Traeger has been going on 4 years just fine and got an error that it failed to heat up. Opened up the lid and it was coated in this tar. Took apart the hopper and the auger was all gummed up with the pellets turned to tar. It melted the plastic sleeve on the auger. Anyone had anything like this happen? The tar is next to impossible to get off and debating buying a new one vs trying to clean out the auger tube.
by Different_Emu5131
4 Comments
Hey! It looks like you posted an image!
If this is a photo of one of your cooks, maybe share the recipe and techniques
used, as it’s almost guaranteed one of the first questions you will be asked!
*What seasoning did you use?
*How long did you cook it, and at what temperature?
*Did you use any special tricks or techniques?
Traeger on!
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It almost gives me the impression that somehow the pellets were burning back up inside the auger tube and the black residue on the lid is leftover from the smoke pouring back into the hopper. Could have been drafting funny, maybe the auger was getting hung up now and then, hard to say. I’d probably try scrubbing it down, get the auger tube cleaned out, clean out the fire pot, throw some dry hardwood pellets at it and cook it out real good and see if it works fine.
Looks like you had an auger fire. If too much dust is added to the pellet hopper (this is why some recommend using a cat litter scoop to add pellets to let dust fall out) builds up the fire can burn back up the auger tube. Also, I’ve heard pellets exposed to humidity can cause auger fires. I bet the “tar” you’re seeing is from the plastic burning off.
Damp pellet dust by the looks of it