How Do I Fix Traeger Flame Out 2024

Last Updated on: 14th November 2022, 02:25 am

Traeger grills are one of the go-to choices when it comes to grilling food with the least amount of effort.

Traeger grills are usually of higher quality and can function correctly for an extended period of time.

But after some time, they can start to malfunction.

One of these malfunctions includes the grill’s flame going out suddenly.

Traeger grills use pellets for the production of smoke at the smoke setting.

These pellets need fire to burn.

But if the flame goes out, then it can result in shutting off the grill.

So here’s a common problem: how do you fix a grill if the flame goes out?

The most common causes of a grill’s flame going out are grilling at low temperatures, a faulty temperature probe, poor cleaning, and a faulty Auger.

So you can fix it by grilling at higher temperatures, practising regular cleaning, and making sure that the parts of the grill are working correctly.

I have been a Traeger user for several years now, and I have personally faced this issue multiple times.

But after practising it on my grills and researching on the internet for hours, I have developed some amazing tricks that helped me fix my Traeger flame from going out.

Today I am going to share them with you.

Let’s get started.

How to fix traeger flame out

There is no point in grilling your food if it doesn’t have the flavour of smokiness.

So it is really crucial to keep your grill fire from going out.

We are going to share the most important things that helped the most Traeger users fix this issue and will also be helpful for you.

Check the auger for malfunctioning

The auger is one of the most important parts of a Traeger grill for producing smoke.

If the fire has stopped in your grill, then you need to make sure that the auger is working correctly.

To do this, you first need to access the auger by removing all the removable parts from your grill, including the grates, water pan, hopper, etc.

If the auger of your grill is not spinning, then it is malfunctioning.

If the auger is not spinning, then it will not feed the pellets to the firepot.

Due to this, the fire will go out and the grill will stop producing smoke.

The most common reason for the auger malfunctioning on a Traeger grill is using damp pellets.

These pellets can get stuck in the auger tube and stop it from turning.

In addition, sometimes rust development can also lead to auger jams.

Here is a step-by-step guide to fixing an auger jam on your Traeger grill.

First of all, you should consider disconnecting the grill from the electricity and waiting for it to cool down.
Then you need to unscrew the auger motor and shaft from the grill and take them out of the grill for thorough cleaning.

Once removing the auger from the grill, you should detach the auger motor from the shaft by removing the screws.
Then, using a wrench, grab the auger rod and try spinning it by hand.
Once it starts rotating, remove it from the tube.

After that, you should consider cleaning the grill and vacuuming to remove any obstructed pellets in the auger tube.

Sometimes cleaning your auger tube can help you fix the jam and get started again.

If the wheel is not spinning yet, then continue on with the process.

Now that the cleaning auger hasn’t worked, you need to spot the red and white wires present along with the auger motor.
You need to make sure that these wires are connected correctly and tightly.
You can also detach the red wire connectors from the white ones and then connect them again.

Now connect your grill to the electric supply and check if the auger is turning.
If it doesn’t fix your auger jam, then you need to replace your auger motor or hire a professional to fix it for you.

Check if the induction fan is malfunctioning

The induction fan is responsible for maintaining airflow inside the grill.

If your Traeger grill’s fire goes out, then you should consider checking if the induction fan is working correctly.

It should push air away from the auger tube.

If your induction fan is not spinning, then you need to spin it by hand to see if it starts working.

Sometimes it can fix the induction fan’s malfunction.

But while doing so, you need to be careful because the fan can come off the shaft.

The fan can also get jammed due to poor cleaning.

If the ash is not cleaned regularly, it can build up around the fan and stop it from spinning.

So you try cleaning the fan and checking it again.

If your fan is still not working, then replacing it is the only solution.

Check the temperature probe

Temperature management is one of the most important factors in a grill.

If your temperature probe is inaccurate, it can also result in fire suppression.

The reason is that if the temperature probe records that the temperature is higher than the actual set temperature, the control panel can decrease the temperature, which can lead to the fire being put out.

You need to check the temperature of the grill with a custom thermometer and compare it with the reading shown by the temperature probe on the control panel.

If there is a huge difference between the recorded temperature and the actual temperature, then you need to fix it.

The most common cause of temperature probe malfunctions is the development of rust.

If the temperature probe is rusted, then it might not measure the actual temperature due to carbon deposition on its surface.

In that case, you need to clean the probe of any dirt and debris.

You need to make sure that it doesn’t contain any rust and try comparing the temperature again.

If the temperature probe is damaged or has several holes due to rust, then replacing it is the only solution.

Clean the ash buildup in your firebox

Ash buildup is also a major culprit for the smothering of flames in a Traeger grill.

Ash is produced in the firepot of the grill due to the burning of pellets.

This ash needs to be removed immediately after use.

If the ash is left in the grill without proper cleaning, then it can start piling up over time.

This pile of ash accumulated in the firebox can obstruct the airflow, which can lead to a stoppage of the fire on the grill.

