Install a manual fan switch

Most Traeger owners find that Traeger should have installed a manual switch so the draft inducer fan could be turned on to burn off pellets in the fire pot at the end of a cook. Most like me find that sometimes at the end of a cook, especially after using high heat; they can continue burning back through the pellet auger feed tube after being shut down. Turning the temp down at the end of a cook to the smoke mode for 15 minutes and leaving the lid open after shutting down usually takes care of this.

The first time this happened to me I had smoke coming from under the pellet hopper lid pretty bad. When I realized what was going on I turned it back on smoke mode and let it run until the smoke had stopped coming from the hopper and shut down again. If fire ever got into the pellet hopper you would have a fire that would probably ruin your smoker. Being retired I have the time to sit or keep a close eye on my smoker after shutting down.

After having burn back several times over the two plus years I have had my Traeger I finally installed a manual fan switch.

I bought some 3-wire push connectors and a toggle switch at Lowes for a total cost of $6 US. Now it was just a matter of lying on my back, finding the correct wires and splicing the switch in and drilling a whole for the switch. You will need to tin the wire with some solder for easy insertion into the push connectors.

Traeger’s manual shows the wiring diagram and from it you can see you need to connect to the black wire, coming from the power cord; it comes through a grommet in the sheet metal. The other wire you need to connect to is the orange wire going to a molenex connector where the fan connects. I cut these two wires and tinned the ends after stripping about ¼ inch of insulation.

Caution: You should use a wire stripper when removing the insulation from the wires. Using a knife is not a good choice with these small 18 gauge stranded wires. I have a stripper that does not nick the wires.

The switch I used had wire leads that were already tinned so I just plugged each one into a connector then plugged the two black wires into one and the two orange wires into the other. The switch was rated at 6 amp 125 volts, plenty to handle the induction fan.

You can see a board in the one photo I placed up under and behind where I was drilling my hole to protect the wires. When drilling through thin metal the drill tends to pull in when you break through.

I got to test the switch with today’s cook. After a little over a 5 hour cook I turned the smoker off and the fan on. I left the lid closed at first but then decided it was better to open the lid to burn off the pellets left in the fire pot.

Note: As with any modifications on the site, do so at your own risk. Also if your Traeger is still under warranty; any modifications may void your warranty.


The connectors

Switch with connectors

Board in place for drilling hole

Switch installed

Smokin Don