You recently got your pellet grill and you throw some pork shoulder for delicious and juicy pulled pork in your grill.
You followed the directions closely and opened it up every hour to spray apple juice on it. but you had to leave for half an hour for an unexpected emergency.
When you come back you saw the Traeger is shut down.
Then the question may grapple into your mind, why does my Traeger flame out?
Generally, this happens to many pellet grill owners.
It is just annoying when the grill flames out during the cooking time.
There are many reasons causes Flame out Traeger grill such as wrong start up or shut down process, moist and cheap pellets or extreme cold weather.
The Traeger flame out also occurs due to flaw in augur, induction fan and RTD probe.
So, you need to inspect them closely.
The large pan also causes temperature drops and flame out.
While using large pan in Trager make sure there enough clearance for air flow. Otherwise if there is no sufficient air flow, it drops the grill temperature and eventually flame off.
Here you’ll get to know how to deal with your Traeger flame out and can fix this in different ways.
What is Flame Out?
Pellet grill owners often experiencing flame out issue when they leave unattended their grill during a long cook.
But what does mean Flame out?
A flame out means the grill shuts down automatically on its own somewhere middle of the cooking.
This flame out is different from than normal shut down process.
It means the grill temperature falls down automatically, then the fire extinguished completely but the burner is still operating.
If you are experiencing the same issue with your Traeger, there are myriad reasons.
Let’s dive into it.
Why Does Trager Flame Out Occurs? And Its Fixes!
There are various reasons due to which you may face Traeger flame out problem.
But don’t worry, even though there are myriad reasons for flame out, there are different ways to fix it.
Follow right start-up and shut down procedure
If you find flame out on your Traeger there may be the reason of the wrong start-up process.
You should follow the correct start-up procedure of your grill every time.
The wrong steps of start-up cause flame out even during the cooking hours.
You should also take care of a shout-down cycle like start-up.
The grill should run its whole shutdown cycle and then you can power it off.
An excess amount of accumulated ash can block the hot rod from igniting the pellets.
It also causes blocking airflow.
So, if you are a new Traeger owner, go through the manual for the start-up and shut down process and follow the right steps accordingly.
Moist pellets
The pellets you are using for the grill should not be moist and wet. The moist pellets can lead to flame off.
Don’t store the pellets in the hopper.
External environmental elements cause moisture on them and rot them.
It should be stored in a dry place. Traeger recommends using a Traeger bucket with a lid for storing the pellets. So that they are free from moisture and don’t get wet.
This bucket made with galvanized steel and comes with wooden handle. It holds up to 20 lbs pellets.
It keeps the pellets safe and good for longer.
Cheap Pellets
If you are facing a lot of flame-outs on your Traeger, it may because you are using cheap pellets.
If you use cheap pellets, they burn faster. It may not lit during the cook.
The cheap pellets may save your bucks in the short-run but they can cause disturbance to your augur functioning.
On the contrary, Traeger pellets are made of all-natural pellets which ensures the grill functions properly.
The Traeger recommends only use the Traeger brand’s pellet.
The Traeger pellets avoids flare-ups and allows you to cook your food to perfection.
The final flavor of your food is just awesome and delicious.
So, Traeger pellets are one of the popular choices among grill fanatic.
If you are using any cheap pellets, then stop using them now and switch to Traeger pellets.
Excess ash in the fire pot
If there is so much ash gets accumulated in the fire pot, it leads to flame out during the cook.
As per the Traeger, you need to clean the ash after every cooking batch and make sure it is not damaged.
This will enable you to start off with a fresh fire pot each time.
If you don’t empty the ash, it gets accumulated and causes many issues such as temperature swings, FLAME out, etc.
If the flame goes out, don’t reignite the grill again as it is.
You need to pull the meat out, let the smoker cool down.
Discard the ash accumulated in the fire pot
Install the fire pot. Restart the smoker and the grill is ready once again.
