Clean that firepot!!! Year Maintenance

[Slimpicker]

Little less than a year old, I took out my firepot (easy, 4 screws and lift, unscrew set screw to Hot Rod Igniter)
Rust flaked off from inside and out, enough to make me vacuum again!!
wire brushed it up, scrapped rust, inside and out, light coat of grape seed oil... vacuumed inside the fire box, hooked it all back up and fired up for Traeger burgers for lunch.

didn't get pics cuz once I touched it I wasn't touching my phone after that!!!

got a finish pic for what it's worth... This is at LEAST a yearly thing for me, I can only wonder about these guys who have their grills for years and never do this???
I can see where rust flakes inside would disrupt the air flow for sure!!! It was so EASY to do, I'm probably gonna but a spare right now anyway!!!

this is AFTER cleaning

 

[Timmy]

Little less than a year old, I took out my firepot (easy, 4 screws and lift, unscrew set screw to Hot Rod Igniter)
Rust flaked off from inside and out, enough to make me vacuum again!!
wire brushed it up, scrapped rust, inside and out, light coat of grape seed oil... vacuumed inside the fire box, hooked it all back up and fired up for Traeger burgers for lunch.

didn't get pics cuz once I touched it I wasn't touching my phone after that!!! View attachment 6463

got a finish pic for what it's worth... This is at LEAST a yearly thing for me, I can only wonder about these guys who have their grills for years and never do this???
I can see where rust flakes inside would disrupt the air flow for sure!!! It was so EASY to do, I'm probably gonna but a spare right now anyway!!!

this is AFTER cleaning
View attachment 6464

So stainless steel might be a good replacement idea. I’ll have to investigate mine. Thanks @Slimpicker !

 

[Slimpicker]

So stainless steel might be a good replacement idea. I’ll have to investigate mine. Thanks @Slimpicker !

I thought you just did a good cleaning!!! ???

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Wow, I need to pay attention to this! Didn't know that it could rust.

 

[Slimpicker]

Wow, I need to pay attention to this! Didn't know that it could rust.

it took me by surprise, the flakes that came off looked like years of rusting

HEY RemE, do they make a dehumidifier for pellet grills???

 

[Timmy]

I thought you just did a good cleaning!!! ???

I didn’t take the firepot out of the auger/air tube. I took the whole assembly out of the grill.

 

[RemE]

The fire pot is the hottest part in the grill, why it's not stainless is a head scratcher. It glows red while cooking, then sits with caustic ash in it until it's cleaned or fired up again.

 

[Don C]

HEY RemE, do they make a dehumidifier for pellet grills??? View attachment 6466

Silica Gel Packs ???

When I was in Costco buying my Silverton 620 last week, they had packs that you hung up in your clothes closet. You could hang those from your grills.

I cannot find them on the Costco website however.
Might just be 1 of those in-store items only.

 

[Slimpicker]

The fire pot is the hottest part in the grill, why it's not stainless is a head scratcher. It glows red while cooking, then sits with caustic ash in it until it's cleaned or fired up again.

Just another bitch on the list!!!

Another thing is, DON'T WAIT TOO LONG cuz those screws were already getting rust froze, they are SO SMALL of threads you could snap them off real easy!!! next time I get a chance to remove one I'll "mike" it up and see what size or number they are just in case

 

[Timmy]

Just another bitch on the list!!!

Another thing is, DON'T WAIT TOO LONG cuz those screws were already getting rust froze, they are SO SMALL of threads you could snap them off real easy!!! next time I get a chance to remove one I'll "mike" it up and see what size or number they are just in case

That ok, I gotta bin full of self tappers, I bet I got somethin that will work!

 

[DVSCYCLES]

The fire pot is the hottest part in the grill, why it's not stainless is a head scratcher. It glows red while cooking, then sits with caustic ash in it until it's cleaned or fired up again.

If they used SS on everything that rusts it would cost a fortune that nobody will pay.

 

[RemE]

If they used SS on everything that rusts it would cost a fortune that nobody will pay.

The whole inside of the Timberline is almost all stainless, the firepot wouldn't break the bank.

 

[RemE]

Just another bitch on the list!!!

Another thing is, DON'T WAIT TOO LONG cuz those screws were already getting rust froze, they are SO SMALL of threads you could snap them off real easy!!! next time I get a chance to remove one I'll "mike" it up and see what size or number they are just in case

I never tighten those screws, and I back them out a bit every time I clean.

 

[Slimpicker]

Damn good idea RemE

 

[Rex]

Very timely. I vac on a regular basis, and did so today…and for the first time noticed some rust. My Traeger is garage-kept, but this is Florida, where the air is basically liquid.

Like Neil Young said…rust never sleeps. This is why I keep a big ol’ jug of Evapo-Rust in the garage at all times. After I smoke this tenderloin tonight, I’ll be pulling the fire pot out and give a good acid bath.