Pit Boss Smoker Tripping GFCI (Reasons & Solutions)

No doubt Pit Boss Smoker is one of the prettiest additions to the BBQ world to enjoy tempting smoked meats. But frustration and damage to the grill plan both will appear whenever you notice the pit boss smoker tripping gfci. Yeah, encountering issues like tripping gfci really doesn’t take much time to despoil one’s grilling day.

And digging behind it, you will discover some reasons. Sometimes, it becomes hard to understand which reason affects your pit boss. However, of course, those tripping problems are solvable.

So, no more worries. In this write, we will work together to search for those troubles and find simple ways to tackle them.

Why Is My Pit Boss Smoker Tripping GFCI?

Unfortunately, a lot of reasons can work in making your pit boss smoker tripping the GFCI. But, all of those aren’t common. I will talk here about the most frequently occurring reasons and hope you will be able to find out which one creates an error on your pit boss smoker.

So, the most possible reasons are-

Electrical Faults: Electricity flowing in unintended pathways can cause a gfci tripping. This basically happens because of electrical leakage. 

Maybe there are frayed wires, exposed metal, or ruinous cords and from here the most possible chance can grow to trip gfci. 

In this case, be confirmed that above mentioned conditions are good, and if not then replacement is needed.

Exceeding the Circuit’s Capacity: As the circuit has its specific limitation, whenever you exceed it, a reverse effect will definitely appear. 

Yeah, plugging multiple high-power devices along with your pitboss smoker causes an overload of the circuit and will frustrate you by offering gfci trips. 

So, if you use the circuit like a marathon then electric fire along with tripping you will receive. To avoid such things happening, you can temporarily turn off the other plugs or go for another one.

Bad Mechanism of Moisture: The contact between the moisture and electric things produce short circuit as well as known as the common cause of tripping gfci. 

We know that smoke and heat together produce moisture. Furthermore, because of grilling outdoors, It’s usual to contact rainwater. Those are the moisture-generating ways which is one of the most frequent reasons for a gfci to trip.

A waterproof smoker cover and secured area can be an easy solution for tackling this problem.

Defective Heating Element: A defective or faulty heating element also works as another culprit for tripping gfci in pit boss smokers. How? Being old, wet, corroded, or having any damage, the heating element experiences power spikes. And, which leads to a trip.

Proper cleaning and replacement (if needed) can get rid of you from this trouble.

Without the above ones, faulty grounds can be another crucial reason. It not only causes trips but also causes other serious harm.

How To Fix If Your Pit Boss Smoker Tripping GFCI –  Easy and Simple

The pit boss smoker won’t stay well always, and sometimes it can bring problems like GFCI that keeps tripping. It’s normal, but getting tense and not moving forward to fixing this is not normal. 

No more headaches, our smart and simple ways of fixation will make your grilling experience better. So, let’s scroll down to find the solution.

Inspection and Solution of Electrical Leakage

Different types of electric damage can happen. So, in the beginning, you have to identify which sort of leakage it is.

• In the inspection process, make sure that the connection isn’t loose and plugged properly
• Search carefully if there are any tears, cuts, wear, or damages to the power cord and plug
• Exposed metal or frayed wire finding is also an important fact in there
• In the event of using an extension cord, monitor their conditions too.

In these cases, replacing the mentioned parts (wire, cord, power, and more) will be a wise and secure idea. In some situations, it will be possible to repair them but that won’t take much time to frustrate you again.

However, if you aren’t familiar with electrical components, then for safety purposes you should contact an electrician to inspect, repair, or replace.

Let’s See What Pit Boss Team says about Troubleshooting the GFCI Outlet

Eliminating Moisture

Humidity, outdoor setup (rain, snow, around the swimming pool, etc.), heat and smoke mechanism, and more facts can easily take the moisture inside. 

So, if you find any droplets of water, wet conditions, or wet inside your smoker then definitely you should take care of this problem to prevent gfci from tripping. All you need to do is just keep the inside area dry.

To face with it-

• First of all, make sure that the plug and other electric connections are off
• Then wipe the affected area carefully using a dry cloth.
• In terms of electronic components like control panel, heating element, etc take some time until the inside is dried properly.
• To speed up the evaporation process, a hair dryer or blow dryer shows excellent potential. So if you have such a product, why not utilize it?
• Moreover, silica gel packets also work better to absorb the extra moisture from the smoker’s inside. Just place it in the cooking chamber and the remaining of the work will be done by it automatically.
• At last, in testing time, make sure it is fully dry and then run it empty to observe the performance. Hope your pit boss smoker will be okay then.

However, proper maintenance will keep you far from taking those hassles. so, keep practicing them from now on.

Solution of Overloaded Circuit

Several high-power appliances like micro ovens, fridges, or other connections can create a high possibility of tripping gfci. So, in your circuit test, if you find that the overloaded circuit causes this problem then the following steps will help to get rid of it.

• Simply, lower the number of connected appliances into the circuit to generate sufficient power to the smoker. Or temporarily disconnect the others plugged while using the pit boss smoker.
• Alternatively, go for a dedicated circuit which is actually ideal for your pitboss model. This circuit will understand the power demand of the smoker and by avoiding conflict this will keep the gfci from tripping.
• Remember that, while using extension cords, high quality, and adequate power should be the priority.

