extension cords?

[brotheryyy]

Ok, so im reading throught he forums and i see something about cords and wattage and yada yada. What kind of cords are you guys using? is1625w enough?

[Mr Walleye]

Hi Brother and welcome to the forum!

I have seen some extention cords that are rated for a certain number of watts as well but it seems you want to look for one that uses at least 14 gauge for a short run. If it's any longer I'd say a 12 gauge. I have found that some of the extention cords for window type air conditioners are made with heavier wire and are priced a little better.

Mike

[brotheryyy]

Yea, well. Since ive been using this smoker the temps have been pretty low and its slow to get hot. It never really breaks 250 unless its empty and you let it preheat for at leat 45 minutes to an hour but then it all flies away when you open the door. Now I understand a lot of this is the only major downfall of this machine but could the fact that ive been using this 15 ft chord have anything to do with it? Now that I read the manual it says no more than 6 ft. Well obviously no questions asked im gonna swith the cord but again are you guys experiencing the same low low temps regardless?

[Payson]

Yea, well. Since ive been using this smoker the temps have been pretty low and its slow to get hot. It never really breaks 250 unless its empty and you let it preheat for at leat 45 minutes to an hour but then it all flies away when you open the door. Now I understand a lot of this is the only major downfall of this machine but could the fact that ive been using this 15 ft chord have anything to do with it? Now that I read the manual it says no more than 6 ft. Well obviously no questions asked im gonna swith the cord but again are you guys experiencing the same low low temps regardless?

Good question. Mines never made it above 250 and I don't use any extension cords. Seems like it would get hotter??

[Mr Walleye]

Usually your only shooting for a temp of 200 or 210. Low & Slow....

The extention cord could be part of your problem. On your next smoke I would try not using one at all to see if this makes a difference. Some of the other things to try in cold weather include adding a brick or 2 to beside the water bowl. They will act as a heat sink and help your temps recover quicker after opening the door. Another thing is to start with, and replacing your water should be done with the hottest water from your tap. Another enemy in cold weater is wind. The wind effects it in 2 ways. One is the shear wind chill on the cabinet the other is the wind blowing accross the top of the tower and actually sucking the heat out of the tower. Some members use a large can with the top & bottom removed to eliminate the vaccuum effect. Some members also will us some form of wind break around the smoker as well. I would think that a number of these things are combining to create the slow temp issues you are refering to.

Hope this helps!

Mike

[brotheryyy]

I want to say, perhaps in closing that I did go out and purchase an extension cord that was 12 guage and am doing a test run on some turkey legs right now. I got to say its still hovering around 250 but it shot right up there and recovers quickly when the door is opened and closed(wich I dont make a habit of). That orange extension chord just wasnt doing it.

[Mr Walleye]

Brother

Keep us posted on this. It will certianly be helpful for anybody else having any problems with extension cords.

Mike

[Habanero Smoker]

You also need to keep in mind what other appliances are on the same circuit as your smoker. Prior to my renovations, my smoker was on a circuit with other appliances that were drawing a lot of power. During that time the heat recovery was very slow. After my renovations I was able to plug my smoker in a circiut with few appliances and lights drawing power, and the performance of the smoker improved greatly.