Masterbuilt 1050 3rd day (returning unit)

[pebcakpro]

Yup. Gonna return it. It will not work past 350 degrees. It smokes great, but it will not grill. The fan shuts off at 350. All the troubleshooting works fine because it never reaches that temp. As soon as it hit 350 the fan stops. Sad day. I'll be returning it. Not sure if I'll get another or a Traeger or something. I couldn't get a steady temp above 300.

 

[PPG1]

Sorry to hear you got a lemon. I have a 560 and have learned to love it. If you liked the concept of gravity fed charcoal perhaps you could look at the Char-Griller 980. Trust me when you have one that works the pellet can't compete.

 

[Chasdev]

Did you pick it up from a retailer or have it shipped to you?
Sending it back would cost a small fortune plus you would have to figure out how to get it back in the box.
I'm surprised you don't wait to hear back from them before making a drastic move.
I know there's a software update available, perhaps you should install it first?
I think you should at least give them a chance to offer advice on how to correct the flaw.

 

[normanaj]

I'm with @Chasdev on this one.

Best way was to get results these days from MB's customer service is thru their facebook page.

I would also try a google search and see what others may have had to do to fix that issue.

This is from MBs website:

Failed Component Identification

This document will help you identify if one of the components of a Masterbuilt® Digital Charcoal product has failed. Use this document for any of the following concerns: fan won't turn on, fan isn't working properly, controller isn't working properly, controller turns off or resets during a...

www.masterbuilt.com

 

[pebcakpro]

Did you pick it up from a retailer or have it shipped to you? - Got it at Home Depot.
Sending it back would cost a small fortune plus you would have to figure out how to get it back in the box. - Home Depot put it together for me, I don't have a box. Also, I have a 1 year return policy.
I'm surprised you don't wait to hear back from them before making a drastic move. - I have already spoken to MB. Their troubleshooting implies all parts are functional. However, it doesn't have a way to test why it shuts off at exactly 350 degrees each time.
I know there's a software update available, perhaps you should install it first? - Confirmed it's the latest update.
I think you should at least give them a chance to offer advice on how to correct the flaw. - I can choose to return it. MB wants to have pictures and a whole process to prove it follows under warranty or if it's somehow not their fault. As long as I'm within the return period It's faster to just drop it off and pick up a new one.

It doesn't fail until it reaches 350 degrees. The fan shuts off exactly at that temp. There are no errors. I have the latest update in software. So, the next day I have help loading it up, I'll take it back. Maybe Monday or Tuesday I'll take it over there.

This was a gift. I bbq for my family at least twice a week (sometimes daily). Recently I started meal prepping for my elderly parents. I grill and smoke a lot. I used to use a MB electric smoker and a good ol' kettle original. Both have not survived the pandemic. My kitchen was wrecked before the pandemic. It isn't complete yet and I'm still cooking outside. Whatever I get has to hold up to more than just a Saturday grilling. I may go for the same model. I haven't decided yet. It's hard to tell if it was just a one-off. I agree that I do like the charcoal gravity style of cooking. I've only been able to use it as a smoker though. I really want this to work. I feel sick I was only able to cook one week of food for my mom, who bought it for me.

 

[Inscrutable]

This probably isn’t helpful at all … Great concept, and I know there are hundreds of happy users, but all the mods and issues (though resolvable) turned me off and why I have an electric for easy-peasy, and get my charcoal fix from BGE and Weber kettle. Everyone’s mileage varies, I just didn’t want to risk fussing with it or even returning at worst. Same reason I don’t now have an HTPC and CRT projector size of half a VW hanging on ceiling

 

[912smoker]

This sounds like a switch issue imo.
Have you tried pressing and releasing the switches for 30 secs. or so ? Lid or hopper ?

 

[PPG1]

This sounds like a switch issue imo.
Have you tried pressing and releasing the switches for 30 secs. or so ? Lid or hopper ?

I don't believe it's a switch problem if it runs fine to 350 then shuts down. They are not smart switches. Definitely sounds like a controller board problem. Hate it that you are having issues cause mine runs like a charm and I love it

 

[Chasdev]

Did you run it up to a higher temp with the door switches shunted?
Did you vary the temp setting from low to high with the shunts?
Did the controller manage the heat on the way up with the shunts?
Saying the switches can't be the problem ignores the possibility that one or more are heat sensitive and go "open" when heated.
No cooker imparts smoke flavor like an off set stick burner but they take way too much time to manage.
All the other easy to drive smokers leave the meat tasting second rate IMHO, so for me no matter how much I have to deal with to get my Masterbuilt working right, the effort is worth is when I sit down to eat brisket.

 

[912smoker]

Agreed. IIRC, mine stalled at 350 before I worked the switches. It's at least with a try (and contacting MB CS) before returning the unit. Either way , customer service and a warranty claim will help . I also hate that you're having trouble but this is a great smoker.

 

[pebcakpro]

Agreed. IIRC, mine stalled at 350 before I worked the switches. It's at least with a try (and contacting MB CS) before returning the unit. Either way , customer service and a warranty claim will help . I also hate that you're having trouble but this is a great smoker.

The switches worked fine when I isolated them and plugged them into the panel. How did you “work the switches”? I’ve been in contact with MB CS since last week. I followed all their steps.

