Got a problem with your Z Grills smoker? Use this guide to help find the more detailed article that can provide answers.
Start by finding your problem from the list below.
Smoky hopper
If smoke appears in the hopper, it is called “burn-back”.
Don’t panic, this can be managed in a calm step by step method.
Extra keywords: smokey, burn, back, backburn, burnback, burn-back, back-burn
Click here for more information.
Grill not firing up
If your grill is turning on (controller is working) but a fire is not being established, there could be a few causes.
The auger may not be delivering pellets, the fan may not be blowing air or the ignition rod may not be getting hot.
Extra keywords: smoulder, going out, piling up
Click here to diagnose the reason for no fire.
Noisy grill (clunking and grinding)
Clunking and grinding noises are just the wood pellets being broken up and feeding through into the fire-pot via the rotating auger.
This is normal and nothing to be worried about.
Extra keywords: squeaking, auger, pellets, rubbing
Click here for more information.
Temperature Issues
Temperature issues can be for a range of reasons from bad wood pellets through to controller or temperature sensor hardware issues.
Extra keywords: temp, inaccurate, wrong, inconsistent, 00, erratic, jumping, HER, ER1, Error 1.
Click here for more information.
Errors (Basic PID Controller)
If the Basic PID controller displays any of the four errors it will turn the grill off.
Click on the errors below to learn more.
LER: low temperature error
HER: high temperature error
ER1: temperature reading error
ER2: controller power error
Extra keywords: stopped, shut down
Click here for more information about how the controller works.
Errors (Wireless Controller)
Click here to understand all the error messages for the wireless controller.
App Connection Issues
Click here for all issues related to the Z Grills Aus iOS and Android App.
No power (blown fuse)
If the power trips or blows the fuse do not just replace the fuse as it will blow again. It is important to determine the cause of the power short and fix that first.
The most common component to fail is the metal ignition rod, however the auger motor or fan can also fail, causing the fuse to blow.
Extra keywords: blown, blank, screen, dead
Click here for steps to diagnose the issue.
Overflowing fire-pot
If the fire-pot fills up with pellets and there is no smoke or fire, the ignition rod is not working properly.
If there is fire, it can be a result of moist pellets or too much ash that has smothered the fire.
Extra keywords: flame, mushroom, overflowing, overflow
Click here help for help with this issue.
Leaking Grease
If any grease is leaking from the bottom of the drum or down the doors of the cabinet (700E models) check the following:
- Make sure the grill is sitting level (use a spirit level or phone level to confirm). This is the most common cause.
- Check to make sure the grease tray is sitting in properly, sloping down to the right (towards the V channel and grease bucket)
- If using a vented grease tray with multiple tiles of foil, make sure the left piece is tiled on on top of the left piece (so it flows down) and there is sufficient overlap. Oil can migrate back up underneath the foil if there isn’t sufficient overlap.
- Ensure food is not over the edge of the grease tray resulting in oil dripping down into the lower drum area.
Extra keywords: leak, overflow, dribble
If you can’t find the source of the leak, please Contact Us
Excessive smoke
If the grill is releasing a lot more smoke than normal, it is possible that the fire has gone out and a large number of wood pellets have accumulated in the fire-pot. This will normally be associated with a temperature spike too.
Turn the power to the grill off to stop more air-flow to the fire.
Extra keywords: excessive, excess, thick
Click here help for help with this issue.
Other issues
See the full list of troubleshooting articles by clicking here.
For other issues first try searching this site (search box at top of page) for a relevant keyword.
If you can’t find a useful answer, feel free to Contact Us