Your pellet smoker’s health depends on the quality of the smoke it emits.
That’s why it’s essential to check its smoke stack to make sure that nothing is causing it. If smoke is coming from your pellet hopper, it means something is probably wrong with the system.
So, why is smoke coming out of my pellet hopper?
Pellet stoves and pellet stove inserts are devices that burn wood pellets to heat your home.
Unfortunately, pellet stoves and stove inserts are notoriously finicky. A common problem with pellet stoves is that the hopper gets clogged with ash.
When this occurs, smoke is emitted from the pellet stove as the pellets are burned through the top of the hopper. This smoke is usually brown in color and harmless to humans.
However, if it continues for too long, it may start to smell a bit toxic and could lead to an appliance fire. Fortunately, this problem is easy to fix.
First, remove all the pellets from the hopper. Next, remove the hopper cover and clean out the hopper with a vacuum attachment or a bristle brush.
Finally, vacuum any leftover ash out of the hopper and put it back in the stove or stove insert.
Contents
Why Is Smoke Coming Out Of My Pellet Hopper?
Bad Quality Wood Pellets
Wood pellets are a great alternative to firewood and charcoal.
However, they aren’t of very good quality. Many pellet stoves rely on wood pellets to generate heat.
However, some wood pellets actually contain too much sawdust and too little actual wood. As a result, the pellet stoves can’t burn the pellets well, and the smoke is coming out.
This smoke isn’t good for the stove, and it also pollutes the air. The poor-quality pellets also cause other problems.
For example, the stove has trouble lighting them and keeping them burning. As a result, many people’s expensive stoves are no longer working because the pellets are of poor quality.
Tunneling in Hopper
Hoppers are an important component of pellet stoves.
They hold pellets and feed them into the fire as needed. However, some hoppers are defective.
If a hopper is defective, smoke may come out of it when the stove is turned on. This can be caused by a tunneling defect.
Tunneling is when the hopper’s walls break down and pellets start falling through the holes. When pellets fall through the hopper, they cause smoke to billow out.
This smoke can make it difficult to breathe and sleep.
Induction Fan Not Working Properly
Recently, my pellet stove stopped working properly.
The fan wasn’t spinning fast enough, and the smoke was coming out of my pellet hopper. Because I’m in Florida, I wanted to use a fan that would keep the air cool instead of burning up a lot of energy.
I did some research and found an induction fan that would fit my stove. I installed the fan, turned it on, and saw that it worked right away.
The fan is now working great and keeps my pellet stove cool.
Grease Flare-ups
Pellet stoves are very popular in the US because they burn fuel more efficiently than other stoves.
However, they also pose a significant safety risk. When pellets are kept in the hopper, heat or air can sometimes cause them to catch fire.
This can cause the pellets to spill out of the hopper and explode, creating a large flame that can ignite nearby materials. This can cause serious injury or even death.
To prevent this from happening, always store your pellets in a cool, dry place, and make sure you don’t overload the hopper.
Controller Malfunctioning
My Smoke Hollow Pellet Grill’s pellet hopper stopped sending pellets to the burn pot, so there is too much smoke coming from it.
I understand that this is a common problem and that many people have experienced it. I also understand that my pellet hopper has been improperly installed and that there is a fix.
I need somebody, perhaps you, to help me complete the setup on my pellet grill so that I can be able to use it for grilling purposes.
Smoke and Fire from Hopper during Pellet Grill Operation
The hopper on your GrillGrates pellet grill stores pellets for later use.
As such, it is important to be careful when opening the hopper door. Opening the hopper door when the grill is in operation can cause a pellet fire or hopper fire.
The pellet fire can spread across the grill surface and ignite the surrounding areas. This fire can cause severe burns and property damage.
Therefore, it is imperative that you avoid opening the hopper door when the grill is in operation. For your safety, always open or close the hopper door when the grill is turned off.
Smoke and Fire from Hopper after Shutting Down Pellet Grill
After shutting down the pellet grill and leaving the hopper on, there was smoke coming from the hopper.
The smoke was coming from the pellets that were in the hopper and were not burning, so they were smoking up the house.
The pellets were cooling off, and some of them were burning off.
How to Fix Smoke and Fire Coming out of Pellet Grill Hopper
Replace Circuit Board
The pellet grill hopper is the part of the grill that stores the pellets for feeding the pellet grill flamer.
If the pellet grill hopper is damaged or not working, the smoke and fire that come out of the pellet grill hopper may be dangerous or unhealthy.
In this case, you should replace the pellet grill hopper immediately.
Clean the Temperature Probe
To ensure that the pellet grill works properly, you should clean the temperature probe regularly.
