a very good seal.

It's difficult to control the temps
That's a sign that you could have an air leak. You control the temp of a coalburner by controlling the air flow (oxygen). If you can't control the air flow you can't regulate the temperature effectively. Is that a problem for the way you cook? I use a Smoke thermometer and I can dial in the temp I need with the upper vent if needed for a long cook.
 
Hi all, I have an 18.5 WSM, and I know it's not supposed to be air tight.
What about my Original Weber Kettle lid? Smoke comes out all around it, and I can move it back and forth about 1/4".
Any solutions, or is this trivial?
Charles, it might be worth the time to call Weber. Maybe they will send you another lid.
 
Place lid on paper or cement etc. Trace with chalk or pencil etc. Make or use a compass to see how round it is. If you do not want to do that then do this instead. Rotate marked lid by some amount, say 90 degrees, and retrace. Compare. Redo if needed a couple more times. Do same for kettle bottom.... well if you can.

But first a simple measurement to see where you are off may reveal two things. One: an area or spot is out of whack; or two: a whole piece, say a lid or the bottom, is off sized. Either from a rare oddity, like a whole belling event or some unknown reason, or just a combo. Either way weber will make it work.

If the pieces are out of round there are ways peole here have "straightened" them up.
 
I also have a BGE that I replaced the gasket on. One of the checks after replacing the gasket is to take a dollar bill and check the gap all the way around the lid. You could try that and see if there are any gaps.
 
This is quite fascinating to me, I see the issue of leakage or poor fit now more than ever. I’m just counting my lucky stars that I don’t seem to be plagued by any of that.
I have never had any issues with leakage or fit, of course my kettles are all over twenty years old.
 
Have you found the flaw yet. Measured.
No, not going to measure. I can install the gasket and most likely fix the problem, but if I go to the trouble of measuring, I'll still have work to do. If all else fails, I have a pipe-fitter next door.
[Edit] Installing the gasket make the lid not fit AT ALL!
 
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I called Weber Customer Service to claim the 10 yr warranty on my lid. They needed the serial number to register the grill, said it was stamped on the lid damper....NOT! Nothing there but the MFG info. I bought this grill from Lowe's, does anyone else have an Original 22" Kettle without a S/N on the lid damper? I don't have the original Owner's Manual either. :-(
 

 

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