Click Here to watch the how-to video, or follow the instructions below:

1) Remove the debris guard from the bottom of the hopper.

2) Locate the hot rod molex connection and unplug it. Then feed the wire through the oval-shaped hole on the auger housing, leading to the burn pot.

3) Remove the internals from inside the barrel.

4) Remove the four screws holding the burn pot in, and remove the burn pot.

5) Unscrew the set screw holding in the old hot rod.

6) Feed the new hot rod through from underneath (in the same oval hole) and into the auger housing, and plug in the molex connector. Be sure to not go through the fan frame.

7) Reinstall the new hot rod in the burn pot, and fit it back in the housing.

8) Replace the debris guard, and you should be good to go.

The first thing to check is the fuse, which is located on the back of the controller. If that is black or cloudy, it is likely blown. The most likely cause of a blown fuse is a hot rod that has burned out. If your grill is plugged into a non-GFCI or a generator, it is possible another component caused the fuse to blow – most likely the fan. You can test each component by disconnecting the molex one at a time to see which is causing the fuse to blow. 

An Error 2 Code signals that the grill did not reach 165 degrees within 30 minutes. Quickly toggling the power off and then back on will reset the timer and often solves this issue. If you are cooking in colder weather, please contact sales@pittsandspitts.com, and we can provide steps to change the settings and allow for a faster startup and longer timeout times. These are not standard on the controller, because they will prevent the grill from hitting lower temperatures in summer weather.

The best way to clear out a pellet jam is to remove the exterior auger housing. This can be done by removing the three vertical screws on the front and back of the hopper, nearest the grill. DO NOT REMOVE THE BOLTS INSIDE THE GRILL THAT HOLD ON THE HOPPER. Once removed, you’ll be able to access the auger, which is connected to the auger motor. It is held in the auger tube by a plastic collar that has a hex head set screw in it. Once you remove that screw, you’ll be able to remove the auger. This might take a pair of pliers to twist the auger out or a hammer to tap on the auger and break up the pellets. 

To avoid auger jams, always clean out your hopper and burn out any pellets in the tube, if you won’t be using the grill for several days.

If your temperature recovered after moving around the pellets, it doesn’t sound like the auger jammed but that there was a gap in the pellets. Basically, they stuck to the sides of the hopper and created an inverted cone, which caused a “hole” in the pellets, as they weren’t falling into the auger tube. If you press “prime” and it feeds pellets, then there isn’t a jam. 

When this happens, it can look like the hopper is maybe ¾ full, but it can be deceptive. The best way to combat this is to have the hopper completely full or to check it every 30 minutes or so. 

If you want to clear out your auger tube, empty the pellets from the hopper and turn the grill on. Let it run for 20–30 minutes, and it will feed out all of the pellets and burn them in the burnpot. After that, it should be totally empty.

Carbon steel will rust over time, especially if it’s out in the elements. We recommend always covering your smoker when it’s not in use. If you live near the water, we highly recommend going full stainless steel so you never have to worry about rust. If the paint does start to chip on your carbon steel grill, we suggest a stove paint like Rust-Oleum BBQ & Stove spray paint.

Unfortunately, we have suspended refurb services, as they have become cost- and time-prohibitive.

Check out our detailed Wi-Fi instructions here.