--- title: "Pellet Grill Not Feeding: Full Hopper, Starving Fire: Causes and Fixes" description: "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…" url: "https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/pellet-grill-not-feeding/" --- # 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. ## What it usually means. A pellet grill is a small wood fire under electronic control. A hopper holds the pellets; at its bottom an auger, a steel screw turned by a slow electric motor, carries them into a firepot below the cooking chamber. A hot rod igniter lights them at startup, a combustion fan blows air into the pot, and the controller runs the auger in pulses to hold the set point. Feeding stops for a handful of reasons. The most common is the pellets themselves: moisture from rain, a humid shed or a cover that trapped damp swells them into a sawdust paste that sets hard in the auger tube. Next comes bridging, where pellets in a tall hopper form an arch over the auger and leave it spinning in a hollow. Then the parts: a sheared pin or a broken coupling between motor and auger, so the motor runs and the screw does not; an auger motor that burns out or jams on something that fell in; or a controller that no longer sends it power. A fully jammed auger tube is taken apart and cleared on a visit, never by reaching into the firepot while the grill is hot. The 6 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 With the grill switched on and the lid open, can you hear the auger motor turning? 02 Were the pellets exposed to rain, humidity or a damp cover? 03 Is the hopper full but hollow in the middle over the auger? 04 Does the controller show a code or a low-temperature warning? 05 When was the firepot last emptied of ash? ## Check these before you book. Pellet grill not feeding: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Turn the grill off, let it cool completely and unplug it before touching the hopper or the firepot. 02 Look into the hopper for a hollow over the auger and for pellets that are swollen, soft or crumbling. 03 Refill with dry pellets from a sealed bag and run the prime or feed setting in the manual. ### Also worth checking - With the grill on and the lid open, listen for the auger motor; a hum with no pellets falling points to the drive. - Keep hands out of the firepot while it is warm, and leave a jam in the tube for a visit. ### How soon does it need a visit? A pellet grill that stops feeding is not urgent, because the fire simply dies. Book a visit if dry pellets and a prime cycle do not bring feeding back. ## The causes, cheapest first. 6 things pellet grill not feeding: full hopper, starving fire turns out to be, from pellets bridged in the hopper to controller no longer driving the auger. [The cost guide](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Pellets bridged in the hopper With the grill off, cold and unplugged, a stir with a wooden spoon collapses the arch so pellets reach the auger again. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 no repair ### Hopper run empty so the auger lost its prime After a run-out the tube must refill before pellets reach the pot. The prime or feed setting in the manual does it. No repair: check it yourself 3. 03 low ### Damp pellets swollen in the auger tube Wet pellets expand and set like a plug. The tube is emptied and cleaned, and the hopper refilled from a dry bag. [Fixed by pellet grill auger and controller repair](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/services/pellet-grill-auger-and-controller-repair/) [On a pellet and hybrid grill](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/types/pellet-and-hybrid-grill-repair/) 4. 04 low ### Sheared pin or loose coupling The small pin between motor and auger breaks under a jam by design, so the motor spins free. A new pin or coupling is fitted after the jam is cleared. [Fixed by pellet grill auger and controller repair](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/services/pellet-grill-auger-and-controller-repair/) 5. 05 moderate ### Auger motor worn out A motor that hums without turning, or turns slowly under load, has reached its end. It is replaced with one made for the model. [Fixed by pellet grill auger and controller repair](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/services/pellet-grill-auger-and-controller-repair/) 6. 06 moderate ### Controller no longer driving the auger If the motor is sound but gets no power, the control board or its wiring is at issue. It is tested before a board is ordered. [Fixed by pellet grill auger and controller repair](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/services/pellet-grill-auger-and-controller-repair/) ## What else it could be. Most often confused with pellet grill temperature swings far from the set point, then grill error code on a pellet controller or digital panel. [All problems](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`Warning icon` Broil King · Temperature and probes](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/broil-king-warning-icon/) - [`LOW HEAT` Twin Eagles · Pellet feed and auger](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/twin-eagles-low-heat/) - [`DURING CHARCOAL STARTER MODE, YOU MUST KEEP THE LID OPEN` Twin Eagles · Mode, not a failure](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/twin-eagles-charcoal-starter/) - [`E1` Weber · Pellet feed and auger](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/weber-e1/) - [`E3` Weber · Flame and gas flow](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/weber-e3/) - [`E6` Weber · Ignition](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/weber-e6/) [7 more codes, by make](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Gas Grill Won't Light: Knob On, Clicking, No Flame** 7 causes](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/grill-wont-light/) ### Pellet Grill Temperature Swings Far From the Set Point 6 causes ### Grill Error Code on a Pellet Controller or Digital Panel 7 causes ### Grill Not Getting Hot Enough to Sear 6 causes ## The makes it happens on. 23 makes on this site; pellet grill not feeding: full hopper, starving fire can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 23 brands](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/brands/) ## Pellet Grill Not Feeding: Full Hopper, Starving Fire, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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Dry and sealed, in an airtight bin indoors or in a dry garage, not in the hopper outside for weeks. Empty the hopper before a long break. ### Can a stuck auger be cleared by running it longer? Not when damp pellets have set in the tube. Running the motor against a jam can shear the pin or burn the motor out. ### Why did the pellet grill stop feeding after a rainy week? Rain or humidity reached the pellets in the hopper and they swelled into the auger. The tube is emptied and cleaned before the grill will feed again. ### Does the type of pellet matter for feeding? Length and dust content vary between bags. Long pellets and lots of fine dust jam more often, and the manual lists what the maker expects. --- **[Read on the site: Pellet Grill Not Feeding: Full Hopper, Starving Fire: Causes and Fixes](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/problems/pellet-grill-not-feeding/)** **[Book a visit with BBQGrillRepair.center](https://bbqgrillrepair.center/schedule/)**