We’ve all been there, you start smoking some meat and notice a few hours in that the pellet grill has shut off.
Even worse is when you notice that the pellet grill’s flame is out and you see an error code on the digital display.
You turn the grill back on and hear the auger working but no smoke.
After a few minutes, you start to notice thick white plums of smoke coming from the pellet grill. In some cases – you may even hear an explosion from your pellet grill!
This can be a scary experience if you’ve never experienced a pellet grill explosion or have seen thick white smoke coming from your pellet grill.
After all, these pellet grills are supposed to be low maintenance and an easy way to smoke meat.
So what causes pellet grills to keep shutting off or flame out?
Pellet grills will shut off or flame out when the firepot accumulates too much ash, low quality or wet pellets jam the auger, the RTD sensor probe is too dirty to accurately measure cooking temperatures, or the pellet grill briefly loses power.
A pellet grill that abruptly shuts off needs to be restarted correctly otherwise thick white smoke or an explosion can occur.
Let’s cover the common reasons why a pellet grill keeps going out and how to fix and prevent the issue.
Too Much Ash in Firepot
The most common reason for a pellet grill to turn off while cooking is from too much ash accumulating in the firepot.
Pellet grills work by burning wood pellets in a firepot which creates smoke and heat. Although pellet grills are low maintenance and an easy way to smoke food, pellet grills still require periodic maintenance.
Generally, pellet grills should be vacuumed clean every 2 or 3 cooking sessions. The pellet grill will operate smoothly as long as the firepot is clear of ash and the hopper is full of pellets.
Checkout this step-by-step guide with photos on how to clean a firepot in a Traeger pellet grill in order to vacuum out the ash from the firepot.
Low Quality or Wet Pellets
Wood pellet quality and moisture will affect how the pellet grill operates. If the wood pellets are low quality or wet then they can get jammed in the auger which will cause the flame to shut off.
Most food-grade wood pellets are fine to use in pellet grills as long as the pellets are not falling apart. If the pellets are too dry or low quality then there will be more sawdust material, which can jam the auger.
Another issue related to wood pellets is how they expand when exposed to moisture or water. Below are Traeger wood pellets that have soaked in water for a few minutes (right) compared to regular wood pellets (left).
Wood pellets that are wet will expand and feel mushy which will jam the auger. So make sure to keep moisture and water away from the hopper and wood pellets.
Discard any wood pellets that have expanded from water as these will be unusable.
Running Out Of Pellets
Another common issue and reason why a pellet grill can shut off while cooking is when the grill runs out of pellets.
Pellet grills will consume wood pellets at a faster rate if the weather is cold and the cooking temperature is set to a high temperature such as 450°F. The grill is going to burn a lot of pellets in order to maintain the cooking temperature.
If the grill runs out of wood pellets then the fire will die down and the cooking temperature will start dropping. So make sure to periodically top off the hopper with more pellets even if the pellet grill is on. Wood pellets can be added to a pellet grill at any time.
Another common issue is called tunneling where the wood pellets get stuck to the side of the hopper and do not fall into the auger. In the photo below, I noticed that the wood pellets were not falling into the auger.
All I had to do was push or shake the pellets and they fell into the auger. Afterward, I topped the hopper with more pellets so the grill could keep running.
If I didn’t notice the pellets not falling into the auger then the fire would eventually die down if the auger was unable to feed in any more pellets. So periodically check the hopper to make sure there are still pellets in the hopper and that they are not stuck to the sides.
Dirty RTD Sensor Probe
Overtime the RTD temperature sensor will get dirty which is what measures the internal cooking temperature of the gril.
If the RTD sensor becomes too dirty then the controller will not know how hot the grill is which can lead to really hot or cold cooking temperatures. In some cases, the grill may accidentally flame out if the RTD sensor doesn’t realize how cool the grill is getting before feeding in more pellets.
Below is an image of a new RTD sensor where it is shiny and silver in color. After a few smokes this metal will turn black from all the smoke.
Cleaning A RTD Temperature Sensor
There are a few different ways to clean an RTD sensor.
One of the most common ways to clean an RTD sensor is to use vinegar and steel wool or an SOS pad to scrub the metal clean. The steel wool will scrape all the smoke buildup off the sensor and the vinegar will help restore the shine.
Another method for cleaning the RTD sensor is to place paper towels around the sensor. Next, wear gloves and spray oven cleaner onto the probe and wait 5 minutes. After the probe has soaked the black smoke will cleanly wipe off leaving a shiny RTD probe.
Here’s a video that shows the step-by-step process of using oven cleaner to clean an RTD sensor:
Pellet Grill Lost Power
The last common reason for a pellet grill to keep shutting off is when the grill itself loses power.
Unlike propane or charcoal grills, pellet grills require electricity So any power outages, circuit breaks or shortages will cause the pellet grill to shut off.
So make sure that the pellet grill is plugged into a reliable power source that has enough electricity to power a pellet grill. Most regular home electrical outlets can power a pellet grill.
Traeger pellet grills operate on 110V and 60Hz power but can be powered with an expensive 400-watt inverter and a suitable battery. When firing up, the pellet grill will use about 280-watts during the first 3 minutes but will drop down to 25 to 30-watts once the igniter shuts off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do all brands of pellet smokers have flame out problems?
A: Flame out or pellet grills shutting off mid-smoke can happen to any brand of pellet smoker. Regular maintenance is the only way to prevent a flame out. Most flame outs are caused by too much ash in the firepot or the grill running out of pellets.
Q: What do you do when your pellet grill flames out?
A: When the pellet grill shuts off or flames out then the pellet grill needs to be restarted correctly. Make sure to vacuum the firepot clean and follow the ignition sequence for the pellet grill to fire up again. Do NOT turn the pellet grill back on without inspecting the firepot as this can lead to thick white smoke, hot fires, and even explosions.
Q: Why does my pellet grill smoke so much?
A: Pellet grills will create a light white smoke when operating normally. However, a pellet grill may create thick white smoke when the pellet grill has not be start correctly or has too many pellets in the firepot. Typically once the excess pellets are burned off then the pellet grill will return to the regular light white smoke.
Q: Where does the ash go in a pellet grill?
A: As wood pellets are burned in the firepot of the pellet grill, the ash accumulates at the bottom of the firepot. If the firepot is not periodically vacuumed out then the firepot will fill up with ash. Once the firepot is full of ash, the pellet grill will not work as the fire cannot ignite. So make sure to periodically vacuum out the pellet grill.
Q: Why does my pellet grill flame out?
A: Pellet grills will flame out when the firepot becomes too full of ash or if the grill is restarted incorrectly.
All pellet grills have an ignition sequence that needs to be followed so that the hot rod can ignite the pellets. If the pellet grill is just turned to a cooking temperature then the wood pellets will not ignite.
Another common reason for flame out with pellet grills is when the firepot is too full of ash. Follow this step-by-step guide for correctly restarting a pellet grill which involves using a shop vacuum to clear out the ash from the firepot.
Q: Why does my Camp Chef pellet grill flame out?
A: The most common reasons for a pellet grill to flame out are:
- Hopper ran out of wood pellets
- The firepot is full of ash
- The ignition sequence was not followed
To resolve a flame out issue on a pellet grill, first ensure that the pellet grill has electricity. Next, ensure that the hopper has wood pellets. Afterward, vacuum out the firepot of ash and follow this step-by-step guide for correctly restarting a pellet grill.
