So???? Is it possible to salvage an OBS after a fire inside the cabinet? Im sure the door is shot, but inside of cabinet bulges in a few spots but looks OK.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
Sorry to hear that your smoker caught on fire. Salvaging may depend on how bad the fire was. Extreme temperatures will melt the insulation, and burn your wiring. The wiring is an easy fix, but replacing the insulation on the sides and top may be difficult.
If it was a small fire and the insulation is alright, it may be salvageable. Also if only the magnetic strip was damaged on the door, you may only need to replace that. The bulging may be more difficult to repair. My smoker developed some bulging on the rear panel, and many times I have tried to straighten it out, it will still bulge.
If you can send pictures that would be beneficial for us to help you. Also if you could share you experience, and discuss what may have cause the fire, could be helpful to others.
Like Hab said, it would be nice to know just what might have caused that fire along with some pictures, sorry to hear that you had a fire...
Man that socks. Hopefully you can salvage it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
that sucks, though it depends on how bad the fire was
It is stories of fires that reminds me to not give into the urge of having mine in my garage. On cold days it would be nice, but if a fire happened it would not be worth it. I would also like to know more of what happened to cause your fire.
This just motivated me to clean my drip tray, I am real bad for not cleaning it.
Well mine is in the garage. But every thing removable gets washed after each smoke. I don't take any chances with grease fires. Not sure if the electric element would or could start a fire. But i am sure smoldering puck could. Have seen it happen camping quite a few times. The drip tray is well designed but can plug. So i keep an eye on that and have removed ,scraped and put back during a smoke.
I wash everything after a smoke.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MLP - do you know what caused the fire?Did you have foil on the v tray?
(http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h387/mlpayne31/photobucket-6805-1326682269556.jpg)
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
(http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h387/mlpayne31/photobucket-2992-1326682239662.jpg)
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
(http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h387/mlpayne31/photobucket-7688-1326682209419.jpg)
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
Not sure if just a new door would be the cure all for this one. But the inside walls don't loo to be bulging that much. might still work. Of course now that the new upgraded models have come out. I would upgrade. Especially now that you have the corporate office turned on to all of the good smoked meats you were making before the fire!!
Not the best pics in the world. Its toast. I can feel the insulation crackle behind the metal on the bottom half. I was smoking a brisket. I did have foil on half the v drip pan, but I don't think that was the problem. My problem was a dry drip pan. I was going good. Temp had just regained to 250. I was in the process of boiling water to refill drip pan. I look over at thermometer again, and it seems like temp had gone from 252 to 400 in about 5 seconds. I had alarm on my digital thermometer set at 250 and had just silenced it. I walked outside and the top of my smoker looked like an old steam engine exhaust. I went back inside, got my fire extinguisher and opened the door to find the inside of my Bradley fully involved.
Im glad I was still up, would hate to see the outcome had I not been. Im guilty of not washing everything after every smoke. I usually just take my putty knife and scrape everything off really well.
Im going to go with a Bradley again, plan on ordering my replacement tomorrow. So I've learned a valuable lesson. I need to throughly clean everything and pay closer attention to drip pan to make sure it has water. My pride is really hurting, but at least my house didn't burn down.
Guys I'm a professional fireman and I wouldn't use one of these smokers indoors at all. In the future, it will not even be anywhere near my house. Im serious when I say everything looked good one minute and turned very bad within a few minutes.
I found a OBS through Sears for $250, and I don't think I can repair this one for under that.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
Like you said you learned some lessons that you will not soon forget. Here's to getting back in the saddle and doing it all again, minus the fire thing.
One other point, I got to comfortable. I for some reason thought I could judge when water was needed by what the temp was doing. Again, im just glad I was awake when this happened.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
Quote from: mlp311 on January 15, 2012, 07:12:27 PM
Not the best pics in the world. Its toast. I can feel the insulation crackle behind the metal on the bottom half. I was smoking a brisket. I did have foil on half the v drip pan, but I don't think that was the problem. My problem was a dry drip pan. I was going good. Temp had just regained to 250. I was in the process of boiling water to refill drip pan. I look over at thermometer again, and it seems like temp had gone from 252 to 400 in about 5 seconds. I had alarm on my digital thermometer set at 250 and had just silenced it. I walked outside and the top of my smoker looked like an old steam engine exhaust. I went back inside, got my fire extinguisher and opened the door to find the inside of my Bradley fully involved.
Im glad I was still up, would hate to see the outcome had I not been. Im guilty of not washing everything after every smoke. I usually just take my putty knife and scrape everything off really well.
Im going to go with a Bradley again, plan on ordering my replacement tomorrow. So I've learned a valuable lesson. I need to throughly clean everything and pay closer attention to drip pan to make sure it has water. My pride is really hurting, but at least my house didn't burn down.
Guys I'm a professional fireman and I wouldn't use one of these smokers indoors at all. In the future, it will not even be anywhere near my house. Im serious when I say everything looked good one minute and turned very bad within a few minutes.
I found a OBS through Sears for $250, and I don't think I can repair this one for under that.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
Check this one out. There is a thread on it somewhere. I happen to have the pic saved on my phone.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/4c1f4313-97f2-21b1.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well there you go guys, a professional fireman just gave all you guys using your smokers indoors a big HINT.....Don't do it
Quote from: mlp311 on January 15, 2012, 07:12:27 PMI did have foil on half the v drip pan, but I don't think that was the problem. My problem was a dry drip pan. I was going good. Temp had just regained to 250. I was in the process of boiling water to refill drip pan.
