Traeger in the rain

Rodney007

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PRO 780
Has anyone have left their grill out in light or moderate rain? Any issues?
 
Has anyone have left their grill out in light or moderate rain? Any issues?

We have (Western WA State) ... use the PRO 780 cover when not in use ... have actively grilled in the rain ... No issues ... Lightning is rare here, so if/when it does happen, we avoid using the Traeger ... recently added a Canopy Tent to keep the grill out of the sunlight / rain as much as possible ...
 
Not on purpose, but I've grilled in light and heavy rain (AND Hail) twice now. Unpredictable weather... I wouldn't want to do it regularly.

Check the second video on the link below for the hail storm! It rained for about 30m and hailed for a solid 5 minutes! In terms of temperatures - the thing didn't even blink.... it stayed solid @ 225F.

Afterwards - it did get some rain in the grease trap... so be sure to check on that if grilling in the rain! It could overflow otherwise if it captures enough water.

With the electronics, I'd normally want to avoid any thunderstorms with lightning as well for obvious reasons.



 
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my first several cooks were, unfortunately and unexpectedly, in light to moderate rain. I happened to have a piece of thin plywood laying around from another project that just was just about the same dimensions as the footprint of my Silverton 620 (which has a flat surface on top of the lid) I used this as a sort of screen from the rain and it definitely helped keep temps stable. I'm currently working on getting a lean-to covering to keep the grill (and me) better protected from the elements as we plan on using the Traeger even in the "off-season" :)

I've noticed the grill actually is affected more by excessive winds than rain though....

-Steve
 
I have been trying to avoid smoking when there is a decent probability of rain. I find that water somehow gets into my Silverton 575 hopper enough to degrade pellets. On my last 3-2-1 with ribs it rained pretty good in the last part and I noticed my temp was dropping like a rock. The augur was jammed with pellet powder leaving me to finish the job in the oven.
 
Separate, but critical issue: Here in SW Florida, my Traeger PRO 780 a couple weeks old, we had a week or so of torrential rain, temperature in mid-80s and high humidity, which kept me off the grill for 4 or 5 days. When I went to grill again, the grill went out an hour or so and would not re-light. In the hopper, the pellets had pulverized in to an inflammable powder, which filled the auger and hotbox too. Apparently this is a result of the excessive moisture and humidity exposure. I drained the powder out of the hopper via the trap door, vacuumed it out as well as the hot box and auger (I had to back & forth the auger to loosen everything up), refilled with sifted pellets, primed the auger and was good to go. Now, if I expect the grill to be idle several days, I drain the hopper and store the pellets indoors.
 
Living in the northwest we get a fair amount of rain. We got ourselves a cheap Coleman market tent. 10' x 10'. Easy to put up, even by yourself. Definitely keeps the Traeger out of the rain. I have used it a few times this year already
 
I have grilled in the rain a few times. I don't think rain affects the cook. On non-insulated cookers, the cold will affect your cook more so than rain if you don't have a blanket. On the Timberline I have cooked at temps well below freezing at Tailgates..
 
I did steaks on Saturday night on my Ironwood and forgot to put the cover back on before going to bed. Woke up Sunday morning to a rain shower and was able to get the cover on, but not before it soaked the grill. The sun came out later in the day and after the grill dried/was able to wipe it all down, I fired it back up. Was able to work fine, but I am concerned about potential damage the water may have done that will cause problems at some point. Am I being paranoid about my $1500 baby lol?
 
I did steaks on Saturday night on my Ironwood and forgot to put the cover back on before going to bed. Woke up Sunday morning to a rain shower and was able to get the cover on, but not before it soaked the grill. The sun came out later in the day and after the grill dried/was able to wipe it all down, I fired it back up. Was able to work fine, but I am concerned about potential damage the water may have done that will cause problems at some point. Am I being paranoid about my $1500 baby lol?
The controller board is coated internally and also shielded from water. You're should be fine but don't make a habit of it. As others to mentioned watch for pellet degradation from moisture.
 
The controller board is coated internally and also shielded from water. You're should be fine but don't make a habit of it. As others to mentioned watch for pellet degradation from moisture.

And so one of my latest MODs is moisture/weather proofing my hopper lid:

20200830_193618.jpg


Started with just window weather strip rubber but the adhesive wasn't good enough...

20200830_191405.jpg



So I had a roll of double sided "good stuff"...

20200830_191436.jpg


Put that down first then the rubber... LID CLOSED PERFECT



20200830_191448.jpg


And with the Traeger cutting board on top, helps keep it tight...

20200830_220303.jpg


Also added Magnet strip on side for fav 'quick to grab' tools


Yes I know this doesn't mean the hopper is 'air tight' obviously, but I'll bet it sure helps in rain and high humid days!!!
 
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I have had this experience, but the impact is not great. I put a Grill Covers on the grill, which prevents my grill from being rained on.
 
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