How to Troubleshoot a Weber Gas Grill That is Overheating
Weber gas grills that overheat should be checked over thoroughly before using. Prolonged high heat can cause the appliance to wear out faster. An overheating grill could also be dangerous if the burner is malfunctioning or pieces of it are beginning to flake off, which creates larger holes for the gas to escape. The path that gas travels from the tank to the Weber burners through the fuel line and regulator should also be checked for normal operation. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Raise the cover on the Weber to remove the cooking grates and lava rocks or briquettes. You want a clear, unobstructed view of the burners underneath.
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Ignite the Weber normally as you would to preheat for grilling.
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3
Dial each burner control knob clockwise one at a time to check the increase in flame height for the burner controlled by that knob. The flame should increase steadily as you adjust the burner control knob. Check to see if the flames increase faster than normal, or reach maximum size before the control knob is turned to the highest setting. This often indicates a burner problem.
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4
Shut off the grill and wait for it to cool. Tap around the edges of the burner to look for signs of cracking or metal flaking. This type of damage is typically age related and causes the gas vents around the perimeter of the burner to become wider. If too much metal chips away, the flames will jet from the burner and cannot be managed by the control knobs. You essentially have a gas fire bordering on out of control and the burner must be replaced.
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Disconnect the hose and regulator from the gas tank by turning the coupler counter-clockwise. Unscrew the couplers on the other end of the fuel line where they connect to the back panel of the grill. If the burner shows no obvious signs of damage, replace the hose line and regulator assembly. If the regulator goes bad, under most circumstances it will either shut off gas flow completely or allow gas to flow too fast through the fuel line to the grill, resulting in overheating when the Weber is ignited.
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Tips & Warnings
Write down the model number of your Weber or refer to the owner's manual to get the number for a specific replacement part, such as a new burner or regulator.
