Let's Talk BBQ

Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Pellet Grills and Smokers => Topic started by: Bill G. on September 06, 2012, 07:37:45 PM

Title: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Bill G. on September 06, 2012, 07:37:45 PM
Bought subject grill 3 Sept 2012 and assembled it 6 Set.. During testing I found that  no matter what  temperature I selected none was shown on the LED readout but the number 30 was, and the Dome temp  gauge justkept going up and I'd shut it down around 450 and try again.
 
Any suggestions? 

Will contact Academy tomorrow ans ask for a trade or return.

Bill G.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: muebe on September 06, 2012, 08:00:47 PM
Bad controller. Contact their customer service for replacement.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: smokeasaurus on September 06, 2012, 08:31:52 PM
Muebe is wise Bill!!  Why don't you hope over to the new members introductions thread and introduce yourself so we can all give you a big ole HOWDY BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)
Title: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: mikecorn.1 on September 07, 2012, 08:22:13 AM
Howdy Bill! ;).


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Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Bill G. on September 07, 2012, 07:17:36 PM
Replaced the grill today. The new one appears to have a tempature control problem. Will learn more in the next couple days and let you know what I think.

Left a few  words in the new member section.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Greg Stoudenmire on September 08, 2012, 09:05:05 AM
When I got mine the fan and auger power leads were switched. Had to take the hopper loose and switch the wires.
Fire it up and listen to see if the auger starts and stops or if the fan does.
If the fan starts and stops the leads are switched.
Hope this makes since.
Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: mikecorn.1 on September 08, 2012, 12:27:09 PM
Replaced the grill today. The new one appears to have a tempature control problem. Will learn more in the next couple days and let you know what I think.

Left a few  words in the new member section.
You will get temp swings with it. No matter where you set the controller. The swings will come from the pellets falling in the firepot and igniting. As they are burning, the temp will come down and dependin on the setting you have on the controller, more pellets will come in to then again raise the temps. Can you set P settings on your controller.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: muebe on September 08, 2012, 01:11:48 PM
You can upgrade to a Savannah Stoker. It is a custom PID for Traegers that was developed by Art and Bill. A nice design and is plug and play compatible. Just remove the old controller and plug in the the new one.

http://www.facebook.com/SavannahStoker

I had an custom PID on my old Traeger and it worked very well.

Just remember with a pellet grill temp swings = smoke so the more constant the temps the less smoke. With a PID you can dial it in with 10 degree swings while still producing smoke.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Bill G. on September 10, 2012, 01:20:33 PM
Got a replacementr  grill and it has a controller problem. The cooking chamber tempature is always higher than the tempature dialed in. Example: when  dial is set a 180 and LED display says 180, the dome temp gauge says about 230. If I raaise the dial temp to 225, the LED temp will settle at about 225 and the dome temp gauge will settle on about 325 and the margin of difference beween the LED an Dome temp readings gets increasingly larger if dial temp is raised. This largewr reading is correct,I checked all the Dome readings against tw Oven thermometers.

    Have since called the service number shown in theAsseembly Information Manual four times and each time got a recoording saying number dialed is no loner in service. A call to the local  dealer didn't help much either, they told me I could return the grill for a refund or they could order a part which would take three momths to get from China.

Needlesss to say I'm unhappy, I'm P----d.

Probaly will keep the grill and try (Blank)controller when they come out.Forgot  the name of the controller.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Bill G. on September 10, 2012, 01:44:12 PM
Savannah Stoker is the the thing I put "Blank" in for.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: muebe on September 10, 2012, 02:59:45 PM
Bill the hood temp gauge and the digital will never read the same. The digital gets it's reading from the RTD located at the left side of the grill.

Ignore the hood thermometer. IMHO they cause more confusion than good. The most important temp is where you are cooking and not at the top of the hood.

Start cooking on it and see how it goes...
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: squirtthecat on September 10, 2012, 03:22:47 PM
Bill the hood temp gauge and the digital will never read the same. The digital gets it's reading from the RTD located at the left side of the grill.

Ignore the hood thermometer. IMHO they cause more confusion than good. The most important temp is where you are cooking and not at the top of the hood.

Start cooking on it and see how it goes...

Ditto!   My hood reads 50° than the RTD.  Ignore it.   Drop a couple oven thermos on the rack and that will show you the true temp you are running at.

Title: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: mikecorn.1 on September 10, 2012, 06:39:02 PM
Ditt to da O! I like to run my maverick ET-732 in mine right close to the product wit out letting anything touch or drip on it. That is where you want to take your temps. As stated before, I could give two hoots what the temp is to the back left of the pit where the temp probe is ;)


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Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Bill G. on September 10, 2012, 08:56:31 PM
Ditt to da O! I like to run my maverick ET-732 in mine right close to the product wit out letting anything touch or drip on it. That is where you want to take your temps. As stated before, I could give two hoots what the temp is to the back left of the pit where the temp probe is ;)


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I've got a 732 but it quit and needs repair. Going to send it in for repair, meanwhile I'll use a couple oven thermometers to help watch things.

Bill G.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: Bill G. on September 13, 2012, 02:35:38 PM
Replaced the grill today. The new one appears to have a temperature control problem. Will learn more in the next couple days and let you know what I think.

Left a few  words in the new member section.

While cooking yesterday I noticed the RTD at left end of grill was leaning over against the end wall. Thinling this might be my problem I straightened it so it didn't touch anything. In a little time temperature readings went to normal and all is okay now. Have a pork butt on there now and its looking good.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: muebe on September 13, 2012, 02:52:43 PM
The RTD touching the wall will do that.

Glad you got it figured out Bill ;)
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: squirtthecat on September 13, 2012, 03:00:56 PM

Good deal!
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: squirtthecat on September 13, 2012, 03:01:42 PM

There is a little nut (or a screw on the bottom) that holds that in place.   Might need tightening if you can move it around.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: teesquare on September 13, 2012, 04:31:02 PM
Bill - that is great news! Now have some fun!
T
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: TwoPockets on September 13, 2012, 06:00:27 PM
WE haven't sold one of these at my store yet. It started out at $499 and is now at $299. If it goes any lower and the wife's kitchen remodel gets finished I may get one.
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: LostArrow on September 13, 2012, 06:04:53 PM
WE haven't sold one of these at my store yet. It started out at $499 and is now at $299. If it goes any lower and the wife's kitchen remodel gets finished I may get one.
Two with your employee discount won't they pay you to take it ::)
Title: Re: Academy,s Outdoors Gournmet pellet Grill
Post by: TwoPockets on September 13, 2012, 06:26:22 PM
WE haven't sold one of these at my store yet. It started out at $499 and is now at $299. If it goes any lower and the wife's kitchen remodel gets finished I may get one.
Two with your employee discount won't they pay you to take it ::)

I wish, the policy has changed since the company was bought out, but with the discount it would still be a good deal.