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**Pellet cookers** - YS480, YS640
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**Pellet Cooker Warranty**
August 14th, 2016, 8:20 am
#1
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: July 31st, 2016, 11:56 am
  • Posts: 2
  • Location: Hoyt KS

New here, bought my smoker just 8 days ago. Took it out of the garage for just the fourth lighting and it keeps tripping the GFCI outlet.

I've done some forum research on here and it seems that it might be in the igniter? Can't believe it would be bad in just one week. Sat all week in the garage, unplugged and all obviously.... This thing cost way too much to disappoint this soon!

I've got a counter full of meat waiting and nothing to cook it on!!

Any thoughts?

August 14th, 2016, 9:06 am
#2
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  • Joined: April 18th, 2014, 3:12 pm
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There is a manual lighting process in the manual that you can follow to get cooking today. Unplug the igniter, put the plugs back to protect them from heat, and manually light the cooker.

Send an email to customerservice@yodersmokers.com with the following information: serial number, build date, place of purchase, phone number, name and shipping address. We will get a new igniter sent to you.

Yoder_Herb
August 14th, 2016, 9:43 am
#3
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: July 31st, 2016, 11:56 am
  • Posts: 2
  • Location: Hoyt KS

Thanks Herb. It's up and running again. I appreciate the very quick response. I'll be sending them an email soon.

August 15th, 2016, 9:25 pm
#4
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: August 15th, 2016, 9:01 pm
  • Posts: 3

MIne is doing same thing. How did you get it running again?

September 10th, 2016, 2:50 pm
#5
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: September 10th, 2016, 2:24 pm
  • Posts: 3

Mine too.

Bought ours 4 (4) weeks ago.

It keeps tripping the GFI.

Totally useless.

If the ignitor is the issue, Yoder should ship a dozen ignitors with the unit. That might get you through one (1) season.

September 10th, 2016, 2:58 pm
#6
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I have been cooking on a YS640 since the beginning of 2012 and a YS1500 since September of 2013, and I have replaced the igniter just once in both.

If you do not clean the ash prior to each use, and make sure to vacuum the ash from between the igniter tube and the igniter, then you will experience premature failure of the igniter.

viewtopic.php?p=7156#p7156

Yoder_Herb
September 10th, 2016, 3:07 pm
#7
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: September 10th, 2016, 2:24 pm
  • Posts: 3

Yoder_Herb wrote:I have been cooking on a YS640 since the beginning of 2012 and a YS1500 since September of 2013, and I have replaced the igniter just once in both.

If you do not clean the ash prior to each use, and make sure to vacuum the ash from between the igniter tube and the igniter, then you will experience premature failure of the igniter.

viewtopic.php?p=7156#p7156



I do and I did.

September 10th, 2016, 3:11 pm
#8
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: September 10th, 2016, 2:24 pm
  • Posts: 3

After looking on other forums, it seems that ignitors cause problems not only in Yoders but in other grills as well.

Frankly, I am not sure that it adds much to what is otherwise a beautiful piece of cooking hardware.

For my part, I would rather see a manual port added where one could manually light the grill and the ignitor done away with altogether.

Just one less point of failure IMHO.

October 4th, 2017, 8:46 pm
#9
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: October 4th, 2017, 8:18 pm
  • Posts: 2

Hi can someone please email me. I bought a Yoder ys 640 and it was delivered today.  I live in Tornoto Ontario Canada.  Upon plugging in the pellet grill my outside gfi plug would trip without me even turning on the machine. I don't know much about electrical so I ran an extension cord inside my house to a non GFI.  The machine worked perfectly.  After the grill a friend came over and I expand the problem.  With a multi meter he determined that the ground was leaking.  He ruled out it wasn't from the cord but the unit itself.  I read on line that this can be a common problem and that it's usually a faulty ignitor.  I purchased this grill after months of research and had it delivered just before the thanksgiving weekend.  Thanksgiving is on October 09 here in Canada.  Can someone please help me as I spent close to $4000 on a grill with a shorting problem.  Is it safe to use the grill with an extension cord for a thanksgiving day smoke?

October 4th, 2017, 9:49 pm
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Jason in Canada wrote:Hi can someone please email me. I bought a Yoder ys 640 and it was delivered today.  I live in Tornoto Ontario Canada.  Upon plugging in the pellet grill my outside gfi plug would trip without me even turning on the machine. I don't know much about electrical so I ran an extension cord inside my house to a non GFI.  The machine worked perfectly.  After the grill a friend came over and I expand the problem.  With a multi meter he determined that the ground was leaking.  He ruled out it wasn't from the cord but the unit itself.  I read on line that this can be a common problem and that it's usually a faulty ignitor.  I purchased this grill after months of research and had it delivered just before the thanksgiving weekend.  Thanksgiving is on October 09 here in Canada.  Can someone please help me as I spent close to $4000 on a grill with a shorting problem.  Is it safe to use the grill with an extension cord for a thanksgiving day smoke?


If the GFCI is wired incorrectly, the power will come to the cooker on the common side of the power plug, which will cause the issue you are experiencing. We have also had customers that have had the wiring look correct at the GFCI, but the wiring was switched in-line prior to the box. You can use something like this to verify the outlet: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools- ... fgod1ZkJ_Q

If you would like to verify that the cooker is wired correctly, you will need to remove the hopper end panel and verify the power connections inside the hopper. Here are the instructions (click to enlarge):
check power connections.jpg

Yoder_Herb
October 4th, 2017, 9:56 pm
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If everything checks out from the post above, unplug the igniter by following the instructions in the manual for manually lighting the cooker. If it doesn't blow the GFCI, then the igniter will need to be replaced. Since you are in Canada (assumed from your name), you will need to contact our Canadian Distributor:
Ian Baranesky
the Smoker Broker
(306)880-5427
ian@smokerbroker.ca

Yoder_Herb
October 5th, 2017, 5:09 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: October 4th, 2017, 8:18 pm
  • Posts: 2

Thanks for getting back so quick....yes I'm up here in Toronto Canada. I wasn't sure if we could open up the machine to check things out without voiding the warranty. I'll definitely look into it today. I know it's not my outlet. Used in many times before. Tested the machine itself with an multieter and the ground is leaking into one of the mains. Thanks for the number as I cannot call Yoder directly. Tried on my house and 2 cell phones and all I get is an operator saying I cannot connect to the party. But I must say this is the first pellet grill my entire family, or I, ever owned and after the first cookout 2 family members are going to purchase one. Couldn't believe the taste and high quality build of this machine...

October 5th, 2017, 8:01 pm
* Cheyenne ** Cheyenne *
  • Joined: May 18th, 2015, 9:25 pm
  • Posts: 62

Sorry to hear this! Have patience. I've had a pellet since 2014 and it's never gone bad (knock on wood). I did buy an extra to keep on hand, though. Very sorry to hear your opening experience, but Yoder will make it right!

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