Leaky ash sweep

[Rod]

A couple weeks ago I did a deep clean on my Performer. Cleaned it all the way down to the enamel. I decided to replace the ash sweeps as well. Saturday I smoked a chuckie at a temp of 250. I run a Fireboard/fan combo and no matter what I set it at it runs rock solid. This cook however stayed in the 260-280 range. Needless to say, the fan never kicked on other than initially. I even closed the top vent completely and it still never dropped below 260 the whole 6hr cook.

I figured I must have cleaned it too good. Removing the build up on the lid lip and rim of the bowl was maybe causing some leakage? When I cleaned up the next day I noticed quite a bit of a gap and looseness between the ash sweeps and bowl. So between cleaning up the natural seal between the lid and bowl and the new sweeps must be why my temps would not come down. Has anyone else replaced their sweeps and had an issue with leakage? Will this eventually fix itself after a few cooks, or did I just get some bad sweeps that are too far off from the bowl contour? I can't remember the fit when it was brand new.

[Panhead John]

It’s possible the new sweeps were just a little off on the clearances. I’ve heard of this before when replacing the sweeps in a kettle. The only thing I can think of is maybe remove the new sweeps and then set them in the bowl to see how it fits without the other pieces. Maybe you could then bend the sweeps down, or up, a little to see if that helps? If that doesn’t work I’d ask for a replacement.

[Purc]

When I was cleaning my kettle last week, I think I might have bent one of the sweeps trying to clear some stuck on ashes. I noticed it didn't seal as well as I had remembered. I have ordered replacement sweeps from Amazon. There are a number of brands and prices that are cheaper than the Weber branded OEM sweeps. I have not replaced them yet. Looks easy on YouTube. This should help my leakage issues around the sweeps.

Something I just thought of during my last cook of wings and poppers using the vortex, my temps were much higher than normal. On checking my kettle, I did not set the lid 100% on the bowl causing about a 1/2 inch air gap on the back of the kettle. This caused my temps to go higher and blacken the wings and poppers located near the air gap. Rookie mistake. Maybe something similar happened to you?

[Rod]

Yeah I quadruple checked the lid placement.

[Steve R.]

The sweeps might have gotten slightly flattened out somewhere along the way, making them no longer conform to the shape of the bowl. You can fix this by taking them off and "folding" each of them together ever so slightly. Then check for proper fit before actually reinstalling them.

[Bbqmikeg]

The Weber one-touch blades are never air tight.
I wad up foil and stuff them in the vents leaving enough of a gap for airflow one one vent.
If your top damper is closed and smoke escapes beneath the lid, pay attention to where it escapes and use a big black paper clip to pinch the lid to the bowl.
My Webers are old. Good luck!

[Jim White]

If you suffer from leaky ash sweep, please contact your medical professional and ask about ...


<I'll just show myself out by the back door.>

[rlozinak]

Good one!

[Smoker_Boy]

"If you, or a loved one..."

[Purc]

I hate to make an ash of myself.....

[FireMan]

If givin enough time one could take off on this title. Love it,
Leaky Ash Sweep!

[Rod]

So when I first replaced it, I damaged the retaining plate so that the notch in the handle wouldn't snap in place. I got a whole other set to get a new retaining plate. So I just swapped out the ash sweeps. It's a much snugger fit and a lot less gap. I think just one of the sweeps were bent from the first set and that threw them all off.

Two takes: 1. Inspect the sweeps before installation. 2. Think more carefully about the title of my topics in a place full of whack jobs.

[Uncle Bob]

The sweeps are made of a relatively soft material so bend easily. As Steve R. noted above they can be massaged to "improve" the shape. Likewise the narrow throat of the sweep where it attaches at the center pivot can be moved up and down some. As an example, when sweeping ash occasionally a small chunk of lump will get caught between the sweep and the vent opening distorting the sweep blade angle. What I do to "tune up" the fit it put a flat blade screw driver tip under the center pivot and bend (only slightly because the fit stays tight) the blade down. Success would result in higher friction of the blade(s) when operating meaning they also seal better. There may be an element of mechanical aptitude in the success rate of that procedure as I've seen some folks claim it doesn't work. YMMV

[jfmorris]

The ash sweeps in my Performer are still original, and seal very tightly. I can shut down the fire a lot quicker than on my kamado. I dread eventually having to replace them, but will keep this discussion in mind.

[realdocBBQ]

I just posted another topic asking about various options - wondered if anyone had insight into the Weber-branded replacement vs a 'heavier/thicker' advertised generic on Amazon for half the price - and if they're REALLY heavier or thicker, or if it's all just the same cheap Chinese junk no matter WHAT you buy?