Camp Chef Smoker burner problems - advice please

[Bendy]

8 month old camp chef smoker burner flame is not getting large enough. I am struggling to hit 225 when on high with an ambient temp of 75. Did not have this problem earlier. The burner is clean and I just refilled the lp tank. The flame increases only for a second when turning going from low to high quickly and the. It reduces back down to a low flame. Thanks for any thoughts to assist.

[bten]

Did you refill an existing tank or do an exchange?

You may have a bad LP tank. If you have another,switch it out and check it again. There is an excess flow check valve in the tank, and sometimes these valves act up. You could try closing the LP tank valve, and then open your valve on the smoker to let the pressure out of the line. Next close the valve on the smoker and slowly open the valve on the tank. Then slowly open the valve on the smoker and try lighting the flame.

[johnec00]

Sounds as though the flow is being restricted at the tank end of the hose. Sounds like the regulator is producing the proper pressure, but at restricted flow. Thus, when your cooker valve is on low, the pressure builds up in the hose, but as soon as you turn the cooker valve higher, the gas in the hose bleeds into the burner, and the restricted flow cannot sustain required pressure. Could be either the regulator or the tank valve. But if it started happening when you changed tanks, its more likely the tank valve. If its an exchange, just take it back and tell them you suspect a bad valve. They should give you another tank. I had just this problem with an exchange tank a couple of years ago, and the second tank solved the problem.

[Max Good]

As I recall, the Smoke Vault instruction manual specified the LP tank valve should not be open all the way. Are you following those instructions?

[choffert]

Sometimes opening the valve on the tank will cause a high flow condition which will restrict the flow. Try shutting then slooowwwwlllyyy opening to see if that fixes it, otherwise, ditto on a different tank...

[Bendy]

Thanks for the feedback, I refilled the tank. unfortunately will not get to try your tips until the weekend. The tank is approaching its 10 year anniversary and soon time for a new one anyway.

[PJBowmaster]

Only open the tank valve two full turns.

[I_Eat_Pork_Butt]

Awesome advice. Thanks, PJ and Max. My SV will arrive in a few days. The first thing I would have done is crank the tank valve all the way open. Now, the first thing I'm gonna do is read the instructions. Then I'm gonna go get a nice fat rack of ribs.