SF EX4 Problems

[Davemanman]

My EX4 is not even a year old and i have had multiple problems with it. Mine came with the terrible sheet metal auger that was glued together. The thin pins that fed the pellets through the auger came off and broke the feeder. Weber sent out the updated auger... cool. I have had about 3 grease fires in my grill whenever I got above 350 from minimal grease build up. Now i have to wipe it clean ritually before use... fine. I have been so reluctant to get to searing temps because it just bursts into flames when i do. Then i used the smoke boost feature the other day and it fed so many pellets through, that about half the hopper was in the bottom of the grill and it could not do anything. Sad part is, if i didn't catch it, it would have fed them all through and not stopped. I shut it down and had to finish my cook on my charcoal egg grill. While it was cooling i guess an ember was still on and all the pellets caught blaze in the grill.... Snuffed the blaze out, cooled and cleaned the grill. Next day after cleaning the bottom, hopper, and auger out, i refilled and turned the grill on to grill some chicken. The grill was on for about 2 minutes and just shut off. No power and nothing, just a black screen. GFCI is good, i have power to the outlet, just nothing to the grill. Check the fuse... all good. Just nothing to the grill. Had to go back to the charcoal egg grill. Called weber, they sent me a new power supply and motherboard. Great customer service so far. Install the new electronics and turned the grill on. Amazingly it was still synced to the app on my phone. Started a heat up just to test for function, and BOOM, looses power again. Called weber again, had me running through trouble shooting and it is still dead. They are going to get back to me with my next steps.

I am not sure why the power issues all the sudden. Anyone else run into this? I want to tell them to warrantee me a new grill since this is one of the first generation SF grills full or all kinds of problems.

 

[bbqking]

I’m sorry you have had so many issues. Hang in there...it’ll all work out.

 

[Mr. X]

Wow yes this is very similar to mine with the power supply and replacement dying. They are replacing the grill with a full version 2. Originally they were going to ship parts and have a tech come out but they decided to ship a new one.

 

[JpsBBQ]

I wouldn’t be afraid to ask for whatever you feel is warranted to make you happy. Sounds like you deserve something and if that’s a new unit or money back, so be it.

I don’t understand grease fire issues. I cook between 450-600 routinely. I have basically relegated my high end gas grill and expensive charcoal cook to the bench. I have never had an issue. Granted, if I was to cook a pork butt or two, I would either cook them on the top rack and catch the drippings in a foil pan or I would make sure the grease is in the grease tray. If not I would clean it out. Takes 10-15 minutes to do a thorough lean which I only do a couple times a year so far. I don’t get it. You need heat above 375 and a build up of grease in order to have a fire. It is quite easy to avoid that combination.

The rest of the issues are not user error and deserve the attention required to get you up and running so you can enjoy this sucker like many of us here have done.

Good luck. Fingers crossed for you.

 

[Bruno]

Sucks to hear that, remember though pellet grills need to be cleaned it’s just part of it.

 

[Davemanman]

I wouldn’t be afraid to ask for whatever you feel is warranted to make you happy. Sounds like you deserve something and if that’s a new unit or money back, so be it.

I don’t understand grease fire issues. I cook between 450-600 routinely. I have basically relegated my high end gas grill and expensive charcoal cook to the bench. I have never had an issue. Granted, if I was to cook a pork butt or two, I would either cook them on the top rack and catch the drippings in a foil pan or I would make sure the grease is in the grease tray. If not I would clean it out. Takes 10-15 minutes to do a thorough lean which I only do a couple times a year so far. I don’t get it. You need heat above 375 and a build up of grease in order to have a fire. It is quite easy to avoid that combination.

The rest of the issues are not user error and deserve the attention required to get you up and running so you can enjoy this sucker like many of us here have done.

Good luck. Fingers crossed for you.

The grease fires can be avoided but I collects grease and does not drain into the pan, but i just don't go above 350 on that grill anymore. If i need to sear i just fire up the Spirit Weber and get that done. My main issue if the electronics, i will be calling to get it replaces or a refund. I really love the grill, just the electric problems are a major concern.

 

[JpsBBQ]

The grease fires can be avoided but I collects grease and does not drain into the pan, but i just don't go above 350 on that grill anymore. If i need to sear i just fire up the Spirit Weber and get that done. My main issue if the electronics, i will be calling to get it replaces or a refund. I really love the grill, just the electric problems are a major concern.

Mine largely goes where it’s supposed to go, in the pan. That said, I mitigate that issue on this cooker and all my other cookers by using drip pans whenever I am rendering large volumes of fat so I don’t have cleanup to do in the cooker. That goes for Weber, Traeger, ceramic, etc. It just makes cleanup way too easy. I use my EX4 to grill all the time. Love it for that reason. I will say that if you don’t start with a clean grill and path for the grease to drain, it won’t drain. The troughs in either side have to be cleaned out. Of course not every bit of grease will make it to the pan. Like all the other pellet cooker, much of it is in the surfaces of the heat deflection system or pan. Only when enough is rendered to really flow, will it “flow” to the pan.

 

[Dassman5]

My EX4 is not even a year old and i have had multiple problems with it. Mine came with the terrible sheet metal auger that was glued together. The thin pins that fed the pellets through the auger came off and broke the feeder. Weber sent out the updated auger... cool. I have had about 3 grease fires in my grill whenever I got above 350 from minimal grease build up. Now i have to wipe it clean ritually before use... fine. I have been so reluctant to get to searing temps because it just bursts into flames when i do. Then i used the smoke boost feature the other day and it fed so many pellets through, that about half the hopper was in the bottom of the grill and it could not do anything. Sad part is, if i didn't catch it, it would have fed them all through and not stopped. I shut it down and had to finish my cook on my charcoal egg grill. While it was cooling i guess an ember was still on and all the pellets caught blaze in the grill.... Snuffed the blaze out, cooled and cleaned the grill. Next day after cleaning the bottom, hopper, and auger out, i refilled and turned the grill on to grill some chicken. The grill was on for about 2 minutes and just shut off. No power and nothing, just a black screen. GFCI is good, i have power to the outlet, just nothing to the grill. Check the fuse... all good. Just nothing to the grill. Had to go back to the charcoal egg grill. Called weber, they sent me a new power supply and motherboard. Great customer service so far. Install the new electronics and turned the grill on. Amazingly it was still synced to the app on my phone. Started a heat up just to test for function, and BOOM, looses power again. Called weber again, had me running through trouble shooting and it is still dead. They are going to get back to me with my next steps.

I am not sure why the power issues all the sudden. Anyone else run into this? I want to tell them to warrantee me a new grill since this is one of the first generation SF grills full or all kinds of problems.

Following...never have a power issue with my ex4 after 8 months and approaching 90 uses.

 

[abmet]

Man that’s sucks and is a lot of issues. On the grease fires is your grill relatively level? I clean mine fairly regularly but not every cook and only use drip trays for longer fattier cooks and so far have not had issue.