--- title: "Grill Problems — Symptoms and What They Mean" description: "A grill that will not light, a low or yellow flame, one cold side, flare-ups, a smell of gas, flame behind the knobs, a pellet grill that stops feeding or…" url: "https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/" --- Start with the symptom # Grill problems, symptom first. Every symptom we are called out for, traced to the causes that actually explain it — cheapest first. Start from what you are seeing rather than from what you think is broken. ## Needs a visit now Four problems sit above the rest of this page, because what they put at risk is whoever is standing at the grate, the siding a few feet away and the tank under the cart, not the dinner. A smell of gas at the grill, along the hose or around the tank: turn every knob off, close the tank valve or the gas shutoff, leave the lid up so nothing collects under it, strike no match and use no switch nearby, walk everyone back, and call the gas utility or 911 from a distance if the smell hangs on. A grease fire that keeps going after the knobs are down: shut the gas at the tank or shutoff and turn the knobs off, lower the lid only if you can do it without leaning over the flames, keep every drop of water off it, and call 911 the moment it reaches the cart, the island or the house. Flame licking out behind the control panel or around the knobs: close the gas at the tank or shutoff, step back and let what is left in the line burn away; a spider nest in a burner tube is the usual reason. A knob that turns to off while its burner keeps burning: close the gas at the tank or shutoff and keep it closed. In every one of the four, the fittings, the valves and the hose stay untouched until a technician is there. [Book a visit](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/schedule/) Gas or fire at the grill ### [Grill Gas Smell at the Burners or the Tank: What to Do Now](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-gas-smell/) A gas smell from grill burners, the hose or the propane tank is the sharp added odor of propane or natural gas, noticed with the lid up, while lighting, or with every knob already off. Causes, cheapest first 1. A burner turned on that never lit *no repair* 2. Tank coupling not seated after an exchange *lowest* 3. Regulator vent plugged or regulator failing *low to moderate* [All 6 causes and what to check](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-gas-smell/) Gas or fire at the grill ### [Grease Fire in the Grill That Won't Die Down](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-grease-fire/) A grease fire in grill fireboxes is flame that keeps burning after the food is off: a blaze from the drip tray, a sheet of fire under the grates, or thick smoke pouring out around the lid. Causes, cheapest first 1. Grease tray and cup left full for months *no repair* 2. Fatty food cooked over every burner on high *no repair* 3. Drain slot choked so fat pools in the firebox *low* [All 6 causes and what to check](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-grease-fire/) Gas or fire at the grill ### [Grill Flashback: Flames Behind the Knobs or Under the Panel](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-flames-behind-knobs/) Grill flashback is flame burning where it should not: behind the control panel, around the knobs or at the front ends of the burner tubes, often with a soft roar, a hot panel or melting knobs. Causes, cheapest first 1. Burners run in a strong crosswind *no repair* 2. Spiders or insects nesting in the venturi tubes *low* 3. A burner not seated over its orifice *low* [All 6 causes and what to check](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-flames-behind-knobs/) Gas or fire at the grill ### [Grill Knob Won't Turn Off: Burner Still Lit at Off](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-knob-wont-shut-off/) A grill knob won't turn off when the burner keeps burning with the pointer at off, the knob spins round without stopping, or it jams partway while a flame stays lit under the grate. Causes, cheapest first 1. Knob stripped on the valve stem *lowest* 2. The rear burner valve sticking from disuse *low to moderate* 3. Valve jammed by carbon and grease *moderate* [All 6 causes and what to check](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-knob-wont-shut-off/) ## Everything else we are called out for None of the problems on these pages puts anyone in danger. The igniter may need four clicks where it once needed one, the flame may burn soft and yellow at the tips, the back left corner may never sear, the rotisserie may stall halfway round, or the pellet grill may wander a few degrees either side of its setting, and each of those can wait for a regular appointment. Every page lists what you can check at the grill with the gas closed and the grates cool before anyone drives out. [The repairs behind them](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/services/) ### Gas Grill Won't Light: Knob On, Clicking, No Flame A gas grill won't light when the knob turns and the igniter clicks yet no flame appears, or when one burner catches and the others stay dark beside it. 7 causes ### Grill Igniter Not Sparking or Clicking Weakly A grill igniter not sparking gives a dead button, a faint click with no visible spark, a spark that jumps to the wrong spot, or a hot-surface igniter that never glows orange. 7 causes ### Grill Low Flame: Burners Stuck at a Weak Blue Line A grill low flame is a burner that lights but sits as a short, weak line of blue even with the knob on high, so the grates never climb to searing heat. 6 causes ### Grill Uneven Heat: Hot Spots and Cold Corners on the Grates Grill uneven heat shows as steaks charred on the left and pale on the right, a cold front edge, or one corner that never browns while the rest of the grates run hot. 6 causes ### Grill Yellow Flame and Soot on the Grates A grill yellow flame burns tall, lazy and orange instead of crisp blue, and often leaves black soot on the grates, the underside of the lid and the food. 5 causes ### Grill Not Getting Hot Enough to Sear A grill not getting hot enough preheats for twenty minutes with the lid down and still reads low on the lid dial, leaving steaks gray instead of crusted. 6 causes ### Grill Flare-Ups Every Time Food Hits the Grates Grill flare ups are sudden bursts of flame that leap through the grates when fat drips, char the outside of food, and die down within seconds once the dripping stops. 6 causes ### Pellet Grill Not Feeding: Full Hopper, Starving Fire A pellet grill not feeding leaves a full hopper while the fire starves: the auger turns without moving pellets, stops with a hum, or the firepot sits empty while the display reads low. 6 causes ### Pellet Grill Temperature Swings Far From the Set Point Pellet grill temperature swings are readings that climb or fall far from the set point, flameouts where the fire dies mid-cook, or overshoots that scorch the food. 6 causes ### Grill Rotisserie Not Turning or Stalling Under Load A grill rotisserie not turning leaves the spit still, rocking back and forth, or slipping inside the food while the motor hums, clicks or stays silent. 