Why My Char Broil Electric Smoker Not Smoking [Solved]

Char-Broil Electric Smoker makes a big name in the barbeque community. Every passionate barbeque soul loves electric smokers due to their ease of use and portability.

But the heck is- your electric smoker may get defective over time as other electric appliances get. “Char Broil Electric Smoker Not Smoking” is one of the problems among them. 

Your Char-Broil smoker will not produce enough smoke if its heating element gets faulty. Therefore, built-in airflow issues and not using the right wood chips are some reasons that prevent your smoker from generating enough smoke. 

Here in this guide, we will break down why your electric smoker doesn’t produce smoke and what you should do in this case to solve the issue. So, keep reading. 

Why Char Broil Electric Smoker Not Smoking [ 6 Reasons To Fix]

Here are some reasons that prevent your CharBroil Electric Smoker from producing enough smoke to cook the food. 

1. Faulty Heating Element

To produce smoke from wet woods, your smoker needs to generate 225-285 degrees Fahrenheit. But if the heating element of your smoker gets defective, your smoker fails to produce that amount of heat. 

Solution:

Replacing the heating element will be your best trait to solve the issue. Here you can read our simple guide on how to replace the heating element if you don’t know the replacement process.

2. Built-In Air Flow Issues

Some CharBroil electric smokers have built-in air issues. Therefore, the tray that stores wood chips is set just above the heating coil. Consequently, it doesn’t get enough heat to burn the chips, which causes the smoker to produce no smoke. 

Solution:

First off, try to bring the wood chip tray to another place. Specifically, put the chip tray under the rack it sits in and place the tray on the heating element directly. We hope it will let your wood chips burn and smoke. 

Now, let’s solve the built-in airflow issue of the CharBroil smoker. To fix the airflow issue, we suggest you modify your smoker.

The modification you need to make is- just to add a mailbox. It allows your smoker to work like a champ. If you don’t know how to modify your smoker, here you can check out this video on how to add a mailbox mod in an electric smoker. 

3. Smoker Is Off

Yeah, it’s a silly mistake- that’s why we often overlook this. But, sometimes, we just get so excited about smoking and jump the gun on preparing our meat. In return, we easily forget whether we turn our smoker on or not. 

Solution:

It’s not a serious problem (though sometimes it is the culprit behind not smoking). Just make sure you turn on your smoker. 

4. No Power

How can you expect your smoker to produce smoke when it has no power?

A tripped circuit breaker or a faulty outlet doesn’t provide any electric power to your smoker. Consequently, your smoker will not generate any smoke. 

Solution:

Resetting or replacing the tripped circuit will be an easy fix for this issue. You can also attach your smoker to a working electric outlet. We hope these methods will deliver the power to let your CharBroil smoker produce smoke. 

5. Not Using The Right Wood Chips

Sometimes the wood chips we use are the culprit that prevents the smoker from producing enough smoke.

If the wood chips you use are dry, they will produce less smoke (though they will burn well). Also, you may not use the right type of wood to generate enough smoke for smoking food.

Solution:

Ensure you soak the wood chips and they get well-saturated. Also, we suggest you try different woods like chips, chunks, and pellets until you find something that works for you. 

Well, in the case of wood pellets, it’ll be helpful for you to read our instructions on how you can use pellets in your electric smoker.

6. Lack of Ventilation

To produce enough smoke for smoking meat, you need proper ventilation. Otherwise, your smoker will not get enough air to encourage your smoker to generate the smoke you need. 

Solution:

Like other electric smokers, CharBroil smokers also have an adjustable air vent. Make sure you keep it open and adjust it to allow the air to draw into it to let the wood chip burn and produce smoke. 

Fixing all the above issues will help you to get more smoke. Plus, you can watch the video to know how to get more smoke in your Charbroil electric smoker.

How Do I Get More Smoke From My Electric Smoker?

To get more smoke out of your electric smoker, follow the below steps.

• Season your smoker before heading to use it. It will help to get rid of residue or build-up by burning them. 
• Avoid over-soaking the wood chips.
• Ensure you use sufficient wood chips.
• Add a smoking tube
• Avoid opening the air vent or door unnecessarily. 

FAQ

Do you preheat an electric smoker with wood chips?

Yes, you should preheat your electric smoker before loading the cooking rack with meat or food. Preheating your smoker will help to heat up the heating element and allow it to transmit the heat to your smoker directly. To preheat your smoker, fill half of the wood tray with wood chips and set the temperature to its highest setting. Then, turn on your smoker for at least 45 minutes.

At what temp will wood chips smoke?

Wood chips start smoking when the temperature reaches between 570-750 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Do you have to keep adding wood chips when smoking?

You don’t need to add wood chips at all to cook your meat. Keep in mind; we add wood chips only for producing smoke. And you know that wood chips don’t produce heat. The smoker has a heating element that generates the heat to cook the meat. 

Can you over Soak wood chips for smoking?

No, you shouldn’t over-soak your wood chips for smoking. Never leave your wood chips in soaking liquid for up to 24 hours.

Conclusion

Throughout this guide, we mentioned the common reasons that prevent your smoker from producing smoke. So, maintain the guide we have provided to solve the issues. 

Well, if still you face any problems fixing the issue, feel free to let us know in the comment box. We’ll be back soon with a solution.

Plus, it will be helpful for you to read our solution guide on Char Broil Electric Smoker Troubleshooting if you face any other issues with your Char Broil electric smoker.