There’s no better way to enjoy a summer day than inviting friends over for a barbeque. With all those hungry eyes on you, what should you do if your Weber grill won’t get hot?
If your Weber grill won’t get hot, a common issue is a blocked burner tube. Ensure the grill is off and cool, then remove the cooking grates and Flavorizer bars. Use a grill brush to clean any blockages from the burner tubes, restoring proper gas flow and heat output.
Another potential reason your grill isn’t heating up could be due to a low propane tank. It’s like trying to drive a car without gas; no matter how well everything else is working, you won’t get far. Check your propane tank’s level and replace it if it’s low. A full tank ensures your grill receives the fuel it needs to heat up properly, letting you get back to cooking without further hiccups.
Lastly, the issue might stem from the grill’s regulator, which controls the gas flow. If the regulator senses a gas leak or detects a sudden change in gas flow, it might restrict or shut off the gas as a safety measure.
To reset the regulator, turn off all control knobs and the gas at the tank. Disconnect the regulator, wait a few minutes, then reconnect it and slowly turn the gas on. This process can often reset the regulator, similar to rebooting a computer, fixing any temporary glitches affecting your grill’s heat.
So, it sounds easy enough to save your blushes and get that grill fired up. But, those are just some reasons you’re Weber grill won’t get hot. You can read about other common causes below.
Check That You Have Enough Gas
If you’re using a gas grill, remember that propane tanks are heavy, even when there’s little gas left in them. Even if your grill temperature is high, your burner flame will be too low to give enough heat if you are low on fuel. Try swapping the tank with a full one to see if that resolves the issue.
Check for Kinks, Bends, and Blockages in the Gas Hose
A low flame that doesn’t emit sufficient heat might be the result of kinks or other damage to the gas hose connecting your tank to the grill.
Check the gas hose, and if you find any kinks or bends, straighten them out. Then try lighting the grill again.
If that hasn’t solved your problem, you may need to look to see if there’s some obstruction in the hose blocking the gas flow.
Detach the hose and give it a thorough clean to remove any obstructions or blockages. Once done, you can reattach the hose and try heating the grill again.
The Gas Hose May Not Be Properly Attached to the Tank
If your hose isn’t correctly attached to the gas tank, you may have gas leaking from the connection point. With less gas getting to the grill, you’ll find that it won’t get as hot as you expect.
Check if you’ve connected the hose to the tank properly by un-connecting and reconnecting it. If that doesn’t help, you may have a gas leak.
You can check if you have a gas leak with a simple test using soapy water. Just turn off all the burner controls and the gas tank valve. Once you’ve connected the gas hose to the tank, put soapy water over the connection point and turn on the valve.
If you see bubbles, check the connection. If you’re sure it is fine, you may have a gas leak. You should avoid using the grill until it’s fixed. You’ll need to get guidance on this from Weber or your supplier.
You can see a demonstration of this gas leak test in the following video:
Your Grill May Be in Bypass Mode
Assuming you don’t have a gas leak, your grill may be in bypass mode. It can enter this mode if you haven’t followed the lighting procedure correctly.
But don’t worry, there’s a simple process to get you back up and running. Just follow these steps:
- Turn off the gas tank valve and open the grill lid.
- Turn all burner controls to the off position.
- Disconnect the hose from the tank to remove any gas in the hose.
- Reconnect the hose normally.
- Open the valve on the gas tank slowly.
- Wait for at least 60 seconds.
- Only after that period, light each burner one at a time using the control knob or ignition button, depending on your model.
- Close the grill lid and allow 10 to 15 minutes for the grill to heat up fully.
You can watch the process in the following video:
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on August 24, 2020.
The most crucial step in the process is waiting once you’ve opened the gas valve.
The aim is to allow equalization between the gas pressure in the tank and the hose. Once the pressures are balanced, the gas nozzle’s safety mechanism allows gas to flow freely from the tank to the grill.
If there’s insufficient gas pressure, the safety mechanism stays shut, preventing or reducing gas flow. That’s because a lack of pressure suggests there’s a gas leak. The inadequate gas flow stops the grill from heating properly.
The short video below shows how the regulator works:
In the future, remember to follow the lighting procedure carefully. That way, you’ll avoid entering bypass mode accidentally.
Allow Extra Time After Opening the Gas in Cold Weather
If you’re grilling in colder temperatures, you’ll find that the waiting step in the above process after turning on the gas supply is longer.
Give it a bit more time before you start turning on the burners. Giving it a little extra time at this stage will save you the hassle of restarting the whole process again when you find your grill hasn’t heated up.
Ensure the Natural Gas Shut-Off Valves Are Fully Open
As well as propane grills, Weber also has models like this Weber 66015001 Genesis II E-315 that run on natural gas.
If you’re using such a grill, a flame that’s too low to provide sufficient heat may arise because the shut-off valve for the gas supply isn’t fully open. That will affect the amount of gas getting to your grill, and the heat that it can generate.
Are the Gas Burners Clogged?
Grilling is fun. Cleaning up afterward, not so much. But, don’t overlook that step because it can prevent your grill from working correctly.
If your grill isn’t getting hot, it may be due to clogged burners. When you’re grilling, fat can drip onto the burners, and if left, can block them.
That can restrict the flames, so it’s time to get it cleaned.
If you need some help with this, watch the following video for a thorough walkthrough of the cleaning process:
For Charcoal Grills, Check Your Charcoal
If you’re using a charcoal-fired grill, check that the charcoal is fresh and not partially burnt from your previous session. Reusing that stuff may seem like a good way to save money. But you’ll have problems keeping your grill hot if you try to reuse charcoal.
Another thing to watch with charcoal is that it’s not damp. If you’ve stored it unprotected from wet or damp conditions, that’ll affect its ability to burn or stay alight.
So make sure to store your charcoal in a dry place.
It’s also crucial not to let ash from previous grilling sessions build up in the bowl. Accumulations of ash reduce the amount and flow of oxygen in the grill.
That will prevent the charcoal from heating up or staying lit, so your grill will never get hot.
Are Your Charcoal Grill Dampers Fully Open?
For the charcoal to heat up properly, it needs a good supply of oxygen. That’s why your charcoal grill has dampers. They’re the holes you see in the grill lid. You’ll also find dampers at the bottom of the grill bowl.
The dampers enable you to control the heat of your charcoal grill. If they’re open, the charcoal will get hotter. The opposite happens as you start to close them. And, if you close them completely, your charcoal will go out.
Make sure these dampers are open fully when you light the grill and while you’re preheating so that there’s enough oxygen coming in. Otherwise, the charcoal may not stay lit, or it won’t burn hot enough.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, most of the reasons your Weber grill won’t get hot arise primarily from fuel-related issues.
For gas grills, anything that restricts or prevents the flow of gas will result in inadequate heat.
For charcoal grills, insufficient heat is usually connected with the charcoal or the supply of oxygen.
Whether you’re grilling with gas or charcoal, you hopefully now have a good idea of how to resolve and avoid these issues.
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on August 24, 2020.
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