Pellet grills are an easy way to grill or smoke food using wood pellets, electricity, and a few hours.
Unlike propane or charcoal grills, pellet grills have electrical components that help turn wood pellets into smoky heat.
So it can be worrying when a pellet grill starts to make new noises especially since pellet grills range in cost from $400 to $3,000. These cooking toys are not cheap to fix or replace.
So is it normal for a pellet grill to be making noise and are they loud?
Pellet grills will normally reach 50-60 decibels from the fan and auger creating noise. So it is common for a pellet grill to make a humming noise that is as loud as a normal conversation. However, pellet grills should not be making loud popping or grinding noises.
Below is an image of a decibel measurement of my Traeger pellet grill:
However, pellet grills can make other noises that may sound problematic but are actually completely normal.
Below we will cover the most common noises that a pellet grill makes and what’s actually happening inside the grill.
Pellet Grill Making Popping or Grinding Noise
Occasionally a pellet grill may make a popping or grinding noise. Typically the popping or grinding noise is when the auger is crushing wood pellets as it is pushing the pellets into the firepot. So this noise is completely harmless and the pellet grill is working just fine.
As seen in the image below, the auger is the screw that feeds wood pellets into the fire pot from the hopper:
Pellet Grill Auger Making Noise
The auger and the induction fan will make a humming noise when they are turned on. Both the auger and the fan are not very loud as they reach about 50-60 decibels.
Usually the induction fan will remain on the entire time the pellet grill is powered.
The auger will turn on and off based on the internal grill temperature and the temperature set on the controller.
So if a grill has just been turned on then the auger will stay on as it continues to feed more wood pellets into the firepot to get the grill hotter.
Once the pellet grill comes up to cooking temp, the auger will turn off and on periodically to maintain the cooking temperature.
So expect to hear the auger noise to turn on and off as you are cooking food on a pellet grill.
Pellet Grill Making Humming Noise
A humming noise is completely normal with pellet grills. When the pellet grill is turned on, the induction fan and auger will make a humming noise that reaches 50-60 decibels. The humming noise will be as loud as a normal conversation.
If the pellet grill is not making a humming noise then either the induction fan or auger is not working. A pellet grill not making a humming noise will likely not heat up as some of the internal components are not working.
Final Thoughts
Pellet grills are not loud machines as they only reach about 50-60 decibels. 50-60 decibels is about as loud as a normal conversation or a room fan.
Typically I listen to music which drowns out any noise the pellet grill is making while I’m grilling or smoking food.
So pellet grills are great cooking machines that are low maintenance, work reliably, and do not make a lot of noise. However, they do make quite a bit of smoke so make sure to place the pellet grill in an area where there is adequate airflow.
Moreover, make sure to regularly clean the pellet grill so that it continues to operate smoothly. If not then you will need to follow this guide in order to correctly restart a pellet grill that stops mid-smoke or that runs out of pellets.
