# Big Horn (Pit Boss 820) Startup Explosions



## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Sep 29, 2018)

Hello. I'm enjoying a new Big Horn purchased at Lowe's. I'm having a scary problem on startup. I turn the smoker on to the "smoke" setting. When I begin seeing smoke, I close the lid and turn to high.  The smoke begins smoking excessively until a small Explosion occurs lifting the lid slightly. The smoker then heats normally. I clean the fire pit every 2-3 times and shut down the smoker according to the directions. It appears the auger is feeding to many pellets on startup.  Any ideas?


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## motocrash (Sep 29, 2018)

Welcome Shawn.
I'd say contact the manufacturer.
Before you do...maybe strap the lid down,shove a potato in the exhaust and see how high it'll shoot it.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 29, 2018)

I just had a talk on a discord server earlier why I won't use pellet grills/smokers and this is actually why. Sawdust can explode.


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## mike243 (Sep 30, 2018)

Your supposed to leave the lid open until the fire has started good the way to tell is the smoke will stop then put the lid down.


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## gmc2003 (Sep 30, 2018)

Although not quite the same problem - I think it's close enough to be relevant, or to keep in the back of you mind.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/exploding-grill.276722/#post-1843964

Chris


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## a g k (Sep 30, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> I just had a talk on a discord server earlier why I won't use pellet grills/smokers and this is actually why. Sawdust can explode.



  Just reading this is why I pick a day with some wind and pour the contents of the pellet bag into a 5 gallon pail. Using another pail, pour from 2nd pail to first pail on the ground slowly allowing wind to blow sawdust away. It is surprising how much dust some pellets have when compared to other brands. You may still create some more sawdust when filling hopper, but this helps lower total amount. All brands of pellets may not require this.
 A G K


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## RCAlan (Sep 30, 2018)

If you really want to solve your start up issues for good, follow these steps along with reading your owners manual. 

1.  You need to use a Shop Vac after “Every” use of your grill...  Keep the Fire Pot clean... 


You never mentioned what brand of pellets you used, but I’ve found that Traeger has a lot of excess sawdust in its bags..  If you can, You should buy LumberJack or another top quality brand of pellets.
Read the “Understanding of the P-Settings in your owners manual...  For now, at start up, set your grill to P-4..  Factory Default...  Never set it to P-6 or P-7, no need to and if you do, your grill will have a greater chance of flaming out and your Fire Pot overflowing with pellets...  The smoldering of unburnt Pellets can cause a Fire and explosion...  That’s why reading and following the instructions is so important.
Follow the Preheating start up procedures in your owners manual and preheat for 30 mins..  But very important, after going from the Smoke setting, turn the temp dial up to 300*-350* degrees.   “Don’t set the temp dial to “High”...  Never preheat lower then 300* degrees
Once the Pellets have been ignited, You will see a large puff of smoke..  That’s normal, and then it will clear out...  Preheat for 30mins and once the temp is stable, Your grill should be good to go...
The Start up Procedures need to be done each and every time you plan on using your grill.  The Fire Pot and the inside of your grill should be cleaned with a Shop Vac after every use and only when the grill has properly cooled down. 
From the pictures in your posting, it look like the Fire pot had overflowed..  And the bottom of the barrel was dirty too...  Keep the P-setting at P-4 and keep the fire pot clean.. 
If you follow these steps, You won’t have anymore start issues/problems.  It’s a learning process, but that PB 820 is a great grill..                                                                         PB Austin XL in SoCal and always... Semper Fi


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## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Sep 30, 2018)

mike243 said:


> Your supposed to leave the lid open until the fire has started good the way to tell is the smoke will stop then put the lid down.


I'll try doing the startup with the lid open. The instructions say to close the lid when the operator starts to see smoke, which is what I've been doing.   How can the temperature increase if the lid is open?


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## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Sep 30, 2018)

RCAlan said:


> If you really want to solve your start up issues for good, follow these steps along with reading your owners manual.
> 
> 1.  You need to use a Shop Vac after “Every” use of your grill...  Keep the Fire Pot clean...
> 
> ...


Thanks RCAlan,  I've read and followed the directions, which are similar to yours.  The only exception is that I haven't cleaned to fire pot and barrel each time - instead about every 3.  I used a Traeger for years, and never had problems starting the grill, so I'm learning something new with this brand. I use Traeger pellets from Costco. At what point, do you close the lid on startup?


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## mike243 (Sep 30, 2018)

The gas it produces is whats catching fire and banging it roars when the flame is established and the smoke will almost stop then turn it to temp andput the lid down


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## RCAlan (Sep 30, 2018)

You said that you’ve read and followed the instructions in your owners manual...

As per your owners manual on page 19

4. Open the COOKING LID. The lid MUST be open during

the START-UP and COOL DOWN cycles.

5. Turn the Temperature Dial to SMOKE.

This activates the start up cycle. The feed system will start to turn, the igniter will begin to glow and the fan will supply air to the fire pot. “That’s why it’s so important to keep the Fire Pot clean of ash from prior cooks”.  You’ll have more stable temps and your grill won’t flame out...