Were you using the original bowl that comes with the Bradley? Many people replace that one with a 9x13 (not sure of the exact size at the moment) disposable aluminum pan that holds much more water and many more pucks.
While a dry pan is definitely a problem,don't underestimate the danger of foil on the v tray.It is designed to flow grease in a safe manner.Any obstruction due to foil coupled with the "normal" blockages from drippings can send enough grease to the hot spots to ignite.
Quote from: GusRobin on January 15, 2012, 07:45:03 PM
While a dry panis definitely a problem,don't underestimate the danger of foil on the v tray.It is designed to flow grease in a safe manner.Any obstruction due to foil coupled with the "normal" blockages from drippings can send enough grease to the hot spots to ignite.
I agree 100%. Sorry to hear this, but glad no one got hurt. You should really look at the new redesigned OBS. I would sell mine to buy one no problem.
Well sorry to hear that. But it sounds like it could have been avoided. Simply by cleaning things after each smoke,not putting foil on v tray and keeping water full when burning pucks. I would never put it in an attached garage but still feel its safe not near the house and handled properly. By the way I keep a fire extinguisher in the garage and never sleep or leave mine to far away. Thank god your safe. Smokers are cheap lives are not.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Well Viper I hope you have that fire extinguisher on the outside of your garage, it don't take very long for a room to fill up with smoke so much where you can't see. You don't want to be stumbling around trying to find it. I have been at work and been involved in some big fires and the smoke is the worst to deal with. I'm sure mlp311 thought to himself it will never happen to me but it did. You know that old Murphy's law thing.................that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".
Glad to hear there was no other damage then the damage to the smoker. Thanks for sharing what happened. I know what you mean, that things can go wrong quickly. At my former work when we had to take mandatory fire drill classes, we would be shown a film on how quickly a fire can consume an entire room in under three minutes. Which was also the time we had to evacuate everyone in order to pass our fire drills.
Where the spent bisquettes still in the water bowl when it caught fire?
I was using the larger aluminium pan, not the one that came with the OBS.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
Yes, spent pucks were still in the pan.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
I'm so sorry that your Bradley is toast but very grateful that your Bradley is the only thing that is toast.
I want to be clear to anyone that reads my unfortunate story, that this in no way was the fault of the Bradley Smoker. It is all my own boneheaded fault. I love the Bradley line, and I am currently browsing around and weighing my options on which new Bradley to buy.
Again; thanks for the follow up. It gives me a better understanding of this.
Quote from: devo on January 15, 2012, 08:51:30 PM
Well Viper I hope you have that fire extinguisher on the outside of your garage, it don't take very long for a room to fill up with smoke so much where you can't see. You don't want to be stumbling around trying to find it. I have been at work and been involved in some big fires and the smoke is the worst to deal with. I'm sure mlp311 thought to himself it will never happen to me but it did. You know that old Murphy's law thing.................that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".
Well any things possible. Just like my electric stove in the kitchen. When baking the coils are red hot and exposed with out a drip tray. Been a lot of fat over the years drip on there. Yet we have never had a fire. Why because there is no grease left in the stove to catch fire. It gets cleaned after any thing that drips. Same with my smoker. He already said it was his fault not the smoker. He put foil on the v tray, he didn't keep it clean and he let the water dish dry out. Well some thing had to give. I have my S.G. disconnect from smoker with a hose delivering smoke. The SG which I think may be biggest cause of fires. You have a smoldering wood puck and add grease it will be a fire.
I wash and clean every thing in smoker after each smoke. I removed the puck burner. I use a Maverick to monitor temps. I use a Auber Pid to control. I don't smoke at high temps.I don't go away when smoking. I don't sleep when smoking. I have fire extinguisher in all three doors of garage also on back porch one in my camper and boat sitting not far away. My garage is unattached from house. I also have a smoke alarm wired in garage you can here at the neighbors. I can make it to the garage in less then a minute but mostly in there working on projects any way.
Now I'm not saying I want to lose a garage, even though I have two more out back. But I'd rather watch it burn then see any one hurt. I think there is a lot more people on here that take a lot more chances then me. I worry when I hear they have their smoker on the porch,next to the house,temporary set up in the garage, on the deck or patio. Mine is properly vented I even have to leave the door open a while just to get a whiff. Temporarily set ups or hauling in and out at the last minute your more apt to forget some thing. And close to ones house is the last place I want mine. But I do appreciate the concern. I also have some experience with fires and know how quick and dangerous it can be come.
mlp311... I would like to thank you for coming forward and letting us know the possible causes of the fire, learning curve for sure, and while you may feel bad that you played a role in creating the problem, the folks that come by and read this thread will or should take note on what not to do...again thank you my friend...
Not a problem Ghost. I've learned what to do from you all and maybe someone can learn what not to do from me. I got my new Bradley ordered yesterday and am ready to give it another go. I ordered the new OBS and can't wait to try it out. I ordered directly from Bradley and those guys were great to work with.
Quote from: mlp311 on January 17, 2012, 08:13:27 AM
Not a problem Ghost. I've learned what to do from you all and maybe someone can learn what not to do from me. I got my new Bradley ordered yesterday and am ready to give it another go. I ordered the new OBS and can't wait to try it out. I ordered directly from Bradley and those guys were great to work with.
Cool on the new Bradley, when you get it you can give us a review on it. Heres hoping you have much better luck this time around ;)