Weber s-450 leaks during rain

[Wally]

I've been caught more often than I would like to have been with my cover off after a night of cooking, then it rains in the morning.

My 2006 S-450 has always allowed rain water to filter into the smoker box than down into the grease trap.

This creates the most disgusting, foul, fly attracting disaster. Grease, water, heat and humidity. It's a time ticking chicken bomb.

Has anybody found a modification for this? I have searched wide and far. It's well documented that this was a problem for 2000 era Weber gas grills, but I cannot find if anyone ever found a way to fix this.

It's a design flaw, and the reason why you see so many of these units at the end of the driveway. The rain water leak not only creates these grease bombs, but it also ends up rusting out the whole lower enclosed compartment.

Seeking modification advice or documentation of any luck calling this into Weber.

 

[Steve Hoch]

Welcome Wally from a fellow Illinois resident! I don't have a Summit, so I can't be of much help there. I do know they they are the most expensive grills that Weber makes and the least likely to survive for twenty plus years like the ones I own. If it were my grill I would empty the water out and run it good and hot til the rest dries out. Hopefully someone can add something more useful.

 

[Darren Lebner]

I know you don't want to hear this but simply NEVER leave the grill uncovered once cooled down.

 

[LMichaels]

It's a well noted design issue with the Summit. I have the same issue with my Wolf but not my Genesis 2/3000.

 

[Bruce]

Do you know where the water is entering the grill?

 

[LMichaels]

Do you know where the water is entering the grill?

On the Summits Bruce it comes down the side tables enters the grill body and fills up the grease collection tub overflowing it and all the "gunk"

 

[Bruce]

OKI thought maybe it was running in under the end On the lid and down into the cookbox and I thought maybe a bead of the red high temp RTV under the end cap edges would stop that

 

[Bob Bailey]

I agree with @Darren Lebner , Put the cover on once the grill has cooled down.

 

[Wally]

I have not performed a hose test yet. Maybe I need to. I agree with the need to cover a grill, as long as you all agree that a weber grill should not design a grill that allows rain water to drain INTO the grease trap.

Keep in mind, this grill, when purchased, did NOT come with a cover.

Grill cover duly noted. In search of an after market mod. Might come up with one myself.

 

[LMichaels]

I have not performed a hose test yet. Maybe I need to. I agree with the need to cover a grill, as long as you all agree that a weber grill should not design a grill that allows rain water to drain INTO the grease trap.

Keep in mind, this grill, when purchased, did NOT come with a cover.

Grill cover duly noted. In search of an after market mod. Might come up with one myself.

What Weber should do and actually do? Twi different things. I don't think when they designed the grill they "wanted" water to run inside it but, it was definitely not designed well compared to the 1st generation Summit which I left uncovered except in winter and never got water in it. I think in 2nd and 3rd gen Summits they wanted to make something that "looked" impressive but did not care about the true function