Temp not rising.

[Huey1010]

First time posting. I have had my 4 rack digital smoker for a few years. Last year I lent it to a buddy and somehow he started a fire in the box and used backing soda to put it out. It was not fun to clean up and the temp won't rise what so ever after that. I changed the heating element out and still nothing. There was a bracket of some sort holding the element in place that did break so I'm not sure what is going on. Someone please help.

[beefmann]

Do some diagnostic first, check the fuse able link that is in the back of the tower,,, you  will have remove the back cover to  check it,, check it with a ohm meter... also  check if the heating element is good,,, it should be  somewhere near 30 ohms. also look for any cables that may have come loose when the back is open,, if so,, re attach.

check inside the smoke generator for any loose connections,, if so re attach to proper locations.  also check  fuse...

if all looks good,, plug everything back together and be sure  every connection is firmly seated.

let us know how it goes

[TedEbear]

There was a bracket of some sort holding the element in place that did break so I'm not sure what is going on. Someone please help.

You can buy Bradley Smoker Replacement Parts from Yard and Pool.  Your buddy should pay you for them.

[Habanero Smoker]

Below is a link to many troubleshooting instructions and tips;

Bradley FAQ's

[Huey1010]

So it is worse than I thought, the fire got into the back and burnt up insulation and probably some of the wiring, I tried to upload a video but I am not sure on how to do this. Not sure if it can be salvaged or what. Hope I can fix it.

[tskeeter]

Huey, unless you see melted insulation, I suspect that it's not all that bad.

The first thing I'd suspect is that the fire caused the in line fuse in the red power supply wire to activate.  This would cause a circuit failure between the plug on the back of the smoker and the ring connector that goes to the heating element.  Replacing the wire with the in line fuse is pretty easy.  A replacement wire is about $5.  Other wiring components are easy to replace, too.

I don't think you need to worry much about the insulation.  After I did a dual element mod, I overheated the smoker and activated the in line fuse.  Fixed the fuse, but left the melted insulation alone.  Been over a year and no problems.

[Habanero Smoker]

Does the back look like the picture below?



That is a picture of my OBS prior to doing a additional element mod. That "damage" occurred during normal use. When you examine the back of your smoker you should see some type of additional insulation that Bradley installs just behind the element.

Is your generator indicating any errors?

[Huey1010]

That's what mine looks like but way worse. Like the insulation was burnt up and crispy. Is there a way to replace the insulation?

[Habanero Smoker]

My insulation where it melted and turned brown is also crispy. Is there anyway you can post a picture?

I would not know how to go about it selecting the proper insulation, but the insulation on the back and bottom should be easy to replace. You would need to get the type used for ovens and/or insulated charcoal/wood burners. The insulation on the sides and top would seem to be much more difficult. I would not remove that insulation pad that is attached to the back, just behind the element.

[Huey1010]

I can't figure out how to post a picture.

[Habanero Smoker]

If you are using a computer to post pictures, you will need to open an account of a photo hosting site like Photobucket. The below link is a little outdated but most of the information is relevant.

How To Post Pictures

[TedEbear]

I can't figure out how to post a picture.

Here's the Reader's Digest version:

1. Upload your pics to Photobucket.  It's a free host site.
2. Left click inside the IMG box next to the pic.  The contents will automatically be copied onto your clipboard
3. Paste those contents into a message on here.
4. If you want to verify that it worked before posting your message, click on the Preview button at the bottom of the message that you're posting.



If you're new to Photobucket it's a good idea to create different albums for your photos such as Food, Hobbies, Vacation, Cars, etc., and upload each pic to the appropriate one.  It makes them much easier to find later on when you've uploaded hundreds of photos.   ;)