Issue with the Lonestar Grillz Pellet Smoker

[RoadRunner18]

For those of you with a Lonestar Grillz Pellet smoker, periodically remove the side cover on the right hand side to inspect the area that houses the fans and and electronics. You do this by removing the 6 screws on the right side lower panel of the pellet hopper.

Recently, After over 2 years of use, my 20 x 42 would not light. I contacted Chris (the Owner of Lonestar Grillz) and he gave me some diagnostics to check (Fan operation and Ignition). He advised to take the 6 screws out of the area below the hopper on the right side and see if a pellet may be blocking fan operation.

What I found shocked me!!! The area which houses the fans and electronics was completely filled, top to bottom, with unspent pellets. I completely cleaned out the pellets and vacuumed out the compartment. I reported this to Chris and he told me to send a picture if it happened again. After inspecting the compartment, I have no idea how this could happen.

I advise all of you who have been cooking on a Lonestar Pellet Smoker, to remove the right side cover and inspect the compartment that houses the fans and electronics. If it contains pellets, call or email Chris and let him know, and let all of us know as well.

If you go on youtube, Texas Blues Man has a video about deep cleaning his lonestar pellet smoker. At the 9:03 mark of the video, He also removed the right side cover and had a considerable amount of pellets inside the housing, but nowhere near what I had. I don't think this is an isolated incident.

Like I said, this was the first time I removed the cover in two years. I did replace the 6 Phillips head screws with thumb screws to make inspection a lot easier.

 

[hoity toit]

Who is Chris ???

 

[RoadRunner18]

Who is Chris ???

Owner of Lonestar Grillz, thanks for pointing that out - I just added it to my original post

 

[SmokinEdge]

I suppose it can happen. I’d look hard in the pellet hopper and see where they are getting out. Has to be a gap, in your case a good one.

I recently replaced the fans and such on my Yoder 640. Removed the fan panel and there were pellets in there, maybe a 1/2 cup. This was after about 6 years of serious use. I can’t figure out how they got in there either but mine was much less than you and many more years of almost daily use.

 

[bigfurmn]

I don't have one but that's great info for anyone here who does.

 

[RoadRunner18]

I suppose it can happen. I’d look hard in the pellet hopper and see where they are getting out. Has to be a gap, in your case a good one.

I recently replaced the fans and such on my Yoder 640. Removed the fan panel and there were pellets in there, maybe a 1/2 cup. This was after about 6 years of serious use. I can’t figure out how they got in there either but mine was much less than you and many more years of almost daily use.

I emptied the pellet hopper, removed all the pellets and vaccummed the compartment housing the fans and electronics, and inspected the auger. No gaps that I can detect. I even clean the fire pot out after each cook. After cleaning out the fan area everything was running as normal.

 

[bigfurmn]

Where is 48Hours with the exclusive video?

 

[RoadRunner18]

I don't have one but that's great info for anyone here who does.

Thanks Tom, had I not had a problem I would have never thought to look at the fan and electronics area. As soon as I started removing screws pellets started to fall out the bottom. I should have taken pictures but I was so surprised to see a full compartment area my first reaction was to remove the pellets. You can bet I will periodically inspect this area, especially before and after long cooks.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thanks Tom, had I not had a problem I would have never thought to look at the fan and electronics area. As soon as I started removing screws pellets started to fall out the bottom. I should have taken pictures but I was so surprised to see a full compartment area my first reaction was to remove the pellets. You can bet I will periodically inspect this area, especially before and after long cooks.

I just looked at mine again. There is really no place for pellets to escape from the hopper itself. Yet the pellets were in my fan box.

My cooker drops pellets into the fire pot from above, so the only other place would be from the auger assembly somehow. It is baffling. But still obviously physical. I didn’t pay that much attention to the underneath of the workings when I changed my fans. I was pressed for time but remember thinking was real odd the pellets in the fan box.

So it’s not just your brand. It almost has to be from the auger assembly somehow.

 

[bigfurmn]

Thanks Tom, had I not had a problem I would have never thought to look at the fan and electronics area. As soon as I started removing screws pellets started to fall out the bottom. I should have taken pictures but I was so surprised to see a full compartment area my first reaction was to remove the pellets. You can bet I will periodically inspect this area, especially before and after long cooks.

I have no horse in this race but it sounds like a safety issue so yeah I'll try to bump it or keep it relevant. Glad you found the issue before a major problem.

 

[schlotz]

One would think the owner should be able to shed some light regarding how pellets could possibly get into that area. Of course, that would be admitting a design flaw and possibly opening him up to being responsible.

 

[RoadRunner18]

Schlotz,
I am the owner - but I assumed your meant the manufacturer, And i agree. My bad was that I didn't take a picture before cleaning out all the pellets from the fan/electronics compartment.

I posted this information not to bash Lonestar Grillz (I still think its the best Pellet Smoker out there - and I have owned many), but as a "heads up" to other owners, hoping they would check out their fan and electronics compartment, and if required, report their findings to the manufacturer's attention as well as all of us.