SnSK Gen2 securing and adjusting the Chimney

[Zach H]

I just got a SnSK Gen2 with the rain resistant chimney and I am having an issue with the chimney coming off easily. It's most noticeable when I remove the grill cover. It gets caught and pulls off with the cover and I've almost had it fall due to that. And this looseness makes me worried it may fall off when the lid is opened one day. Am I missing something about how it's supposed to fit?

Also, due to this looseness, I need two hands to adjust it. One to actually adjust the vent and one to make sure the base stays in place and does not rotate with the top.

As I have it, it just sits there on top, no other attachment that I could see or found in the instructions. I could tighten the fit by adding some heat resistant material, but wanted to make sure I was not missing anything first.

Thanks!

[Panhead John]

In the meantime, you might want to email SNS with a few pics and description of your problem. They’re very good at quick responses and taking care of their customers. Good luck and keep us posted.

[email protected]

[Zach H]

Yeah I will send them an email.

It's starting to look like it's temperature related. Once the grill is at temp of 225F the base stops rotating and is on snuggly, likely due to the grill and the chimney expanding with the heat. I guess the 30F it's been around here the last few days I've had the grill is enough to cause them to contract and make them loose when it's not in use.

[jfmorris]

Zach H I have the original chimney on a 1st gen SNSK, but what holds it on is spring tension on these 3 "legs" for lack of a better word that fit down into the opening of the kamado, and hold it tightly in place. Plus there is a felt gasket around the top of the kamado opening that gives it some tightness. Does yours have a similar arrangement? If so, maybe you just need to bend those 3 legs outwards slightly to increase the tension they provide when you put it back on.

I've never had mine come off like that, and in fact, for a long time, didn't realize it was removable simply by pulling upwards. And it certainly doesn't rotate when adjusting. Mine needs quite a pull to get it off.

I just had mine off soaking in the sink last week for a while to get some soot build up out of the openings, and scrubbed it down best I could before putting it back, so the tension to hold it on is pretty fresh on my mind.

[Huskee]

I have the Gen 1 as well. Does your cap leak if you leave it uncovered in the rain when not in use? Mine doesn't, that I can tell anyway.

[jfmorris]

Huskee I’ve not noticed any water inside after leaving uncovered with the top vent closed. I do try to cover it but some of this summer let it ride.

I feel that the old top vent design is pretty tight, and with it closed, most rain water will run off. I think cast iron vents like on the top of some kamado where the vent is recessed down in a hole like on my son-in-law-law’s Vision would be much more likely to let rain water in.

[Zach H]

The gen2 chimney is completely ceramic with no tabs/legs to adjust to tighten the fit. It's just a ceramic ring that presses over some soft material wrapped around a protrusion coming out of the top of the body. But thank you for the suggestion!

[jfmorris]

Hmmm. Zach H I think based on your description of the new style chimney cap, that you need more of the high temp felt material to give it a tighter fit. Or it needs to be thicker. Have you reached out to SNSGrills yet?

I ran into this refitting the bottom vent today. Form the factory it had doubled up gasket material in order to fill the gap between the vent frame and the ceramic.