I removed one of the vent tubes on my month old PK360 to blow some of the ash out of it and was surprised to see this:
That torn up part is a plastic bushing (or half bushing) that the vent tube rotates on. Seems to me like another smart engineering step from the PK folks, and that it's supposed to minimize wear and maybe galling when aluminum moves on aluminum. Except that the material chosen doesn't seem up to the task.
I'm assuming that the plastic gets soft during cooks, and that rotating the vent tube then tears it up. The other side looks much the same. I haven't done any extended high temp cooks on my PK yet, i.e., no sessions where I'm trying to maintain 500F+ for things like pizza. Just the normal steaks, burgers, chicken (at a sustained 350F) and low and slow pork. Obviously aluminum is a great conductor, but I wouldn't have expected the outside, underside to get all that hot. I'll try to remember to aim the infrared thermometer at it next time I cook.
I contacted PK about it, stating that while it's not a significant problem yet, I'm a little worried about it getting worse, especially since I've only used my new grill maybe a dozen times. With more wear, it seems like the vent tube won't be able to block incoming air as effectively, making it harder to control temps and shut down the grill at the end of a cook.
I got a prompt reply from them: "That is actually very normal and will not affect the airflow, no need to worry!"
I'm not stressed about this, but still I was hoping to hear that maybe that had a batch of substandard parts, or that they were working on a new replacement bushing with better durability. It looks like it should be replaceable, as the lower vent tube brackets that hold this piece are held on with machine screws.
Anyone else see this on their PK360, and if so, any concerns?
Comment