Rust and corrosion problems


 
M

MikeIII

New member
I am having to replace most everything in the pit due to rust and corrosion. Have already replaced the bracket that holds the flavor bars. Now the pellet slide and burn pot are on their last leg.
Will say that Weber sent me all the new parts at no cost.
My question is this. Is there anything I can do prolong the life of the new parts. Having to do this every two years is a bit much.
Any help or ideas will be appreciated.
 
What type of environment is your grill in? Is it near a water source? Are you close to salt water? I also have rust issues but not to your extent. Mine is outside in the open but it is covered with the Weber made plastic/nylon cover. I think another factor will be the type of pellet that is used. The ash pH could be a factor.
 
The pit is out of the elements. Always covered and kept under the eaves. I do use an assortment of pellets, but parts that don’t come into contact with the pellets are corroding.
it’s been a very rainy year here in Louisiana. Could be the excessive humidity is the culprit.
 
I would say the humidity is the culprit , keeping it covered will speed up the rust also, no airflow and the humidity high will cause rust quicker than if it had some airflow around it and some daylight , if you can get in stored in a garage with no cover you will be saving your self $$$
 
Well, the instructions call for the lid to be left open during the shutdown cycle. To quote the manual, " CAUTION: Always engage the shutdown procedure with the grill lid open to properly shutdown your grill when finished cooking. Frequently interrupted cook cycles could cause component failure." I'm not sure what the "frequently interrupted cook cycles" is all about, but I'm wonder if the grill gets excessively hot during shut down, and having the lid closed may contribute to the wear/rust/corrosion that we're starting to hear about. Just a theory, as I always wondered why they wanted the lid opened during shutdown.

Charlie
 
One side of the thoughts is to get the heat out of the stove quickly. Getting the heat out faster is good because many people stop all observation of their stove once it’s turned off, if for no reason beyond fire safety, leave the top open, get the heat down, and come back after a short time to observe and close the lid. Leaving the lid open is just a reminder.
Coming from someone that has lost his entire home, all contents, all tools equipment automobiles, collectibles plus many other categories to a devastating fire, it’s difficult to get moving forward again.
Adding a step getting things cooled quickly, rechecking then the final part of putting the stove away, is important. For me, I like to have a specific order in the shut down process.
 
C Lewis said:
Well, the instructions call for the lid to be left open during the shutdown cycle. To quote the manual, " CAUTION: Always engage the shutdown procedure with the grill lid open to properly shutdown your grill when finished cooking. Frequently interrupted cook cycles could cause component failure." I'm not sure what the "frequently interrupted cook cycles" is all about, but I'm wonder if the grill gets excessively hot during shut down, and having the lid closed may contribute to the wear/rust/corrosion that we're starting to hear about. Just a theory, as I always wondered why they wanted the lid opened during shutdown.

Charlie
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Thank you. I now understand your approach. But if I remember correctly, Weber had us shutdown with the lid closed at one time. I am thinking about some of their early videos where they have gone both directions on the lid during startup. I have always had the lid down during both startup and shutdown.
 
I'm sometimes only as sharp as a marble and I realize the manual advises to raise the lid during shutdown but I do not feel comfortable walking-away from any outdoor cooker that isn't buttoned-up after my cook is complete.

My observation of the SF in particular is that the CFM of the fan moves hot ashes and nearly-spent pellets that are glowing red. I've seen these exit the pit. I don't consider myself smarter than Weber but for now when I go into shutdown mode my lid is kept closed.
 
No doubt, all are good points. But my question still is, is it possible that leaving the lid closed during shutdown is contributing somehow to the corrosion problems that some are having? I leave mine opened per the manual, though I wish they would give a better explanation why. I'm at 62 cooks now, and there's no corrosion on mine. Not sure if that's why, just throwing it out there as a theory to discuss.

Charlie
 
C Lewis said:
No doubt, all are good points. But my question still is, is it possible that leaving the lid closed during shutdown is contributing somehow to the corrosion problems that some are having? I leave mine opened per the manual, though I wish they would give a better explanation why. I'm at 62 cooks now, and there's no corrosion on mine. Not sure if that's why, just throwing it out there as a theory to discuss.

Charlie
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I shutdown with the lid closed so I would be a candidate for corrosion problems. Over one year and no idea how many cooks. No corrosion. I live in central Florida 30 miles from the Atlantic. I suspect that how many times and for how long the grill runs at 500 degrees or higher is a big contributor to the corrosion. I’ve only been that hot maybe 10 times in a year. Could lid position also be a factor. Possibly!
 
C Lewis said:
Well, the instructions call for the lid to be left open during the shutdown cycle. To quote the manual, " CAUTION: Always engage the shutdown procedure with the grill lid open to properly shutdown your grill when finished cooking. Frequently interrupted cook cycles could cause component failure." I'm not sure what the "frequently interrupted cook cycles" is all about, but I'm wonder if the grill gets excessively hot during shut down, and having the lid closed may contribute to the wear/rust/corrosion that we're starting to hear about. Just a theory, as I always wondered why they wanted the lid opened during shutdown.

