We get asked this question quite frequently, and we find this typically happens with propane barbecues, but we’ll discuss the issue with both propane and natural gas. The most common reason why a grill won’t get hot enough has a very simple fix that takes 15-20 minutes. This usually happens after a person has recently bought a new tank or just refilled or exchanged their old one. If you find your grill isn’t heating up, follow these steps:
Shut off your grill and close your propane tank, then disconnect it.
Wait 15/20 minutes, then connect your tank back on.
Open your tank extremely slowly. This is the most important step! The reason why, is because in the new tanks there is a safety ball valve inside and if you open it too fast there’s a quick pressure release that will cause that ball to shoot up and choke off your gas.
Turn on your burners and ignite the bbq.
After following these steps wait about 10 minutes, see how your barbecue reacts and if it is able up to 500-600 degrees. Usually 90% of the time when we tell our customers this trick it solves the issue. If it does not for whatever reason, then the only other issue it would really be is a problem with your hose and regulator.
Most hose and regulators last between 5-7 years, but of course there are occasions where they last much longer or can give out more quickly with no real explanation. Hopefully if it gives out faster than expected, it will be covered under warranty from your barbecue’s manufacturer. If not, a new hose and regulator are not too expensive ranging anywhere from $30-50, and are very easy to replace. You may ask why do these regulators not last? And what happens to them? Well over time there’s some wear and tear, it can gunk up inside, or water or moisture can get into them. That liquid can freeze and thaw over the winter, year after year, leading to them eventually not working. When it comes to a propane grill these are the two main issues that cause 99% of people to ask why their grill isn’t getting up to temp. Other simple solutions include; your tank not being filled, and there being a leak in your hose but hopefully you'd smell that very quickly and be able to replace it.
Now let’s look at natural gas barbecues and why a heat issue might occur. First off in our experience this rarely happens with natural gas grills but when it does it’s because of one of two reasons:
There is a leak in the hose and it needs to be replaced. This is usually caused by rodents chewing on the hose which is hard to prevent at times.
The natural gas pressure on your house has dropped and you need to bring in a gas fitter to reset the pressure. We honestly don’t know why this happens or what you can do to prevent this, but we’ve found this to be the case and when we’ve suggested this solution it seems to have worked. Like we mentioned above though this is a very rare situation that generally does not happen with natural gas barbecues.