Mes explosion

beretta92_fs2003

Fire Starter

Original poster

May 30, 2008

66

10

Northern Micigan

• Feb 20, 2010

• #1

I cleaned out my MES about 3 weeks ago and I was reseasoning it tonight .I put some wood pellets in and after about 10 min. i went out to open the top vent a little more.(From halfway to full) And I had an explosion sounded like a fire cracker went off and a blue flame shot out of the vent. Scared the s#@t out of me. I unplugged it going to go back out and see if it still works in a little bit here. The only thin I can think of it was a sudden rush of air, it is a little windy. It even scared the wife and she was at the other end of the house.

 

kurtsara

Smoking Fanatic

OTBS Member

Jun 11, 2007

411

11

Princeton, Minnesota

• Feb 20, 2010

• #2

I have never heard of that happening, like a back draft maybe.

 

scubadoo97

Smoking Fanatic

Sep 28, 2008

900

15

Florida

• Feb 20, 2010

• #3

Hey man, someone's playing with ya and put a fire cracker into your pellets.

That's some crazy s#*t.

 

ronp

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Apr 27, 2008

5,428

22

• Feb 20, 2010

• #4

You should always have the vent wide open.

 

jjwdiver

Smoking Fanatic

Feb 5, 2010

911

16

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

• Feb 20, 2010

• #5

Heard of it before and nothing ever came of it - fluke type of "backfire"

 

beretta92_fs2003

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

May 30, 2008

66

10

Northern Micigan

• Feb 20, 2010

• #6

I just checked it still works the temp. got up to 279. I'm glad because there is no way the wife would let me buy another one after spending 1.400.00 to build a new computer.

 

gnubee

Master of the Pit

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SMF Premier Member

Sep 12, 2008

1,514

18

Penticton BC

• Feb 20, 2010

• #7

There was a thread on here a while back, this has happened to a few of the members. It is a backdraft kind of thing. Probably caused when you gave it more air. I always run my top vent wide open.

 

deltadude

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Jun 3, 2008

1,529

38

Sacramento Area

• Feb 20, 2010

• #8

Ditto, what ronp said. If you read through any MES posts on smoke or wood chips, MES owners are saying the exact same thing.

I just reviewed the manual and in my 20 month old MES Man. nothing is mentioned about keeping Vent fully open. However I am convinced for proper wood chip combustion a full open vent is necessary.

As for your poof, experience. Many of us, especially with the older units have experienced something similar. For me this only happened a couple of times the first week I owned the MES, and I do think I had the vent restricted.

 

deltadude

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Jun 3, 2008

1,529

38

Sacramento Area

• Feb 20, 2010

• #9

Ditto, what ronp said. If you read through any MES posts on smoke or wood chips, MES owners are saying the exact same thing.

I just reviewed the manual and in my 20 month old MES Man. nothing is mentioned about keeping Vent fully open. However I am convinced for proper wood chip combustion a full open vent is necessary.

As for your poof, experience. Many of us, especially with the older units have experienced something similar. For me this only happened a couple of times the first week I owned the MES, and I do think I had the vent restricted. Just be glad you didn't have a lot of grease in the drip pan, you may have ended up with a blazing grease fire.

 

richoso1

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Jun 21, 2007

8,427

42

• Feb 20, 2010

• #10

Ron had given some sound and safe advise. This can also happen with propane smokers.

 

fourthwind

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Mar 12, 2009

1,201

12

Thornton, CO

• Feb 20, 2010

• #11

What happens with the MES is the wood gets overloaded in the chip tray. Your getting gasification of the wood, and as soon as you opened the vent you got enough oxygen to give yourself a combustable mixture. I have seen this in person. Likely why Masterbuilt blocked half the loading tray in the new models. Like Ron said.. just keep the vent open.. You dont want to reduce the airflow in the MES anyhow. The smoke will get too thick.

 

phil brown

Fire Starter

Jan 22, 2010

57

11

Alabama

• Feb 20, 2010

• #12

Wood gas is constantly produced inside a smoker, and unless burned or vented, will result in the accretion of an oily tar-like substance we know as creosote. So, having wood gas trapped in your smoker is just bad all around. I can definitely imagine it causing an explosion; people used to run cars on it!

I think the general consensus is that the MES (or any other electric) needs the vent completely open for proper draw. Personally, I leave the top vent open on all types of smokers. I find intake vents to be a much better means of regulating airflow. Just look at all the competition rigs that don't even have adjustable outlets.

 

jsanders

Fire Starter

Nov 24, 2009

73

10

• Mar 6, 2010

• #13

That's what happens when you clean your smoker with gasoline!!!!

 

Bearcarver

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Group Lead

Sep 12, 2009

45,243

18,192

Macungie, PA

• Mar 7, 2010

• #14

The only time I had this problem with my MES was when I put a ceramic tile above the element (on the right side) as a baffle. It made about 6 loud puffing noises, along with jet-like puffs of smoke shooting out the fully opened vent. I quickly put my fireplace glove on & removed the ceramic tile. The problem stopped. Since that I cut a piece of aluminum for the baffle. No problem since.


Bearcarver

 

gmebey

Smoke Blower

Oct 3, 2009

75

11

• Mar 12, 2010

• #15

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recal...6/smokers.html

Look at this.

 

ronp

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Apr 27, 2008

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22

• Mar 12, 2010

• #16

That was in 2006 not revelent now.