Smoker takes excessively long to preheat

Safety first: Use gloves when cleaning hot surfaces; ideally clean when warm, not hot.

• Clean interior surfaces: Remove heavy grease and residue from the element area, walls, and racks to improve heat transfer.
• Check door seal and alignment: Inspect and replace the Char‑Broil door gasket if leaking, and adjust hinges/latch as needed.
• Test element output: Compare preheat time to the manual's expectations. If much slower and the element shows signs of wear, replace the heating element.
• Mitigate cold conditions: In very cold weather, allow extra preheat time and shield the smoker from wind.