My WSM 22.5" arrived a couple of days ago.. a couple of issues. Lid, center section..


 
Greg H. in Oakland TN

Greg H. in Oakland TN

TVWBB Member
My WSM 22.5" arrived a couple of days ago.. a couple of issues. Lid, center section..

I'm pretty happy! :) I always hold my breath when I order anything, no matter the cost. More often than not, there's a good chance something will be defective. And, it will be remedied.
Upon unboxing the WSM, I inspected everything, checked to make sure all the parts are there, etc,,,.
Everything looked great with the exception of the lid. It's scratched in a few places. I immediately took pictures, and called Weber. They have a new lid on the way to me. When I purchased my Performer 2 years ago, it arrived with a dented lid. Weber took care of it quickly, and had a new lid on my doorstep in 3 days! Incredible customer service from Weber!

So; I got it completely assembled last night, and the center section doesn't drop easily onto the base. I have to force it just a little. But; it does settle on. Same thing with the lid. It will not drop in. Again; It has to be forced down a bit to seat. Is this pretty common? Or; do you think I should call Weber on this?

Of course, I doubt the center section being out of round a little will affect the cooking quality. I know, I am bit of a perfectionist, as well. But; when I spend this much...

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure it's common. I haven't had that trouble, but I have an 18.5". However I have heard of middle sections being slightly out of round before. That would be my guess as to what's going on. Maybe others will have advise but I might call Weber and see what they say, I'd hate to try to fix it myself and make it worse.
 
Dwain Pannell said:
I've heard about folks giving their center section a bear hug to round it out. But you could call them and see what they say. On the other hand a tight fit can't be all bad.
Click to expand...

Yeah I thought I'd heard the bear hug thing too. And you make a good point, the tight fit may not be a bad thing. As long as you can get your food out at the end of a cook....
 
Thanks for the replies!
I was reading the section here, as well, when unboxing, and checking everything over. According to what Chris mentions, I'll bet my WSM is within the specs he mentions. but; I did go ahead and call Weber. They asked me to measure the diameter of the middle section to see how close it is to 22.5", measuring a couple of different directions, and to measure the lid, and base, as well. Afterwards, call them back to let them know.
I'll measure tonight or tomorrow.

Just checked the fit along the bottom where the center section fits into the bowl. Tight as a drum all the way around. Perfect fit! Apparently; the center section isn't that much out of round, after all.
 
Last edited:
I had to bear hug mine too! It worked. My bottom fit is so snug I can lift the bowl off the ground by the center section when it's cold. I've seen no problems with it. Enjoy
 
I have an 18 and I always have to jig and jog a bit to put it together when it's cold....once it heats up it seems to fit looser. Maybe the gunk just gets softer or the metal expands. Anyway , it still cooks beautifully.
 
Hey everyone! Did some measurements. Hooking the tape measure on the outside of the mid-section, and measuring both ways from grate support to grate support; one way was about 23.25", & the other direction was about 22.75".
So; I squeezed the mid-section a little, and now, the lid drops right in place. Perfect!
I have 2 half-hams to smoke on Christmas Eve. One weighs about 10.4lbs. The other is 12lbs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top