Water Pan Drain?


 
M

Mark B (azmark)

TVWBB Member
I haven't ran across on information about it here but I was wondering if making a waterpan drain has been attempted?

I was thinking about making a drain, likely using a 1/2 nipple from the center of the pan to run underneath it and come out on the side of the WSM center section and have a ball valve to drain it. It will likely mean the pan would not be removable but I hate cleaning the pan and I like cooking with water rather than with sand or no water at all.

Any thoughts?
 
clearance might be a problem with the coals. i would put it on the lower side of the pan. then you can put that on the door side which makes it easy to get to.
 
First thought:
It's gonna clog up.
Second thought:
How you gonna clean out the drain if the pan isn't removable?
Third thought:
It's gonna clog up.
 
Well, I think not being able to remove the water pan is not a good idea. What are you gonna use for a snow saucer? I used water in my 22.5 the other day , just for kicks. I covered the pan with foil after filling with water. No greasy kid stuff in the water. Only real draw back is seeing how much water you got left. How about a see thru water pan? Oh and one that doesn't increase coal consumption. Now when they figure that out I may start using water. Until then its ceramic for me.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Charles Howse:
First thought:
It's gonna clog up.
Second thought:
How you gonna clean out the drain if the pan isn't removable?
Third thought:
It's gonna clog up. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That was one of my thought too. I was looking at a drain at a friends restaurant and they have a small drain as well and he said that if the water is hot there is no problem draining the fat. So I'm guess draining immediately after a cook there would be no problem since it will just be liquid and if there is build up it will just melt in the next cook.

But drawing it up I"m not liking it not being removable.
 
Mark, if you only use the top cooking grate no water pan needed at all, i cannot remember the last time i used the water pan, actually i do not even know where the water pan is, lol. The water pan is just a heat deflector for the lower cooking grate. No water pan at all will cut your charcoal consumption in 1/2 or more.
 
Sounds like a solution without a problem. But a fun plumbing project.
icon_biggrin.gif
 
I'm thinking that with the valve at the end, water will always be in the drain. Since it's an enclosed space and closer to the coals, the water will be at a constant boil. Which might drop your water level much sooner.

Tim
 
not sure that would be a problem though. make the valve big enough and i don't think the plugging nor the boiling water(just such a small amount) would be an issue. if not you could just plug the hole back up. i don't use water so no issue with me though i do like the idea.
 
I just foil my pan, then at the end of the cook once it cools down a bit I can dump the water, wad up the foil, wipe out the inside of the pan with a paper towel.... and I'm done!
 
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