6 causes ### Grill Lights Not Working: Dark Knob Lights and Hood Lamps Grill lights not working means dark knob lights on the control panel, a halogen or LED lamp inside the hood that no longer glows, or lights that flicker only in damp weather. 6 causes ### Grill Burners Rusted Through: Holes, Gaps and Ragged Flames Grill burners rusted through show as ports widened into slots, holes along the tube, flame jetting sideways from a gap, or flakes of rust falling into the tray. 6 causes ### Grill Error Code on a Pellet Controller or Digital Panel A grill error code shows as letters and numbers on a pellet grill controller, a flashing light on a digital control panel, or an alert in the maker's app paired with the grill. 7 causes ## Not every grill breaks the same way. A built-in gas grill head sits in a counter cutout on its own gas line; a freestanding gas grill rolls on a cart, usually with a propane tank below; an infrared grill puts a ceramic or mesh burner under the grate for fierce, direct heat; and a pellet or hybrid grill feeds wood pellets into a firepot with an auger and a fan, or lets charcoal share the firebox with gas. Which one is yours? [All grill types](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/types/) ### Built-in gas grill A stainless grill head dropped into a masonry or steel island, fed by a tank or the house gas line, with its burners, knobs and lid working in open weather. ### Freestanding gas grill A gas grill on its own cart with wheels, side shelves and a propane tank below, or a hose to a house gas outlet, rolled into place on the patio. ### Infrared grill Grills that cook with radiant heat: ceramic or mesh infrared burners, sear stations beside the main burners, and radiant glass or emitter plates over a gas flame. ### Pellet and hybrid grill Pellet grills with a hopper, auger and electric igniter under a digital controller, and hybrids that burn gas, charcoal or wood in the same firebox. Every kind we service ### All grills, side by side The archive puts the 4 types against each other: how to tell which you own, what fails on each, and which manufacturers build them. How to tell yours What fails on each Who makes them Open the type archive Familiar brands. Expert care. ## For the brands on your patio. Independent repair service. Not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by any manufacturer. Brand names and model numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification only, to describe the appliances we service. [All 23 brands](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/brands/) ## The repairs behind the symptoms Most people arrive knowing what they are seeing, not what is wrong. These are the jobs a visit usually turns out to be. [All 10 repairs](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/services/) diagnostic ### Grill diagnostic visit One visit to find why the grill will not light, heat or hold its flame: gas supply, burners, igniters, valves and any controller, each checked. low to moderate ### Grill burner replacement Rusted, split or blocked grill burners cleared or replaced, their venturi necks freed of webs and nests, and every flame set blue and even. low ### Grill igniter repair No spark, a weak spark or a spark in the wrong place: the grill's battery module, piezo button, electrodes, wires and hot-surface igniters tested and fixed. low to moderate ### Grill valve and regulator repair Stiff, leaking or unshuttable grill valves, worn knobs, tired regulators and cracked hoses replaced, with gas orifices matched to propane or natural gas. moderate ### Infrared grill burner repair Cracked ceramic tiles, clogged mesh screens and sear burners that light late or glow in patches, replaced and set to the grill maker's figures. low to moderate ### Grill rotisserie and back burner repair A rotisserie motor that will not turn, a dragging spit, or a back burner that stays dark: motor, bushings, spit and rear infrared burner fixed. low to moderate ### Grill heat shield and grate replacement Collapsed flavorizer bars, cracked briquettes, rusted heat plates, warped grates and a failing grease tray replaced so heat spreads and drippings drain. moderate ### Pellet grill auger and controller repair Jammed augers, dead hot rods, weak combustion fans, lying probes and failed controllers on pellet grills, traced and replaced with the maker's parts. low to moderate ### Grill lights and electronics repair Hood lights, knob lights, transformers, power supplies and digital displays on a grill that have gone dark, flicker or trip the outlet, found and fixed. lowest ### Grill cleaning and safety inspection A deep grill cleaning with the burners out, venturi tubes cleared, grease path scraped, gas supply leak-checked and every flame read before the season. For the heart of your home. ## Questions about the problems. ### My grill problem is not on the list. Can I still book? Yes. The list follows what grill owners call about most, and anything else is just as welcome. Describe in the notes what you see, hear or smell at the grill, and the technician starts from there. ### The grill runs low and one side stays cold. Which page first? Open the page for the sign you noticed first. A weak flame and a cold side often share a cause, such as a regulator that dropped into its low-flow bypass, a venturi tube half blocked by a web or burner ports closed by rust, and each page links its related problems at the bottom. ### Which grill problems cannot wait for a regular slot? Four: a smell of gas at the grill, the hose or the tank, a grease fire that keeps burning with the knobs down, flame behind the control panel or around the knobs, and a knob that will not shut its burner off. Each of those pages carries a flag; a slow igniter, a yellow flame or a pellet grill that drifts can wait for the booked day. ### Is food from a grill that lost its heat safe to eat? It depends on the food and how far it got. Meat that was only partly cooked when the flame died should be finished right away on another heat source or thrown out, never set aside to finish later. Check the center with a food thermometer: USDA guidance puts whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb at 145 °F with a rest, ground meat at 160 °F and poultry at 165 °F. --- **[Read on the site: Grill Problems — Symptoms and What They Mean](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/)** **[Book a visit with BBQGrillRepair.center](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/schedule/)**