Traeger getting too hot - Traeger Industries BBQ070 All-in-One Grill / Smoker

The Traeger has no thermostat, it works by approximating how often the auger needs to push pellets into the fire box. If the temperature is within 20 degrees, Traeger considers that within range. If you live somewhere with extreme weather, this could affect your Traeger's performance. If it's cold outside, set the Traeger to a higher temp (or get one of their insulating blankets). If it's hot, set the Traeger lower. I hope this helps.

The Traeger has hot spots like any other grill, especially in the front and back where the grease pan doesn't cover and over the heat box. You have to move food around or put your thicker pieces over the hot spots.

If it's getting really hot, you probably have grease in the bottom that's catching on fire. Be sure to clean it out regularly.

Do you have grease in the bottom of your barrel? If it catches on fire, the Traeger cannot cool down by stopping the auger.

If you're cooking when it's hot outside, it's hard to maintain low temperatures. In the heat of summer, I have to tend my grill continually opening and closing the lid to keep the temperature down to my cooking temp of 180. That, of course, lets the smoke escape. If it gets too hot when the temperatures are moderate, i.e. 60s and 70s, the augur may be dumping too many pellets into the fire pot and need realigning. I suggest you contact Traeger customer service at http://www.traegergrills.com and see what they suggest.

Have you cleaned the ash out of the firepot? I clean mine with a shop vac after every five or six uses because the ash builds up and "insulates" the fire, keeping air from the fan reaching it so it just smolders and never really gets hot.

You didn't give any specifics which makes it difficult to respond because there are many reasons why a Traeger grill might not heat to the right temperature.

One of the most common is problems is the outside temperature. If it's hot, the Traeger may overheat unless it is tended constantly. When it's cold, the Traeger may not get as hot as it should based on a normal setting and you may have to set it higher to reach the temperature you want.

Other reasons could be mechanical in that the hot rod may not be keeping the firebox as hot as it should or the fan may not be running as hard as it should to get the temperature to the right setting.

If your firebox has not been cleaned, ash will effectively insulate the fire, preventing heat from building up in the cooker.

Some people clean their Traeger thoroughly after every use. Some never clean theirs until something goes wrong. I clean mine after every 4-6 uses, depending on how long my cooking sessions have been.

If I've been cooking pork shoulder low and slow for many hours, I'll clean it more often than if I had grilled steaks multiple times for 15-20 minutes at a time.

Likely, if you're cooking in "normal" outside temperature of 60-80 degrees, your Traeger should be holding fairly close to the temperature you've set. If it's not then you may have a fan or hot rod problem and you ought to contact Traeger to set what they suggest.

reset the check valve -- we get a "grill will not get hot" call 5 - 6 times a week and 99 out of 100 need to reset the check valve. 3 minutes and it is fixed!

Sounds like you need to replace the hot rod. Contact Traeger on their website at www.traegergrills.com for parts and instructions.

May be too much moisture on the hot rod.

From Traeger:
Why won't my Grill Ignite?

1. If your grill is plugged into an electrical outlet with a GFI (ground fault interrupter) plug, chances are the hot rod has absorbed or been exposed to too much moisture and is leaking to ground causing the plug to trip.
2. Open your cooking chamber lid, remove cooking grill, angled drip pan and U-shaped firepot cover. Is there ash build up in the firepot and/or around the firepot? If so, this needs to be cleaned out. The ash is choking out the fire.
3. Check the fuse on the back of the control board. To do this, first UNPLUG the grill from the electrical outlet. Then, unscrew the control board and look at the fuse-is it blown or not?
4. If the fuse is good, check for power by switching the colored plugs first. Unplug the purple plug and the orange plug. Plug the purple plug into the orange plug. Now plug the power cord back into the electrical outlet and turn the grill on. Does the induction fan operate? If so, you will need a new hot rod and fuse. If not, you will need a new control board. Unplug the purple from the orange and reconnect the plugs together to their correct color plug.
5. Always start your grill on the SMOKE setting.