How To Troubleshoot Pit Boss Overheating Issue: Pro Guide

Pit Boss Overheating – Common Causes And Solutions

Let me share some of the most common reasons that can lead you toward the Pit Boss overheating problem. Also, I will suggest the solution to each error that will help you eliminate this problem every time it occurs.

Hot Weather Outside

Your Pit Boss grill can overheat for several reasons, hot weather outside is the most common. It can also happen when you start cooking directly under the sunlight. 

As you all know that most grills and smokers manufacturers use high-quality metal or stainless steel material therefore, it can get hot quicker without you need to turn on the appliance. 

Moreover, when you start cooking, regardless of what cooking temperature you’ve set, your grill may start overheating, which can burn or overcook your brisket or other meats. 

So, if you have also been using your Pit Boss grill under direct sunlight, you should see a well-shaded area, like under a canopy, and grill your food there. 

Using More Wood Pellets Than Required

Well, it is another common and apparent reason that you can imagine. When your auger takes more pellets than required toward the fire pot for burning, it will automatically raise the temperature of your cooking chamber. 

In case you don’t know, some pellets may remain unburn in the previous cooking session and stay around the fire pot most of the time. 

Therefore, when you grill for the next time, those unburnt pellets start to burn with the upcoming ones. As a result, the temperature inside the cooking chamber begins to rise. 

The solution to this problem is to ensure you clean up all the mess with a vacuum and start cooking with the right amount of pellets. Also, ensure that the auger is working properly and moving the right amount of pellets toward the fire pot.

Recommended: If you are a pellet grill user, you would surely like to read our post in which I have highlighted all the essential points regarding how long pellets last in a pellet grill.

Opening Grill’s Lid Frequently

Opening your grill lid frequently can make it struggle to maintain constant heat. It can result in both overheating or underheating the grill. 

For example, when you open the lid to check your food, the chamber loses heat and smoke. After that, the grill tries to bring back the same heat by using extra fuel, and the temperature rises quickly, making the grill hotter than it should.

Though it is necessary to keep an eye on the food you are cooking, I recommend you use a wired meat thermometer that can tell you the meat’s internal temperature without opening the lid. 

Faulty Control Board

It is a technical yet strong reason behind Pit Boss overheating. If the control board of your grill isn’t working appropriately, it can also cause the issue of overheating. 

For example, when you have set the cooking temperature at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, and the control board isn’t working correctly, there is a possibility that the auger will feed too many pellets toward the fire pot, making the grill too hot within no time. 

To overcome this problem, you will simply need to install a new control panel that isn’t expensive and can install easily.

But you must also see other things, like the weather outside and the number of pellets you burn, before changing the control panel.

Unsuitable P Setting

It is a bit of technical stuff, but it can be the reason for your Pit Boss grill overheating. That’s why you must learn how the P setting works in Pit Boss.

It is actually helpful in keeping the temperature inside the grill constant, and it also monitors the auger’s speed that feeds pellets into the fire pot. 

There are six different settings in Pit Boss from 1 to 6, and by default, the grill is on the 4th setting. The higher the settings, the lower the temperature, and the lower the setting, the higher the temperature is how the P setting works. 

Now, if you are facing an overheating issue, you must check if the P setting is on the default mode or above because keeping it at level 2 or 3 can make it run hotter.

Meat Probe Issue

Sometimes, the grill works appropriately, and the meat probe does not, which means it can show you the inaccurate internal temperature of your meat. 

To tackle this issue, you will either need to use two different meat probes and confirm that the probe you are using is working fine. 

If the second probe shows you different results from the other, it means the grill isn’t overheating, and there is an issue with your meat probe. Simply buy a quality one. 

Grease On The Grill Grates

You must have an idea that grease is a highly flammable material. So, if there’s any grease buildup inside your grill or its grates, it can catch fire during the cooking process. 

Consequently, unnecessary fire while cooking can also make your Pit Boss overheat, which can overcook your food and burn it from different parts. 

To avoid this problem, ensure you regularly inspect your grill and clean it if any excessive grease is piling up. 

Rusty Grill

We usually place our grills and smokers outside, and they bear different kinds of weather conditions, which can damage the metal and its color. 

A rusty or discolored grill can struggle to resist direct sunlight and high heat, and it may not conduct heat evenly.

Hence, the chances of overheating potentially increase. You will then need to paint the grill’s exterior to resolve this problem and make it heat-resistant.

Dirty RTD Temperature Probe

It is another Pit Boss overheating problem that you are responsible for. An RTD refers to a detector that measures the temperature inside the cooking chamber of your grill. 

If it gets dirty, it misbehaves and starts to show the inaccurate internal temperature of the grill. It can say that your grill’s temperature is higher when it actually isn’t.

So, you must look after the RTD and ensure it is clean enough to detect the accurate temperature of your cooking appliance.

Damaged Fire Pot

You may not notice it, but sometimes the fire pot inside the grills can damage due to regular use under several conditions.

For example, a few little holes in the fire pot will burn the pellets relatively quicker, which may end up overheating the grill. 

Suppose that’s the case. You will then need to confirm it while you dismantle the parts of your grill to clean it and install a new fire pot to get rid of this problem.

Recommended Post: I endorse you to go through the tips and tricks for using a pellet grill that will help you in various situations, such as maintaining a constant temperature, avoiding flare-ups, and keeping your grill clean and new.