Check RTD probe
If you notice a constant flame out of Traeger, you need to check the RTD probe.
Make sure the orange protective cover is removed from the RTD probe before going to use it.
Also, make sure the RTD probe is reading the ambient temperature with +/- 10°F compared to outside temperature to the internal temperature of the grill when it is cooled down.
You need to check whether it is properly clean or carbon accumulated on it.
Just a few microns of residue will not change the way an RTD will sense temperature considerably.
But if there is a lot of carbon accumulation on the RTD probe it may show the wrong temperature and possibly it feeds too many pellets to attain the right temperature.
So, it is vital to clean and maintain the RTD probe to avoid major temperature swings.
Also, check it is not bent and touches the side of the grill.
Cold weather
Traeger may show up Low-temperature error or Flame out error often during winter time.
If there is a too cold temperature outside it affects the grill temperature.
It makes your grill difficult to reach the desired temperature.
Your Traeger grill needs extra care during winter times.
If this is the case, you can use an insulation blanket.
It helps you to protect your grill from the external environment and insulate the grill to some extent.
So, at least during winter time cover your grill with an insulation blanket.
Use correct drip tray liner
Some of you have been using drip tray liner for your Traeger grill.
But make sure you are using the right drip tray liner.
If you have the Traeger Ironwood series, use Ironwood drip liners that have an indentation on one side.
If you have Traeger pro series use Pro liners drip tray.
These drip trays are smooth along both sides having no indents.
While using foil make sure it is even or flat level to drip tray liner.
It should not stick out as it causes to restrict the airflow and affect the grill temperature.
Check augur and induction fan
If your Traeger is running too cool or Flame out, it may cause due to an induction fan. When you turn on the grill, you should be able to hear the sound of the induction fan.
If you can’t hear that sound, manually spin the fan.
If there is any dirt that is build up on the fan manually spinning will help.
If you notice the fan running weak, you need to contact Customer Service.
The flame out pops up on your Traeger because of the augur also.
Ensure the Auger is spinning and feeding pellets appropriately.
If the augur is not feeding the pellets properly, the temperature won’t go up and may extinguish the fire.
If you notice the augur is not turning, you can fix it by following steps:
- Detach the RED wire’s Molex connector from the RED and white Molex connector.
- Then again join the RED wire’s Molex connector with the other RED and white Molex connector.
- Turn on your grill and check if the auger motor is now working.
Also, check the fan located on the back is spinning.
If the augur motor is not spinning follow the next step:
- For this, you need to detach the RED wire’s Molex connector and the ORANGE wire’s Molex connector.
- Then again connect the wires by using the other component’s Molex connector.
- Plug in the grill and turn it on.
- If the induction fan starts it means the controller is in good condition, and the auger motor is not working.
- If the auger motor turns on and the induction fan does not start off means the controller is bad, and the components are good.
- If the component does not turn on, it means you need to replace the controller. You should get to reliable controller like Hiscern Digital Thermostat compatible with all Traeger wood pellet grills except PTG. It comes with bright LED display with 8 cook temperature settings.
If the components does not turn on, you also need to replace the auger motor too. This augur motor is compatible with Traeger 070, 075, Texas Elite Series, Pro 22, Pro 34, Lil Tex Elite Series.
- Plug the components back into their right corresponding wires till you replace the defective part.
Cooking with large pan
If you are cooking with large pan in Traeger, make sure there is at least 1 inch of clearance on all sides.
You should take care while cooking with large pan as cooking with a large pan can prevent proper airflow. It causes the grill to run cooler or major temperature swings.
Conclusion
If your Traeger is Flamed out, now you know how to deal with this issue.
There are myriad reasons for Traeger flame out but there are also different ways to fix this issue as we mentioned above.
If you are not able to get rid of the issue, or your grill still under a warranty period, contact Traeger customer support.
There are Traeger owners out there who have very good experience with Traeger support.
Happy Traegering!!!
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