Rust on 4 Month Old Grill

[sbcrockett]

hey Seidl, the only part of my silverton that looks like that is the heatshield that sits in that channel, both top and bottom of it are oxidized and rusty looking. doesn't bother me too much since I wrap heavy duty aluminum foil on it before every cook (rather than the pricey drip trays). plus, I just view that shield as a replaceable item when it gets too crusty.

I use the cover that came with the grill, although, after one year of use, I'm probably due to spray some scotchguard on the outside for the upcoming rain season. I live in Seattle, grill is on the front deck.

all the other surfaces on the inside are covered in the smoky film from all the cooking and the only surfaces I clean are powder coated, mostly the outside. the fire box does get a little rusty colored too, but not too worried about that either.

agreed with the comments about the Costco models being a little less quality than the full fledged Traeger models but it was a fraction of an Ironwood, came with storage below, two shelves and more cooking space than I'll ever fill up. the inevitable tradeoff of less even and accurate heating were minor in my mind. plus, that just meant that I needed to buy some additional tools/toys for better, more accurate monitoring

 

[Robin R.]

Stop cleaning it! Clean the grate (if you must), and vacuum out the ash and the firebox. Spray the interior of the cooking chamber down with cooking old to season it and then let the oils and fat from cooking keep it safe from rust. BTW, my Traeger is a 5 yr old Costco version with no rust or corrosion. I keep a cover on it to keep the outside clean but have never cleaned it the way you do. In fact, I don't think mine was that clean when I brought it home from the store

 

[Sterling20]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share some pictures of my Traeger Silverton and see if this is normal, or if I have an issue (see rust on inside). It seems to just be surface rust for now, but I'm afraid it will get worst quickly. Is there a food safe, high heat paint I can use to prevent more rust? Will Traeger look into this since it is under warranty? I have not reached out to them yet.

Just a little background to try to answer follow up questions that might come. I bought this back in April of this year and followed all of the instructions for seasoning and first use to a T. I clean the whole grill every few grills or after a long smoke. Also, the grill is ALWAYS covered unless I'm using it.

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-Tim

Hello, I have the same grill . I’ve had it for about 18 months and used it 400 hours or more. No I have no rust. You might consider the harshness of the cleaning product. I scrape most places with a plastic putty knife except the burn cup. I use a wide tip screwdriver to get the coking off.I vacumn the inside then I use a citrus degreaser for the heavy and just soap and water. I would just contact Traeger for warranty coverage and suggested fixes if not. If they don’t offer any help , I would search this forum and other pellet grill forums to see what other people have done to remedy. I’m not really sure where the suggested smoke tube use will aid anything. I can imagine it would be quite hard to clean properly to get the paint to bond but I’m sure it begins with a high heat rust stop primer. Should be for grill use . Good luck

 

[BJaye]

I guess I'm confused what the alternative is. Yes I use a grill cover and have it on a deck. How can I better protect it short of keeping it in the house? I agree with Slimpicker that maybe I clean it too much. I wanted to make sure I took the best care of it since these things aren't cheap!

I'm going to reach out to Traeger in case this is a one off issue they can help with. I have read from others on here that their CS is very helpful with this kind of stuff.

Is there any chance Traeger uses cheaper materials on the Silverton series since they are a Costco exclusive?

I am way from a subject expert. But, I maintained a gas grill on a patio in MA for more than 14 yrs. that performed consistently and without rusting, etc. I loved grilling after a snowstorm and in the Winter.

My FL Traeger of less than 2 yrs., covered at all times when not in use, looks far more worn, with rusty wheels, sides of the baffle, and the hot pot and, even, a spot on the auger. Disappointed, to say the least. What I worry about is the electronic box and the hopper when there are pellets in it. So, I fixed up an old nylon jacket with an inner thick lining and fit it onto the box. It wraps the bottom and closes with velcro on the top. for the hopper, I cut the bottom of an insulated bag fitting it to cover the top down to underneath. All this underneath the cover. Snug but I am hoping it will help. I am fighting humidity. You are fighting moisture from freezing temps. and snow.

 

[ruby paulline]

After cleaning, wait for the grill dry and then cover it, otherwise it will easily rust, and don't use a wire brush, it will damage the coating on the surface of the grill parts.
I replaced my traeger parts last week, now like a new grill, good as before

 

[TF_Member6575]

I think you 'clean' it too much?? Mine is BLACK, coated in smoke film, NO RUST and it's a year old.
You have it 'covered', is it covered but still sitting in a yard??? The moisture from any rain would trap itself in your grill out on a lawn.
I say you need to get a smoke tube and USE it to start coating your grill in protective smoke.

NO DO NOT PAINT the interior, if you spray anything at all, spray a 'grill pam'

I juts shop vac mine here and there