You may feel inclined to use a third-party thermometer to test your grill's accuracy. Keep in mind that our grills are created to work with our RTDs. We did all the heavy lifting for you, by calibrating the RTD and PID Controllers to give you accurate temperature information. Third-party thermometers often read vastly different temperatures from one another. They should not be used as a replacement for the RTD sensor.
We use RTD sensors for a variety of reasons. Mainly, they assist in the controller's ability to read the average of the entire grill surface and provide a repeatable and perfectible cooking environment. ALL grills have fluctuations and variances inside the cooking chamber. For instance, the grate-temperature will be different than the air temperature. Areas near key points of airflow will have temperature variances. RTD sensors take in all that information and break it down to its simplest form.
Benefits of an RTD:
- Highly accurate.
- High repeatability.
- Consistent
- Offer precise measurement even in extreme environments.
- Long term stability.
- RTD’s are suitable for higher temperature ranges.
- More accurate and stable over time (when compared to thermocouples and thermistors)
If you have concerns about your RTD sensor, try our Ambient Temperature Test:
- When the grill is fully cooled, open the lid and turn on the grill.
- Take note of the "Actual Temp" reading.
- Compare that temperature to your ambient temperature. (Check the weather on your smartphone or garden thermometer)
- If there is more than a 15% variance, contact us and we will troubleshoot with you.
Tips for maintaining accuracy during use of your grill:
- Make sure nothing is touching the RTD sensor.
- Make sure the RTD is at least ½"-¾" from the side wall.
- Do not place secondary heat sources (I.e., smoke tubes) near the RTD.
- When using cast iron or sear kits, place them to the right of the grill away from the RTD.
- The RTD sensor is designed to read the temperature of the grill under normal cooking. conditions. Please do not cook without the deflector and drip pan in place.
- Do not cook with the lid open.