Not cool

[Slick]

I bought my ironwood 650 at the beginning of February and i fell in love with it straight after the first cook, I used it with no issues till last week, it was working fine, then I noticed it wasn't getting all the way up to temp, it was set for 350 but only seemed to get up to 325... No big deal everything came out perfect the way I wanted it to.
two days later I went to turn it on and the power switch was blinking and the stand by button on the front wouldn't illuminate, I figured because it was cold that day (-9 C) it was just too cold,. The next day i try it, it was a lot warmer... Still the same problem, went online to find the FAQ and trouble shooting suggestions, and nothing worked, call customer support and while I was on the phone with her I pop off the bottom portion of the hopper to see if any wiring was possibly pinched or frayed, looked like new, so I tried turning it off and unplugged it, took the controller off to see if everything was connected tightly, everything was good, placed the controller back into the hopper not bolted in, plug it in, turn it on the power, switch stopped blinking and was on steady, go to the front, the standby button still wasn't illuminated, I pushed it in and held it for a few seconds and it turned on, I let the lady with customer support know that it all turned on, but then I saw a little puff of smoke and the smell of burning plastic, heard a few little pops and quickly turned it off and unplugged it, I pulled out the controller and couldn't see what just happened, wait a few moments and plugged it back in, turned it on and while I had the controller out I saw the tiny little black square processor light up and burst into a little flame!!! WTF!!! Completely killed the controller.
Has anyone else experienced this or have a similar issue? Want to understand how and why this could of happened? I have a new controller on order, don't want the new one to do the same thing, thanks for any advice

 

[bfletcher]

Slick, Buddy, it is going to be difficult to impossible to troubleshoot what caused the defect on your control board. If you've taken the proper precautions and didn't allow moisture to enter your unit and if you didn't handle the board prior to the defect then my only advise is that electronic boards can develop a fault, sometimes. One of many examples is that if there was the slightest brownout or spike in your household electric service it could result in damage to the control board. Also make sure your power cord is fully inserted into the socket of your Ironwood prior to turning it on. If it is not secured fully it could create symptoms similar to rapidly turning a power switch on and off in quick succession and even that action could cause damage.

When you handle your replacement board please know that circuit boards are sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD), so be cautious as you touch it. Touch only the edges (even that is not full proof) as you reattach connectors and install it.

From what you describe, damage occurred before you removed the board and powered it on again but I would not recommend handling the board at any time while power is connected. Especially on your replacement, make sure the power cord is unplugged during removal and replacement.

Good luck; I hope you get it resolved quickly.

 

[Slick]

hey thanks for your reply, yeah i figure it could be very difficult to narrow it down to why the board shorted out, i have the custom traeger cover for the ironwood 650 and fits perfectly, there isn't a spec of dust or sign of moisture anywhere on the unit. the plugin i have been using is an outdoor GFI and i always made sure it was plugged in tightly, but who's to say its functioning properly? i checked my power box to see if it has been tripped, but its poorly labeled and have no idea where the plugin is wired into? i am actually going to have the plug tested and see if it is in working proper working order? i have run all sorts of other devices from that receptacle with no issues or notice any type of fluctuations, but you never know, it could need to be replaced hahaha if thats the case, i would suggest people do the same, i will get back here to let you know if that could have been the issue, just really sucks that i am stuck at home with my new favourite toy not cooking me the best food i have ever had hahaha dam!!!

 

[bfletcher]

Yes, it is discouraging when we want to use our new unit but something goes wrong. I hope you receive your board soon. Just for clarity, the connection I refer to is where your power cord connects to your Ironwood... I see it discussed somewhat frequently where sometimes for a variety of reasons it is not fully seated (including instances where it might be fully inserted initially but later wiggles loose).

 

[Slick]

ah i see what you mean, yes i did make sure that end was plugged in all the way as well, but i will have a better inspection just to make sure there isn't anything possibly interfering with it, thanks for the advise