Traeger not igniting is a fairly common problem that many of its owners sometimes face. But quickly fixing this functional wood pellet grill is pretty easy.
Most often, such an annoying malfunction occurs due to severe contamination of the boiler. Therefore, immediately it is necessary to carefully check the degree of cleanliness of the FirePot, and then make sure that the hot rod is also warm enough. If it doesn’t work, then it needs to be replaced. If he is in order, then his rod should be lengthened. It should reach the center of the fire tank.
Campfire cleaning
A pot of flame most often results in the device not igniting. Therefore, it is required to start repairing it with him.
Completely remove the top and bottom grill grates, remove the drip tray and remove the heat deflector. Below them in the very center is a container for the flame. It must remain clean, otherwise the technique will not function. If the inner cavity of the boiler is full of pellets or sawdust sticks together, then the tank must be cleaned. For a similar purpose, a butter knife is suitable, which will help remove the formations that have arisen.
After finishing work, you should take a vacuum cleaner and carry out a thorough cleaning.
Do not remove the granules. Otherwise Traeger will have to be refueled again.
You also need to make sure that only high-quality material is used. It should be shiny, dense, and dry, not crumbly and saturated with moisture. If the pot with combustible material gets wet or turned into sawdust, they must be removed.
Hot Rod Check
If the FirePot is already completely clean, then the other most common problem that the grill refuses to burn is a malfunction of this part.
Its function is to ignite the wood material in the tank.
If it suddenly fails and does not heat up at all, then the grill will not light up. Replacing a defective element completely restores the normal performance of the device under study and greatly facilitates its daily use.
It is worth paying close attention to the fact that in the normal state the hot rod emits heat, so it is advisable to slightly push it out and place it closer to the center of the fire tank. Such actions are necessary when the part is in a functional state, but the equipment refuses to burn.
The next steps are not too difficult. If the hot rod is broken, then you need to change it.
You need to go through the following algorithm.
- Disconnect Traeger from the socket.
- Find the purple cable under the funnel.
- Disconnect the Molex connector connecting it to the white cord.
- Lift the grill lid.
- Remove the drip tray, grate and heat baffle, and then open the boiler to the flame.
- Using a special wrench, remove the four bolts that secure the FirePot.
- For a similar purpose, one should turn the fiery reservoir into the position of a star.
- To gain access to the hot rod, you need to remove it by removing the screw that secures it to the pot.
Induction exhaust fan functionality control
The task of this most important part is to effectively force air into the boiler. The large volume of its entry into the tank facilitates the ignition of the grill. Sometimes the device does not work even if the element refuses to spin or malfunctions.
If the exhaust fan does not rotate as it should, then the appliance will most likely not function. These things happen because the owner of the grill hasn’t used it or cleaned it of accumulated dirt and grease for a certain amount of time.
The fan sometimes stops working also due to wires tangled under the hopper. Then the most natural way out of the situation is to provide the induction element with the opportunity for a couple of rotations that accelerate its speed.
If the difficulties are associated with the accumulation of dirt or grease on the surface of the fan, then it is necessary to thoroughly clean it. Then it will work properly again.
To free up a part of the place for unhindered rotation, it is also worth removing all cables.
Traeger Induction Fan Test
To carry out a complete monitoring of the state of the exhaust is quite simple. Usually it is located under the bunker, so it is very easy to notice it and get free access to it through the perforated plate.
It is necessary to carry out a chain of actions:
- turn on the grill;
- find a horizontal fan with an orange connector under the bunker;
- check its performance when the equipment is turned on;
- give the fan a couple of rotations to test its functionality;
- investigate for the presence of cords that interfere with its operation;
- turn off the Traeger and clean the part in question;
- Start the grill and check that the fan is working properly.
If the problem is still not solved, then it needs to be replaced. Otherwise, the device will not light up.
It also happens that the exhaust induction element works normally, but the engine is faulty. Then you should order a replacement from Traeger customer service or their website.
Installing a new fan motor requires a series of steps, starting with unplugging the grill. Then you need to find a suction element under the bunker, from which the orange cables extend.
Disconnect the plastic Molex connector from the controller. Then, using a special key, remove the four fasteners, and then remove the fan motor. A new one is installed in its place.
After the induction element is put back and fixed with 4 screws. At the end, when you turn on the equipment, you need to check the operation of the engine.
Checking and cleaning a stuck pellet auger
If at first glance everything works fine, but the Traeger does not light up, then it is worth checking the condition of the pellet screw. A clogged passage can prevent heating.
If the grill does not start or stops working, then due to a jam, the part stops feeding pellets into the container. The most common cause of such a failure in the operation of the screw is the dampness of the pellets. The impact of moisture on the wood material causes it to expand and block the shaft.
A similar problem is also solved quite easily. It is necessary to eliminate the jam and the equipment will immediately work.
To fix the problem, you need to stock up on a Flat & Phillips driver, a hammer, a pair of pliers, as well as a 7×64 pipe and hex wrench. Then, to clear the stuck auger and start the Traeger again, unplug it from the socket.
Then, using a Phillips screwdriver, you need to remove the screws holding the controller. After it is inserted sideways into the mounting hole and fixed. Using a special tool for banknotes, the four fasteners holding the tray are removed and the hopper is removed.
After gaining access to the auger shaft, use a hex wrench and pliers to remove the shear pin holding the auger motor to the shaft. Then you should take a flat-head or cross-head screw and remove the bushing holding the part. After using the pipe wrench, you need to remove it out.
The shaft is cleaned under the action of an object with a flat edge. It is also required to scroll it several times inside the shaft. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the furnace and remove excess pellets remaining in the auger.
Then you need to collect everything back and install the engine in place. Fasteners must be securely fastened. At the end of a successful job, be sure to firmly insert and secure the hopper and controller.