Woodridge Series Grill Not Igniting

Symptoms of a Grill not Igniting

If your grill is not igniting it could mean a couple of things:

• The grill is not getting power. If the ignition switch lights up, the grill is getting power.
• The controller is not turning on.
• The ignition sequence is incorrect
• The pellets are not igniting, or the grill is not getting hot.
  
  

What to Do

1. Confirm Power

1. Is the grill getting power?  Ensure the grill is getting power.
2. Does the controller turn on? If the grill is getting power, but the controller is not turning on, see Woodridge Series Controller Not Turning on.

2. Check Ignition

Is the ignition sequence correct? If the controller turns on, but the grill is not igniting, walk through the following steps to ignite your grill.

See How to Start a Woodridge Series Grill for more in-depth instructions.

1. Tap any button to wake the grill. 
   The controller will display, "---F", or "---C", depending on if the controller is configured for Fahrenheit or Celsius.
   
2. Turn the dial to set the grill's temperature, and press the dial to confirm.
   
   • Once the temp is confirmed, the ignite button should start blinking orange.
3. Within 5 seconds of setting the temp, press the ignite button.
   
   • If successful, the ignite button should stop blinking, and you should hear the grill start to ignite: the fan should start running and pellets should start falling into the firepot.

3. Check Pellet Quality

1. Are the pellets good? If the correct ignition process is being followed, but the grill is not igniting, check the pellet quality.
   •  Pellets should have a nice sheen and have a "snap" to them when breaking (similar to a pencil).
     

     Pellet snap	Example of good and bad pellets. The shiny pellets are good, the dull ones are bad

2. If the pellets crumble or are dull looking (not shiny), empty the hopper and try a new bag of pellets.
   • NOTE: It is possible for a new bag of pellets to be compromised. Be sure to have the customer check the pellets for quality, not just going off of when the bag was opened. 

4. Confirm Firmware

1. Is the firmware up to date? Check the grill's firmware to ensure it is up to date.

5. Verify Components Are Working

Are the components working correctly? If pellet quality is good and firmware is up to date, check grill components:

1. Ensure the grill is cool and finished with its shutdown cycle.
2. Ensure there are pellets in the hopper, add pellets to the hopper (if needed).
3. Open grill and remove the grates, drip tray, and manifold.
4. Inspect the firepot:
   • Check for blockage and excessive debris that can prevent the grill from maintaining a flame.
   • Check the firepot for ash pucks, excessive pellets, sawdust, or debris. All of these can block the holes in the firepot that provide oxygen to the fire. 
   • Clean out the firepot. This is most easily done with a shop vac.
   • Set a temperature and ignite the grill:
   • If the pellets are not feeding into the firepot, run the auger priming cycle.
   • Allow enough time for pellets to go from the hopper to the firepot.
5. Ignite the grill and check the following components are working as designed:
   
   • Auger: Check to see if the auger is spinning (on and off, not continuously).
   • Fan: Hover hand over the firepot and see if there is heat. Listen for the fan running. Check for a light breeze from the fan.
   • Ignitor: Check to see if the pellets are smoking.
6. If all components listed are working correctly, stop here. You have resolved the issue.
   
   • If any or all of the components are not working correctly, continue troubleshooting.

6. Inspect Non-Working Components

1. Prepare the grill to trouble shoot the auger, fan, and ignitor:
   • Run the shutdown cycle.
   • Ensure the grill is completely cooled.
   • Unplug the grill.
2. Remove the auger box panel:
   • With the auger box attached to the bottom of the grill, unscrew the 10 screws from the auger box (2 on each end, 3 along both sides).
     
3. Follow the table below to check each component that wasn't working:
   

   Symptom	Troubleshooting	Resolution
   Auger not spinning	Check the connection from the auger motor to the motherboard. Unplug and plug it back in to the motherboard.	Plug the grill in and see if the auger is spinning. If auger still does not spin, contact customer service.
   Fan not running	Check the fan connection to the motherboard. Unplug and plug it back in to the motherboard.	Plug the grill in and see if the fan is running. If the fan still does not run, contact customer service.
   Pellets not smoking	Check the ignitor connection to the motherboard. Unplug and plug it back in to the motherboard.	If the pellets still are not smoking after grill is plugged back in and ignited, contact customer service.