Temperature Control at 180 Degrees

[jef2]

Hello. I have a brand new Pro 575 grill. It's about 1 month old. I've used it 5 times so far.
I tried smoking a pork tenderloin at 180° for 60 minutes. The set point was 180 but the grill had a very hard time maintaining the temperature.
The temperature fluctuated between 130-230.
Is that normal for this grill? How can I improve the control?

My second issue is I can't connect my wi-fire. I'm using a Android phone. I'm having an issue agreeing to the terms of use because it has it off the display? I can't press the OK button.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

The 575 has temp control issues. Mine reads 20* below set temp and I am getting nowhere with Traeger on the issue. You'll need an accurate thermometer to see what yours is doing. However, I do not have temp swings like that. It can take a while for it to stabilize but once it's stabilized it holds temp pretty well. And if you open the lid to look inside you will only make it worse.

 

[MaD HuNGaRIaN]

Yep, mine was 25º above what my verified Weber iGrill probe was reading very close to the same place. I emailed CS and showed them screen shots of both the Traeger app and the iGrill app and they sent me a new thermocouple. I just got done installing it (which was a pain in the ass only because one of the screws to the auger housing was glued in place by the paint application process and I had to drill it out!). I haven't had a chance to test it out, but the part number is different than the one it came with, so hopefully it's a revision that fixes it. I have not had any temp swings, in fact it's quite stable once it reaches temp, it was just 25º off.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

I taped a piece of thread to the thermocouple I removed and pulled it down with it, then I taped that thread to the new one and pulled it up. I didn't want to disassemble the whole grill to get that thing in there and then it didn't solve my problem anyway. They are sending me a new controller.

 

[Beaser]

Always check your "verified" thermometer in boiling water. They verify them at the factory and stuff happens. I'm a refrigeration mechanic by trade and I've worked with some really high priced stuff that had to be re calibrated or replaced. For an occasional check, put your probe in boiling water.'then you'll know it's accurate at 212 deg F. I prove my Thermapen and my Omega meter every few weeks.

 

[MaD HuNGaRIaN]

I taped a piece of thread to the thermocouple I removed and pulled it down with it, then I taped that thread to the new one and pulled it up. I didn't want to disassemble the whole grill to get that thing in there and then it didn't solve my problem anyway. They are sending me a new controller.

Do you know the model and rev of the thermocouple you replaced vs the original? My original was 'F' and the new one was 'G' so I'm hoping that this fixes the issue. They really just need a way to offset it via software.

 

[jef2]

I was able to get my wi-fire going today. The issue I had was I could not agree to terms of use because my Samsung phone did not display the the " I agree" button. I could not scroll to it either. I changed the display settings on my phone to the smallest font size. After that change, I was able to see the "I agree" button. It is working now. My firmware updated automatically. (from 01.00.11 to 01.01.04)

 

[Walleye Hunter]

Do you know the model and rev of the thermocouple you replaced vs the original? My original was 'F' and the new one was 'G' so I'm hoping that this fixes the issue. They really just need a way to offset it via software.

Sorry, I don't know.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

I got a new response from customer service today and they must not be able to resolve their temperature issues, they told me that temperature discrepancies of up to 25 degrees is within acceptable tolerances.

 

[MaD HuNGaRIaN]

I got a new response from customer service today and they must not be able to resolve their temperature issues, they told me that temperature discrepancies of up to 25 degrees is within acceptable tolerances.

25º variance is NOT acceptable when you're talking about cooking food.

Also, for reference: https://www.omega.co.uk/temperature/z/thermocouple-rtd.html

 

[primeone]

I was able to get my wi-fire going today. The issue I had was I could not agree to terms of use because my Samsung phone did not display the the " I agree" button. I could not scroll to it either. I changed the display settings on my phone to the smallest font size. After that change, I was able to see the "I agree" button. It is working now. My firmware updated automatically. (from 01.00.11 to 01.01.04)

Let us know how it goes after the firmware update. I bet that will solve the issue and help stabilize the temp.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

25º variance is NOT acceptable when you're talking about cooking food.

Also, for reference: https://www.omega.co.uk/temperature/z/thermocouple-rtd.html

As I think about it they must have been thinking temperature swing at a setting, 25* probably is within parameters there but no way is it acceptable between setting and actual temp.

 

[MaD HuNGaRIaN]

.... but no way is it acceptable between setting and actual temp.

agreed..

 

[Beaser]

25º variance is NOT acceptable when you're talking about cooking food.

Also, for reference: https://www.omega.co.uk/temperature/z/thermocouple-rtd.html

+/= 12.5 deg F isn't bad, most high end ovens have a greater variance. To generate just enough heat to maintain a temp with little variance can get pricey. Any thermostat has a cut in and a cut out and the heat source has to be robust enough to cycle satisfy even the greatest load. If you design something with low differential and a heat source too big you can get into endless issues.

 

[MaD HuNGaRIaN]

+/= 12.5 deg F isn't bad, most high end ovens have a greater variance. To generate just enough heat to maintain a temp with little variance can get pricey. Any thermostat has a cut in and a cut out and the heat source has to be robust enough to cycle satisfy even the greatest load. If you design something with low differential and a heat source too big you can get into endless issues.

You're missing what we're saying. We're all fine with a 25º temp swing (saw tooth during cook). What we're not ok with is when the Traeger ambient sensor says 225º and two other calibrated probes say 200º. That is unacceptable.