When it comes to the pellet grill, Traeger is the most reliable brand.
Traeger Grills allows you for the ultimate grilling experience with their various unique features and technologies.
However, sometimes, some people experience temperature issues with Trager.
If you are wondering, why your Traeger won’t heat up past 300 or why Traeger not getting that much hot enough?
Then here are some simple steps that help you to fix the temperature problem with Traeger.
So, today, we’re going to tell you exactly how you can quickly and efficiently deal with those temperature problems.
Why My Traeger Won’t Heat Up Past 300?
Buy Traeger pellets
Pellets play the most vital role in maintaining temperature on your Trager pellet grill.
There are a variety of pellet brands available on the market.
If you are using pellets of any other brands for Trager grill, the first thing you need to do is change your pellets.
Buy Traeger pellets for your Traeger grill for the most desirable result.
They work best for consistent temperature throughout grill cooking.
Store pellets precisely
You need to store the pellets precisely for the best results of grilling.
The pellets should be fresh with no moisture on them.
If they get wet or any moisture on them, they will not give you optimum results.
Most of the moisture gets accumulated over the pellets due to outside or weather conditions.
So, make sure pellets are stored precisely and always having in good condition before using them.
But how would you know that pellets are fresh and are in pristine condition?
You can do one little test for it. If the pellets are fresh, they will be softer and crumbles with ease if rolled between fingers.
When you rolling them in your finger, they should be solid and when you press them pellets should not break apart.
Check RTD probe
If the temperature of Traeger is not heating up past 300, you need to check the RTD probe.
There is an RTD probe located on the left side inside of the Traeger grill. Sometimes there is carbon accumulated over the RTD probe.
If it is not clean and in good condition, it will not show the right temperature inside the grill.
The build-up of residue on the internal temperature probe leads the unit to read the temperature lower than actually it is.
So, make sure the RTD probe is clean. It should not be bent or touching the side of the grill.
If your RTD probe gets dirty, clean it using vinegar. You can also use a Traeger degreaser for the best cleaning results.
Check augur rotation time
You should check the augur rotation time if our Traeger not getting hot enough. For this, remove all the pellets from the hopper.
Make a mark on augur with the marker or a pen. Turn on the grill. Check how long does it take to complete one rotation.
When the mark on the augur disappears, start thinking how long it takes for the Auger to make one full revolution.
The optimum range would be 35- 40 seconds. You can measure the time by using a stopwatch.
If it’s slower than the above range, replace the augur motion.
Check induction fan
If the Traeger grill is not reaching up to the desired temperature, it is crucial to check the induction fan also.
You need to check whether they are running constantly. You can do a little test to make sure the induction fan is working properly.
Stick a pencil to the fan to check it is stops easily.
If the fan stops easily with a pencil it means it is not pushing sufficient air to heat the pellets precisely.
It means you need to replace the induction fan.
If it just keeps knocking it out of the way, the induction fan is in good condition.
Spray the induction fan
Sometimes induction fan speed also an obstacle for getting temperature on the pellet grill.
If there is an issue with fan speed, you want to improve the fan speed, there is a trick to work on it. You can spray the fan with WD-40 and it works.
You need to spray the fan with WD-40 and again check the heat output if it is increased. You should spray the fan where it rotates at the bottom and around the shaft.
Again, spray the fan at the top where the shaft drops down and again at the bottom of the moving parts.
It will help to rise in temperature of your grill.
Check the temperature of the air coming out of a chimney
You should check the air temperature coming out of the chimney. You can use the meat thermometer to check the temperature.
Verify the temperature of air from a chimney is matches the digital and dome thermometer of the grill.
Clean the smoke stack
The smoke stack should have free for air-flow to maintain the temperature consistently. For this, you need to check the smoke stack if it is free for airflow completely.
Sometimes there is grease and soot build-up to prevent the free airflow. So, it is essential to clean out to maintain the airflow inside the grill.
Scrape off the soot, grease, and grime with WD-40, shop towels, and screwdriver.
WD-40 spray has fast-acting formula works well on metal and leaves behind a protective layer that prevents rust and corrosion from re-forming
The cleaning of smoke stack will help to attain the desired temperature level while grilling.
The smokestack of the pellet grill should be clean about every few weeks to ensure sufficient airflow.
Check fire-pot
If your Traeger is not getting past 300, you can check the holes on the fire-pot.
If there are rust and corrosion, holes in the fire pot are a bit big, there is too much airflow inside the fire pot.
This results in temperature fluctuation or it is not getting hot enough.
For this, remove the grill grate, drip pan, and heat baffle from the grill. Check the fire pot to see if there are any rusted holes.
Keep in mind, there are already 7 pre-drilled holes, you need to check for any rusted holes other than these 7 pre-drilled holes.
If there is no any rust inside the fire pot, then the fire pot is working fine.
But if there are rust, corrosion, and big holes inside the fire pot, you need to get a new fire-pot.
Chimney stack adjustment
If you have a smoke stack don’t close it for getting more heat.
It would be having the opposite temperature effect. There should be enough gap to vent on the chimney cap.
There should be good air flow in the grill for getting the right temperature.
So, you should adjust the chimney cap for attaining desired temperature level.
Make sure there is at least 1” clearance from the bottom of the chimney cap to the top of the chimney.
You can measure clearance with the measuring tape.
Clean the grease drip tray
You should consider cleaning out the drip tray for getting the right temperature on your grill.
It might be the reason for not heating your grill past 300.
For cleaning the drip tray, remove the grill grates.
Scrub the grease on the surface of the drip tray by using a griddle scraper.
Remove the scrubbed grease with a paper towel. Wipe down the grease drip tray using a cloth.
If you want to wash the drip tray with soapy water or any other liquid cleaner, take out the tray from the grill, wash it, and dry it thoroughly before placing back into the grill.
Always keep your grill clean
Keeping your grill clean plays, a vital role in maintaining the consistent temperature on the grill.
The main area to clean is a fire pot. Make sure there is no ash in the fire pot.
If it is there in the fire pot, clean it out immediately.
If you don’t clean out the ash, you won’t achieve the right temperature.
You can use a shop vac to vacuum out the ash. It helps to keep the air flow in the grill consistent.
Try insulated blanket
The weather condition is one of the reasons which you are not able to achieve a high temperature.
So, you should consider buying an insulated blanket. You can protect your Traeger grill from weather conditions with a well insulated grill blanket.
It will protect your Traeger from cold weather, rain, wind, and snow.
During colder seasons, your pellet grill may take a long time to reach up to high temperature or it may never reach your desired temperature.
With an insulated blanket, you will decrease your start-up time and achieve more success with the higher temps.
It will also save fuel consumption in the long run.
Final Thoughts
So, these are quick fixes, if your Traeger won’t heat up past 300.
If your Traeger won’t heat up enough, you can fix them with the above-mentioned alternatives.
Even if your Traeger having an issue with the temperature, you should call the customer service of Traeger to fix it.
Traeger tech support and service are exemplary. If your Traeger is still in the warranty period, they will provide you with parts to fix the issue.
Happy Traegring!!!
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