pucks didn't advance again! this is bumming me out. help!

[DoubleTSmoker]

I just now had a chance to do some smoking again.  The pucks advance fine the first couple of times then the ram the pucks sit on started refusing to open up all the way.  It would open up a little and then close back up not allowing a puck to drop.   Sometimes I could press the manual advance button or hold it down and get one to drop and advance and sometimes not.  Then the manual advance quit working all together.  It wouldn't even attempt to advance a puck.  I had to resort to dropping pucks on the burner, opening the door each time.   Talk about temp swings.  finally I just gave up.   After the smoke I took the smoke generator apart to see if I could identify some glaring problem.  nothing, wasn't even all that dirty with puck shavings, just a few.  It tried to advance once, then quit.  Still cant get it to manually advance, it just makes a clicking sound when you press the button.  Do I have a defective smoke generator??  Any ideas?

[Bradley (Head Office)]

Hi Double T


From what you describe you have stripped a gear in the motor that is the clicking noise you hear.
This may have been caused by a bisquette hanging up in the feeder tube, Make sure that the feeder tube is pushed all the way down
there is a stop on the bottom so you cannot push it to far.

Give us a call at the office on tuesday and one of the customer service can arrange to send you a new generator.

Brian

[Hopefull Romantic]

Hi there Brian,

every time I read one of your response to troubles, I know my money with Bradley was well spent.

Keep up the good work.

HR

[DoubleTSmoker]

Brian, thanks for the quick response.  I am sitting on a jury this week and won't be able to call customer service till the trial is over. 
However, I don't think it is stripped gears.  The clicking is only one click as I push the button, like a switch  is being tripped somewhere in the generator, but nothing happens.   So I tried it again today.   I did get it to advance two pucks today when I first plugged it in to look at it again, but that was it. It went right back to doing nothing after that.   I tried unplugging it and wiggling wires, but nothing. I left it alone for 30 mins, and went back to try it again.   One puck advanced, then nothing, just the single click.   Almost makes me think that there is a bad connection somewhere.  Any other ideas, or still just contact customer service?

[Bradley (Head Office)]

Hi there Brian,

every time I read one of your response to troubles, I know my money with Bradley was well spent.

Keep up the good work.

HR

Thanks HR

Brian

[Bradley (Head Office)]

Brian, thanks for the quick response.  I am sitting on a jury this week and won't be able to call customer service till the trial is over. 
However, I don't think it is stripped gears.  The clicking is only one click as I push the button, like a switch  is being tripped somewhere in the generator, but nothing happens.   So I tried it again today.   I did get it to advance two pucks today when I first plugged it in to look at it again, but that was it. It went right back to doing nothing after that.   I tried unplugging it and wiggling wires, but nothing. I left it alone for 30 mins, and went back to try it again.   One puck advanced, then nothing, just the single click.   Almost makes me think that there is a bad connection somewhere.  Any other ideas, or still just contact customer service?

Hi Double T

Not to worry you can call customer service when you get time, Good luck on Jury duty.

If you want to open the generator up and take a look at the micro switch maybe try a little lubrication on the black button that sticks out of the switch.


Brian

[DoubleTSmoker]

Ok Brian, that got me looking in the right direction.  I was looking at the switch and gave the linkage a little nudge(not much) and it cycled.  It continued to work until the linkage swung counterclockwise and landed on the switch (but slightly to the right).  Then nothing just the click.  But another little nudge got it going again.  Seems like it only stops after a counterclockwise revolution of the linkage.  I'll see if a little lubrication makes any difference tomorrow.  If not I'll call customer service when I get a chance....unless you have any other things to try first.  Thanks for the great customer service!  You can bet I'll be telling everyone what a great company you guys are running.