Your grill will begin to produce smoke while the start up cycle is taking place.

The pellets have ignited once the smoke has cleared. To confirm, with your cooking lid still open, you will hear a torchy roar and begin to feel some heat being produced.

“At what point do I close the lid at start up”...

6. “Close the lid”.  Turn the Temperature Dial to 300*-350* degrees too allow the unit to preheat for approximately 30 minutes. Do not turn the temp dial to High...  Once these steps are followed, your Grill is ready to bbq.  No more loud bangs, no more flameouts and no more Wild temp swings...  And never take short cuts in the preheating of your grill...  

PB Austin XL in SoCal and always...  Semper Fi


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## RCAlan (Oct 11, 2018)

To the OP.. I hope everything worked out with your grill..  Your posting said Pit Boss 820...  That Big Horn Pellet grlll is not a Pit Boss grill, so the instruction manual for it will be different then the PB 820 grill..  The Fire pot and the auger assembly in the Big Horn is very different then what’s in the PB 820 from the pictures you posted in your original post..  The basic general instructions on start up and preheating should apply, but always refer to your owners manual..  Good luck.
PB Austin XL in SoCal and always... Semper Fi


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## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Oct 11, 2018)

Its been trial and error. I recently turned the controller to P05 which I think is helping with startup. As part of the shut down process, the auger prefills the fire pit with frest pellets for the next startup . Not sure if that's normal .


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## RCAlan (Oct 12, 2018)

After reading your post again and taking another look at the Big Horn Pellet Grill,  Your problem is the controller on the grill.  That controller is completely different then what’s used by Danson Corp. which makes the Pit Boss and Louisiana Pellet Grills...  I’m not a big fan of PID controllers when there is no need to go in that direction,  but when the Non PID controller in your Big Horn grill is not working for you... And it’s not...  then that’s the direction I would go, to solve your grills stability issues...   That auger assembly and fire pot has me smh but hey, I’m not an engineer ..  The PID controller will give you more control then what you’re getting from your grills stock controller and more stable temps..  For what you paid for your grill, to invest in a quality PID controller would be the route I would take and the money spent will still be a good investment...  FFT...  You get what you pay for...

PB Austin XL in SoCal and always... Semper Fi


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## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Oct 12, 2018)

Thank you fir the feedback . Can your point me to more information about PID controllers?


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## ross77 (Oct 12, 2018)

Sounds awfully complicated.  I've been using a RecTec 680 for two years with no explosions and lots of different pellets.  I clean the fire pot every 5 or so cooks.  Lid closed, turn it on and set the temp.


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## RCAlan (Oct 13, 2018)

SHAWN HAYWOOD said:


> Thank you fir the feedback . Can your point me to more information about PID controllers?



Here’s a good read for You on PID and Non PID controllers..
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pid-controller-or-non-pid-controller.268760/

Everyone has there own opinions like everyone has ...  There are a lot great Non PID Pellet Grills on the market and they do a great job with temp control and smoke profile...  Unfortunately, your  pellet grill is not one of them out of the box...  You can change that.  You can hang in there and keep trying to figure yours out... There is a learning curve for each brand of Pellet Grill.   Always do some research and reading so you can make the best decision for you.  When the Auger is over feeding the Fire pot on start ups and cool downs...  When your grill is flaming out and your owners manual is not clear on how to deal with these issues, the PID controller just might be the right move for your grill.  There’s  a website site called SmokeDaddy that carries/sells PID controllers.  I’m not sure, but I think they are going for $150.00-$200.00..   For the cost of your Big Horn grill plus the cost of a new PID controller, You’ll still come out way ahead...  FYI.. New Pellet Grills that have PID controller installed normally go for $1000.00 plus dollars..  You do the math...  You can still make your pellet grill into a good investment...  And with your investment, always keep your fire pot clean and follow the instructions from the PID owners manual if you go that route..  Good luck.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and always... Semper Fi


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## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Oct 13, 2018)

Excellent thanks for the information, I'll check the site.


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## Rich250 (Oct 14, 2018)

SHAWN HAYWOOD said:


> Its been trial and error. I recently turned the controller to P05 which I think is helping with startup. As part of the shut down process, the auger prefills the fire pit with frest pellets for the next startup . Not sure if that's normal .



I have the same big horn and mine does not feed pellets after shutdown, If that's what yours is doing that is your problem, The burnpot is filling up with too many pellets and not allowing enough air through the pot to ignite properly then the gasses build up and when it finally ignites your getting the explosion. sounds like you have a wonky control board. My control board recently quit on my grill ( auger jammed and blew the fuse and took out the control board ) I replaced mine with a Ortech controller.


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## SHAWN HAYWOOD (Oct 14, 2018)

How often do you clean your burn pot?


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## Rich250 (Oct 14, 2018)

It depends on how I use it, If I do a long smoke I clean it before next use, if I'm just grilling every 2 - 3 uses


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## hambandit (Nov 7, 2018)

I have a smokedaddy pellet pro controller id sell, pm me if interested.


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