That’s it, enough to avoid the circuit capacity problem. If not, then maybe an expert technician can guide you well.

Faulty Heating Element Solution

A malfunctioning heating element is another trouble name for tripping gfci in pit boss smoker. Wet or damaged both can be responsible for affecting the elements. Uneven heating, corrosion, etc. are the common symptoms to confirm this issue. 

So, how can we solve this matter? Let’s talk about the easier ways.

• After diagnosis, disconnect the plug to start the fixing process.
• Now, carefully pull the element out and observe how the condition is. If it seems alive, then go for a scrub. It will be better to heat the element and then hold it onto the water. Next, completing the cleaning and drying process, place it again inside the smoker. We hope this time it will work properly without tripping.
• But if it looks like serious breaks, burns, or wear then there is no alternative to replacement. But it should keep in mind that for better performance and safety genuine parts or element confirmation is a must.

That’s how a properly functioning heat element can fix your suffering.

Worn-out GFCI Outlet Solution

Sometimes defect outlets play a big role on a pit boss smoker for the gfci trips. To be accurate about this problem, you can do a short test. Just disconnect the plug and connect it to another circuit. If the gfci tripping still exists, the most probable error is in the outlet area.

Anyways, now let’s move on to how to solve this sort of error.

• Before repair, the first job is to shut down the circuit break from where the gfci outlet operates.
• During the inspection, if the outlet becomes cracked, discoloration, or unusual conditions then maybe it’s time for replacement.
• If you still have confusion then check the ‘test’ and ‘reset’ buttons of the gfci outlets. If the result shows negative then the problem exists there. And the solution is replacement.
• So, take a new and original outlet that matches with the older one. Remove the defective one and give the place to the new one.

The setup process seems difficult and uncomfortable to many. In this situation, hiring an electrician will be the wisest option.

Also Read: 15+ Common Pit Boss Laredo 1000 Problems Explained with Solutions

Is Gfci Tripping in Pit Boss Smoker Bad? 

Shortly the answer is “No”, The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter tripping isn’t bad in your pit boss smoker.

You ask me why? Well, in the explanation let’s first talk about what gfci actually is. GFCIs are such safety additions that protect from electric hazards by powering off while detecting any undesired current flow.

So, what’s its mechanism in the device? Whenever it finds any imbalance, electric issues, or any unwanted electricity pathway, immediately it trips to shut down the power. Because of that, the electric device can protect itself from damage or leakage. 

Along with such, you will also be safe from any electric shock. In short, their main job is to protect both us and the electrical devices. And warn us that there is an issue with the smoker.

So, from the above discussion how can we say that gfci tripping is not good for the smoker? Obviously, we can’t.

Also Read: 13+ Pit Boss Austin XL Problems: What Users Need to Know

Can A Bad GFCI Cause A Fire on A Pit Boss Smoker?

As there is the word “bad” in front of gfci, how can we expect good from it? Yes, there is the possibility of fire from the bad gfci on a pit boss smoker.

Bad means not functioning well and that results in difficulty in their job. So, when there is a situation like a ground or electric fault, they won’t detect it and will allow it to continue. 

And that will lead to a fire in many cases. Even if the fire doesn’t arise, the gfci damages the element over time by allowing such.

So, the gfci which is not properly functioning can cause fire as well as damage.

Also Read: 14 Common Pit Boss Pro Series 850 Problems Explained With Fixes

How Can I Avoid Gfci Tripping Problems In Pit Boss Smoker?

The prevention process makes things smoother and better, doesn’t matter what the fact is. Following such a rule, in terms of avoiding gfci tripping in pit boss smokers in the future, these points can be effective.

Proper Installation: If you do wrong in the first step, then fixing all other facts can’t protect it from tripping. Yes, I’m talking about the set-up. You have to fully confirm the right installation.

Appropriate Maintenance: Frequent inspection and care are crucial factors to keep the smoker healthy. You can observe the test and reset button in a month to check Its health. 

Again, inspecting any damages, loose connections, or discoloration should be taken into account. And, keeping it dry and clean is a must in your maintenance list.

Electric Checking: That means you need to take care of the electrical components. Any leakage, wear, overheating, tear, corrosion, and faulty electric element need to be noticed by monthly checking. And if they have defects then they should take steps to fix them.

Away from Moisture: As we already know how harmful moisture is harmful to the smoker. So, to stay far from this, a waterproof cover, a covered set-up area, and far from water sources steps can’t go wrong.

Using Special Circuit: Using multiple plugs along with the smoker, the circuit can’t show its capacity properly. That’s why replacing it with a dedicated circuit will act better by keeping away from overloading.

Accurate Grounding: Pay attention more to the grounding, as it is one of the common reasons for breaker trips. So, be sure that your electric system is accurately grounded.

Check-up By Electrician: In the end, if you find anything unusual away from your known range or aren’t comfortable with the prevention tasks then hand over this job to an electrician. He will guide you properly.

Conclusion

So, what’s your final thought from the write? “Tripping Gfci isn’t bad, but we don’t want the trip from a pit boss smoker” I think we both will agree with this quotation. But it is also natural that the problem will arise and of course, there are easy solutions like the above. 

And, I believe cautiousness and proper care will keep you far from experiencing the pit boss smoker Gfci tripping.