AC Grill Running Too Hot

Is your grill running hotter than the set temperature? We've got some tips to help you grill at your desired temperature.

Before troubleshooting, it is important to note that Traeger grills, like conventional ovens, cook on an average. The difference is that your Traeger will give you a real-time reading throughout the entirety of your cook; whereas conventional ovens will show you a real-time reading while it pre-heats, but then show you the set temperature. Your grill is functioning properly if the average temperature is within 15 degrees of your set temperature.

Check the internal pieces (grease tray, heat baffle, grill grates, fire pot) are placed correctly inside the grill and undamaged .

Before starting your grill, check that the firepot is empty or only has a few pellets in it. Excess pellets in the firepot during startup will cause a flare-up at the beginning of the cook, The temperature should even out over time, but a flareup occasionally affects the remainder of your cook.

An improper start-up can affect the temperature of a cook even hours in.

• Visit our Startup Guide to make sure you're begining each cook properly.

Is your controller set to SMOKE? The SMOKE setting maintains a temperature range between 160° and 225°. As long as the temperature is in or close to that range, the grill is operating correctly.

If you are trying to grill during the heat of Summer, you may find that your grill runs hotter than normal. Higher temperatures outside may cause the grill to run a little hotter than expected. See P-Setting below to understand how to account for higher ambient temperatures.

Some grills have P-setting functionality. If your grill has this function, you will notice a small hole, a blank black sticker, or a sticker that reads “Call Service” on the controller to the right of the LED screen.

You can adjust the p-setting by using a paper clip to press the button in the small hole. Adjust until the controller flashes “P-3.” If the grill continues to run too hot, adjust to “P-4.”

• We do not recommend adjusting past “p-4” as this can cause the flame to go out during the cook.

Check out P-Settings for more information.

Let's test your RTD (resistance temperature detector) to see that it is reading accurately.

• With the grill cooled down, turn on the grill. Compare the temperature on the controller to the ambient temperature. If it is off by over 10 degrees, try to clean the RTD.
• If the issue continues, please contact Customer Service.