The probe is located on the bottom of the pellet grill’s hopper. If the hopper is not clean, it will stop feeding the pellets to the grill.
However, cleaning the hopper is not easy. First, you must take off the lid of the hopper and remove the probe.
Then, you must clean out the hopper with soapy water and let it dry completely before putting it back. Finally, you place the probe back on the bottom of the hopper and screw back on the hopper lid.
If you don’t clean the hopper regularly, it will result in smoke and fire coming out of the hopper.
Adjust P Setting
If you adjust the P setting on your pellet grill to a lower level, then the smoke and fire coming out of the hopper will die down.
This is because the P setting determines the maximum capacity of the grill, and if your setting is too high, the grill will not be able to burn the pellets fast enough, and the smoke will begin coming out.
If you use too low a P setting, then the grill will not be able to burn the pellets fast enough, which will slow down your cooking process.
Store the Pellets Precisely
Store the pellets in the hopper in a precise manner. If the pellets are not stored appropriately, they will smother, and this will result in fire and smoke coming out of the hopper.
It is best to put the pellets in the hopper of the pellet grill in a certain way.
Vacuum Out the Dust From the Auger Channel
You may have smoked your pellet grill for quite some time and noticed smoke coming out of the auger channel, and either the smoke detector activated or the smoke was so thick it clogged up your pellet grill.
When this happens, you should vacuum out the auger channel to remove dust that may have accumulated over time.
This will not only prevent smoke from coming out of the auger channel but will also keep your pellet grill clean.
Resolve Backburn
Backburning means burning the pellets left in the hopper after a long cook cycle.
The pellets are burned in a position high in the pellet grill so they don’t send smoke and flames out through the front of the grill.
Many pellet grill users don’t backburn their grill and end up with smoke coming out of the pellet grill hopper.
As a result, they have to stop grilling, clean the hopper, and try cooking again. If you don’t want to deal with this problem, you should put it on the backburner.
Sift the Pellets
A pellet grill hopper is an essential accessory for a pellet grill.
It stores the pellets that feed the pellet grill, keeping it running. But over time, pellet grill hoppers tend to break down and need to be replaced.
One of the most common problems is a blockage in the hopper. This can be caused by bits of meat or grease falling into the hopper.
If the hopper is clogged, smoke will pour out of it, and a fire will start. To fix this, you’ll need to remove the hopper and clean it out.
This is a fairly easy process. First, open the hopper and remove the screws that hold it in place.
Then, remove the hopper and clean it with a wire brush or hose. Finally, once it’s clean, put the hopper back together and reinstall it on the grill.
Clean Out Ash From the Firepot
If you have a pellet grill, you may have noticed that smoke is coming out of the hopper.
If so, follow these simple instructions to fix the problem. First, remove the cooking grate from the grill.
Second, move the hopper to the ash cleanout hole. Third, remove ash from the hopper by sliding a small brush in the tube.
Forth, replace the cooking grate and replace the hopper. By cleaning out the hopper, you can solve this problem quickly and enjoy smoking again.
Get Sirflow Properly
The hopper on a pellet grill is where the pellets that power the grill are stored.
Over time, it can become damaged and begin leaking pellets into the grill’s interior or out of the hopper’s lid.
However, these leaks can often cause the fire to flare up because the pellets are now burning inside the grill instead of coming out through the grill’s smoke stack.
Then, smoke begins to pour out of the grill’s smoke stack, and the fire becomes out of control. Fortunately, these leaks can usually be fixed with Sirflow.
Sirflow is a maintenance product for pellet grills that can fix leaks in the pellet grill hopper and stop leaks from happening in the future.
What To Do When Fire or Smoke Starts Coming Out of Hopper?
The very first thing you check when fire starts coming out of your hoppers is that you have sufficient air flow across the coals.
Unplugging the pellet grill will preserve your warranty; unplugging the grill will also prevent any electrical accidents from happening as well.
Keep the hopper and pellet grill doors open while checking to make sure the flames aren’t too high; ideally, you want the flame to be an inch or two above the coals.
When the smoke from the hopper begins to fade, plug the grill back in and check the fire once again.
Wear heat-resistant gloves to handle a charcoal smoker; use tongs to move the hot briquettes instead of your hands.
Also Read: Does a Traeger Smoke at 225 F?
Conclusion
In conclusion, ash and sawdust often get stuck in the hopper of pellet smokers.
If the hopper continues to clog up, the smoke will leak out of the chutes or the exhaust port. This will cause a big mess and could cause a fire.
That’s why it’s important to clean out your hopper after every use.