Charlie
Click to expand...

huh. I always closed the lid during shutdown, I hadn't realized I was doing it wrong all along.
 
Lew Newby said:
I shutdown with the lid closed so I would be a candidate for corrosion problems. Over one year and no idea how many cooks. No corrosion. I live in central Florida 30 miles from the Atlantic. I suspect that how many times and for how long the grill runs at 500 degrees or higher is a big contributor to the corrosion. I’ve only been that hot maybe 10 times in a year. Could lid position also be a factor. Possibly!
Click to expand...
Good info Lew, thanks.
 
Robert Dilbert said:
huh. I always closed the lid during shutdown, I hadn't realized I was doing it wrong all along.
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To be fair, it says to "engage the shutdown procedure with the grill lid open" not necessarily to keep it open throughout the shut down. Maybe splitting hairs, but it's not the first confusing thing in the Weber manuals. Also, still not getting the "Frequently interrupted cook cycles could cause component failure", or what that has to do with the lid opened or closed, or shutting down for that matter. It's thrown in the same sentence as to explain the lid open requirement, but I'm not seeing the connection.

BTW, I'm not saying that anyone's right or wrong either way, just throwing out a theory to the corrosion, as I have always wondered why it matters how the lid is down during shutdown, as I've never heard of this on any other pellet cooker.

Charlie
 
C Lewis said:
To be fair, it says to "engage the shutdown procedure with the grill lid open" not necessarily to keep it open throughout the shut down. Maybe splitting hairs, .....

BTW, I'm not saying that anyone's right or wrong either way, just throwing out a theory to the corrosion, as I have always wondered why it matters how the lid is down during shutdown, as I've never heard of this on any other pellet cooker.

Charlie
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I think these discussions are great. Weber doesn’t give us the information so we hash it out together. I hadn’t thought of lid position as a factor but it might be.
 
Robert Dilbert said:
huh. I always closed the lid during shutdown, I hadn't realized I was doing it wrong all along.
Click to expand...
Just because the manual says have the lid closed doesn’t mean that won’t change. A year ago Weber said don’t use drip pans. Now they have a video recommending it. I have shut down with the lid open and closed. It shuts down faster with the lid open. Weber’s explanation talks about interrupted cook cycles and that’s irrelevant when talking about shutting down at the end of the cook. Weber needs to clean up their Smokefire manuals and website information.
 
MikeCantell said:
I would say the humidity is the culprit , keeping it covered will speed up the rust also, no airflow and the humidity high will cause rust quicker than if it had some airflow around it and some daylight , if you can get in stored in a garage with no cover you will be saving your self $$$
Click to expand...
Not covering your grill is a myth under most circumstances meaning using it once a month or more which means taking the cover off. The Smokefire is not even 2 years old yet pretty shocked there would be any rust or corrosion and not buying running it high heat is the culprit unless Weber is really cheaping out on the parts. I run my Silver C at 550 all the time to clean it and sear steaks yes the firebox is aluminum but the grates are stainless still running fine after 3 years but I need to replace the original flavorizer bars which are probably at least 8 or 9 years old just a guess I rebuilt it 3 years ago bought it used so no telling how long those bars have been in that grill.

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Brian B Atlanta said:
Not covering your grill is a myth under most circumstances meaning using it once a month or more which means taking the cover off. The Smokefire is not even 2 years old yet pretty shocked there would be any rust or corrosion and not buying running it high heat is the culprit unless Weber is really cheaping out on the parts. I run my Silver C at 550 all the time to clean it and sear steaks yes the firebox is aluminum but the grates are stainless still running fine after 3 years but I need to replace the original flavorizer bars which are probably at least 8 or 9 years old just a guess I rebuilt it 3 years ago bought it used so no telling how long those bars have been in that grill.

ownthegrill.com

Should I Cover My Grill? [Our Simple Answer & Reasons Why]

In this article, we'll clearly answer the question for those asking should I cover my grill? By the end, you should have a picture of why grill covers are
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Click to expand...
Guys I know are having corrosion problems. The heat shield is made in China and while it is thick metal high volume users are watching it eat away. The pellet ramp is thin metal just above the firebox. Folks are replacing them because of the metal is getting eaten away. How does the gas grill comparison apply? The pellet grills configuration concentrates the high heat in one area, the firepot and surrounding materials. That one 8 square inch area provides enough heat to get the cooking chamber to 600 degrees. How many gas burners does it take to hit 600? They are not the same animal. I think you're spot on when you talk about cheap materials.
 
Lew Newby said:
Guys I know are having corrosion problems. The heat shield is made in China and while it is thick metal high volume users are watching it eat away. The pellet ramp is thin metal just above the firebox. Folks are replacing them because of the metal is getting eaten away. How does the gas grill comparison apply? The pellet grills configuration concentrates the high heat in one area, the firepot and surrounding materials. That one 8 square inch area provides enough heat to get the cooking chamber to 600 degrees. How many gas burners does it take to hit 600? They are not the same animal. I think you're spot on when you talk about cheap materials.
Click to expand...
Well said Lew!
 
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