 

[912smoker]

Press and release repeatedly for 30 seconds or so. I also use contact cleaner and this action between Cooks as a regular maintenance and I have had no further issues. They sent me two switches but I have yet installed them as this fixes of the problem easily. What has customer service said ?

 

[pebcakpro]

Press and release repeatedly for 30 seconds or so. I also use contact cleaner and this action between Cooks as a regular maintenance and I have had no further issues. They sent me two switches but I have yet installed them as this fixes of the problem easily. What has customer service said ?

I have 3 emails in a row that go like this.
“
Good Afternoon,

Remove fan from the hopper, place on the side shelf and by pass the wiring harness by plugging your fan directly into the controller (do not put fingers in the fan blades. Power on your controller and set your temperature. If the controller resets/turns off, then the fan is bad and needs to be replaced.
Best Regards,
Customer Support
“
and I keep telling them how the fan works fine until 350 degrees. Some circular reasoning back and forth. It’s annoying. What contact cleaner do you recommend? I’ll give it a shot later today.

 

[Winterrider]

Any hardware store ,Napa ( or parts store) should have electrical parts cleaner.

 

[912smoker]

Yep the one I'm using now is from the parts store. First can I bought at Walmart on the discount clearance aisle. But the first three times it happened I didn't use any cleaner at all just manually operated the switches and everything worked

 

[RCAlan]

I have 3 emails in a row that go like this.
“
Good Afternoon,

Remove fan from the hopper, place on the side shelf and by pass the wiring harness by plugging your fan directly into the controller (do not put fingers in the fan blades. Power on your controller and set your temperature. If the controller resets/turns off, then the fan is bad and needs to be replaced.
Best Regards,
Customer Support
“
and I keep telling them how the fan works fine until 350 degrees. Some circular reasoning back and forth. It’s annoying. What contact cleaner do you recommend? I’ll give it a shot later today.

Try either one of theses.. You can find them at Home Depot..

Spray the switch stems and push them in and out a few times and allow them to dry. Also lightly spray the contact connectors and allow them to dry as well.. About 5 mins. Then power up your grill and give it a proper temp test. Another helpful tip is when your grill is not in use, always keep the Charcoal hopper lid and ash bin doors closed, but don’t latch them shut. Compressing the springs within the switches is adding unnecessary wear and tear on the springs when your grill is not even in use. Give the Electrical Contact Cleaner a shot and if that doesn’t work, then it’s a good chance it’s actually the Controller that is malfunctioning. In your correspondence with Masterbuilt, request to speak to a Supervisor to resolve the matter. Good luck.
________________

Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[pebcakpro]

I cleaned the switches and they worked for a bit. The fan still switched off after 15 minutes. However, it was over 500 degrees. That got me thinking about my switches. The bottom one on the charcoal door is the only one that doesn’t sit flush on the outside surface. It’s recessed and I think the heat makes the door and switch contact spread apart. I pushed it with my tongs and the fan came to life. Masterbuilt is sending me a new temp controller thinking that may actually be the issue.
Thank you, all. I’ll keep you posted on how the repair and anything else goes. Oh and the mod for the smoke stack may be worth it. Added a picture of what the side look like at 4 burns. I know they say “it’s supposed to be temporary “ , but logically why?

 

[RCAlan]

I cleaned the switches and they worked for a bit. The fan still switched off after 15 minutes. However, it was over 500 degrees. That got me thinking about my switches. The bottom one on the charcoal door is the only one that doesn’t sit flush on the outside surface. It’s recessed and I think the heat makes the door and switch contact spread apart. I pushed it with my tongs and the fan came to life. Masterbuilt is sending me a new temp controller thinking that may actually be the issue.
Thank you, all. I’ll keep you posted on how the repair and anything else goes. Oh and the mod for the smoke stack may be worth it. Added a picture of what the side look like at 4 burns. I know they say “it’s supposed to be temporary “ , but logically why?

Here’s a quick and easy how to video on how to bypass the switch on the Charcoal Hopper door on your MasterBuilt 1050.
You can use it as a permanent bypass or as a temporary one. From the pictures you posted, it appears in the first picture, that there’s some structural issue on the charcoal hopper door where the switch is located. Like the area on the door is compressed in about 1/4 of an inch, so even installing a brand new switch wouldn’t solve the problem.. but doing the switch bypass would. That’s totally up to you.. You can give it a shot and see how it works out for you. You would only be bypassing 1 of the 3 switches on your grill anyway and again that area on the charcoal hopper appears to have some structural issues, so doing the bypass may be your only option or perhaps replace the charcoal hopper door… Good luck

__________________
Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[PAS]

Can you put some kind of shim between the door and the switch to put more pressure on the switch? Even try a Penney or two ?

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Seems like it would be best to get them to replace the entire unit since it is brand new and has some type of out of the box construction issue. Things get by all the time in manufacturing. That's why they give you a warranty. If it were me, I would simply exchange it. The design is great and if it were working to your expectations then you would most likely be completely satisfied with it. See what a different unit does for you and then you can just enjoy your cooking and not have the frustration of something that didn't work correctly right out of the box. Unless of course you enjoy tinkering with a new product. In that case, I am fascinated by what will happen next. I am on the fence about a Masterbuilt gravity feed and definitely pay attention to the posts that talk about what has gone sideways for other people. This may very well be the next grill/smoker that I decide to add to my arsenal.

G