Why My Camp Chef Pellet Grill Not Heating Up + How To Fix [Solved]

Camp Chef Pellet Grill not heating up is a typical grill or smoker problem almost every grill owner faces. A thick bed of ash in the firebox, a bad hot rod, and a clogged auger are some reasons behind the grill issue. 

If you don’t fix those issues, you can’t ignite your Camp Chef Pellet Grill. Thus you will find your Camp Chef won’t smoke your food.

Fortunately, we compiled this Camp Chef Troubleshooting guide to detect and solve grill problems. So, continue to learn the troubleshooting steps you should follow & apply to let your Camp Chef Grill function correctly. 

Why Is My Camp Chef Pellet Grill Not Heating Up [5 Easy Fixes]

Camp chef pellet won’t get hot or ignite for multiple reasons. And this section will let you know about those culprits that prevent the Camp Chef grill from heating up. 

1. A Lot of Ashes In The Fire Pot

A fire pot filled with ash can be the culprit that won’t heat up your pellet grill. A thick bed of ash in the fire pot can smother the fire. Consequently, you will never get the better heat output you need for the cook. You should clean the firebox after every cook. 

Solution:

Check the firebox for ashes. Just pull out the burner clean-out lever and the ashes in the firepot will drop into the burn cup. Indeed, it’s super simple to remove ash from the firepot. Also, ensure you remove the pellets from the firepot (if any are left there).  

Well, you may face an ash cleanout system stuck when bringing a new ash cleanout system. Don’t worry! You can also fix the issue easily by following our guide on the ash cleanout system stuck.

2. A Defective Hot Rod

You can expect little to no heat output if the heating rod gets faulty. Now, you may ask- why is my Camp Chef heating rod not working and how can I understand? Electrical faults can make the hot rod defective.

You can easily understand if the heating rod is not functioning properly. Just pull out the grill grate, grease tray, and heat deflector. Then, vacuum out the pellets from the bottom of your grill. 

Now, restart the grill. If restarting your pellet grill doesn’t work and pellets are getting to the burner cap, we bet the heating rod gets faulty. 

Solution:

It’s indispensable to make the Camp Chef Hot Rod Replacement if the hot rod doesn’t function. So, get a new hot rod and install it in place of the existing one. If you don’t know how to replace the Camp Chef Pellet Grill hot rod, check out this article.

However, you can hire a professional to do this replacement workflow if you are not mechanically inclined. 

3. A Jammed Auger

The auger of your pellet grill helps to move the wood pellets from the hopper to the fire pot. If the auger gets jammed or blocked, it can’t feed pellets to the fire pot. Consequently, your Camp Chef grill won’t ignite. And when the grill will not ignite, how can you expect it to heat up? 

An auger may get clogged if you put wet or moist pellets in the hopper. Filling the hopper to its brim can also be the culprit as the auger struggles to move the pellets. Therefore, a defective auger motor is also responsible for not turning the auger. 

Solution:

Clearing the auger jam is the solution to the auger issue. To unclog the auger, you should disassemble the pellet grill. Once you disassemble the unit, reach out to the auger and use a rubber mallet to tap on it. It will help to clear the pellets stuck with the auger. We recommend you check out this tutorial to remove the auger blockage.

If the auger won’t turn after unclogging it, it’s time to replace the auger motor. 

4. Dirty or Defective Temperature Sensor

Cleaning the inside of the grill after a couple of cooks is a must. If you don’t tidy up the grill, the RTD probe or temp sensor will get covered by grease or vapor. Consequently, the temperature sensor will provide an inaccurate temperature reading. 

On the other hand, you will not get accurate temperature reading if the temperature sensor is not connected to the electronic board. 

Solution:

First off, check the temperature sensor of your grill to see whether the sensor gets covered with dirt or not. If it gets dirty, wet the temperature probe with soapy water. Then, use a damp cloth and start wiping the temp sensor to clean it. 

Next, inspect the wire connection between the temperature sensor and the electric board. If the wire connection gets loose, tighten it up. 

5. Camp Chef Controller Issues

The Controller of the Camp Chef will let you control the entire pellet grill. From turning on to adjusting temperature, you can’t operate the grill without the controller. Faulty wire connections could make the controller defective. 

Solution:

If the controller of your Camp Chef gets faulty, you need to replace it. A controller will cost you around $200 bucks. Watch this tutorial if you don’t know how to replace & install Camp Chef Controllers. 

How To Set Temp On Camp Chef Pellet Grill?

You need to set your Camp Chef temperature perfectly to get your desired temperature. So, follow the below steps to set the temperature accurately on your Camp Chef Pellet Grill and get a better-smoked result.  

• Add wood pellets to the hopper and fill it
• Connect your grill to an electric outlet and turn it on. 
• Now, set the dial to Feed to let the auger move from the hopper to the firepot.
• When you can see the auger is moving pellets to the firepot, turn the dial to your desired cooking temperature. 
• Wait for a couple of minutes until you hear the torchy burner lighting sound. When the heating rod gets hot, it starts igniting the pellets. You can notice more smoke in this stage coming out from the grill. 
• It will take 10-20 minutes to preheat your pellet grill. 
• Keep the food on the grill grate when the temperature reaches the desired temperature level. 

FAQ

How long does it take a Camp Chef to heat up?

It will take your Camp Chef about 8 minutes to heat up from the startup process. Then, it will take another 10-20 minutes to reach the desired temperature level.

Why is my pellet grill losing heat?

Your pellet grill will lose heat if you don’t use dry & fresh wood pellets or if there is a thick bed of ash in the firebox. So, use hardwood pellets and clean out the ash burner. 

How do I raise the temperature in my smoker?

Just open the vents of your pellet grill fully to allow more air to flow to raise the temperature in your smoker. 

Conclusion

Throughout this entire Camp Chef troubleshooting guide, we discussed & highlighted the culprits that prevent the grill from heating or igniting. A bad hot rod, a faulty temp sensor probe, and a clogged auger are some reasons for not igniting the pellet grill. 

Follow the troubleshooting steps we mentioned above to detect and solve the pellet grill issues. If you fail to fix the Camp Chef grill issues, don’t hesitate to call the Camp Chef support team.