You should clean the ash after each use.

It doesn’t require much effort and can be done within a few minutes.

In addition, after every 2-3 uses, you should thoroughly clean the firebox to remove any debris.

Insulate your smoker

External weather has a huge impact on the temperature of a Traeger grill if it’s not insulated.

You should consider insulating your grill to minimize this effect and make sure that your grill’s fire keeps burning even in cold weather.

Insulating a barbecue grill doesn’t cost much, but it’s worth the money spent.

There are several options available, including insulation blankets.

You can also use baffle plates to maximize the retention of heat produced in the smoker.

8 Common reasons for Traeger flame out

Traeger grills usually use electricity for the production of heat, but to get the smoky flavour on your food, you need to use pellets inside the firepot.

These pellets are placed in the hopper, which is then supplied to the firebox through an auger.

So the malfunctioning of any of the components in the hopper in the firepot region usually leads to the smothering of flame.

To fix your Traeger grill from going out, you first need to identify which of the grill’s components is faulty.

Here are the most common reasons for the flame going out on a grill:

Smoking at low temperatures

Traeger grills are usually used for grilling at higher temperatures.

But due to being versatile, they are also used for smoking.

Smoking requires the grill to be run at low temperatures for an extended period of time.

However, keep in mind that most Traeger grills have some safety temperature thresholds set.

These temperature thresholds have a high and low temperature.

When the grill temperature exceeds the high temperature threshold or drops below the low temperature threshold, then the grill will shut down automatically.

If the Traeger grill is left to smoke at a low temperature, the temperature may fall below the low temperature threshold, causing the Traeger to shut down.

It is one of the most common issues if you use a smoker for tobacco.

Ash build up in fire pot

Traeger grills use pellets for the production of smoke to enhance the flavour of meat.

These pellets are burned inside the firepot.

The burning of these pellets leads to the production of ash over time.

This needs to be cleaned regularly.

If the ash is not cleaned regularly, it can build up inside the firepot.

This ash buildup can obstruct the airflow inside the grill, which can lead to the smothering of flames.

The reason is that the burning of pellets needs oxygen.

If airflow is obstructed, the flame goes out.

Using low-quality pellets

The quality and amount of smoke produced by the pellets depend on the quality of the pellets used.

If you are using bad-quality pellets in your grill, then it might save you a few bucks, but the flame can go out suddenly.

The quality of the pellets affects not only the burning of the pellets, but also the flavour of the food being grilled.

It happens because the smoke produced by these pellets will be of low quality, which can stick to the surface of your food and affect its flavor.

Using damp pellets

Even if the pellets were of good quality before coming into contact with the water, damp pellets can cause flames to be smothered.

In addition, they will also produce thick white smoke, which can affect the flavour of your meat.

This usually occurs either due to using the pellets left inside the grill from previous use or due to leaving the grill unattended for an extended period of time.

If you leave the grill unattended, then the pellets can get damp due to rain or increased humidity, which can lead to the smothering of flames.

Malfunctioning temperature probe

Another cause of fire suppression inside your grill is a faulty temperature probe.

A temperature probe is responsible for the measurement of temperature inside the grill, which is then adjusted to achieve the set temperature.

If the temperature probe is malfunctioning, then it can give a false reading of increased temperature to the control panel, which might decrease the temperature.

It can cause raging flames to extinguish.

A temperature probe can malfunction either due to physical damage or the buildup of rust on it. you need to get rid of rust to troubleshoot it.

Auger malfunctioning

The auger is one of the most important Traeger grill components for producing smoke.

The function of the auger is to take the pellets from the hopper and feed them to the firebox.

If your auger is malfunctioning, then it might break this workflow.

Auger can fail for a variety of reasons.

The most common of them being rust development and augers not being able to spin.

Either way, if the auger stops feeding the pellets to the firepot, your grill fire will stop.

Firepot fan not working

Another important part in the production of smoke by the burning of the pellets in a Traeger grill is a small fan present near the auger in the firepot.

The function of this fan is to push the smoke away from the auger tube and provide airflow for the burning of pellets.

If the fan is malfunctioning or has stopped, then the fire can go out due to decreased airflow.

In addition, the smoke might start to come out of the hopper and will not reach your food at all, even if the pellets keep burning.

Cold weather

Another reason for the smothering of fire in a grill is the cold weather.

If you are grilling in cold weather without any insulation, then the fire will go out after some time.

It is one of the most common reasons for putting out a fire, especially if you are grilling in cold weather.

The reason is that the external weather temperature has a huge impact on the temperature of the grill if it’s not insulated.

So if the external temperature decreases, then the temperature inside the grill will also drop, which will lead to the smothering of flames.

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Jakob miller

I am Jakob, a retired health professional who became a BBQ expert in my golden years. Me and my wife now have Barbecue pals where we share our delicious recipes and humorous take on the world of BBQ.

How do I fix traeger flame out