Why Is My Pit Boss Electric Smoker Not Heating Up? – 7 Most Common Reasons

This can be frustrating if you prepare the meat, getting everything sorted only to find out your pellet grill just won’t heat up to the temperature you need! This problem stops your barbecue plans in their tracks, leaving you wondering, why is my Pit Boss electric smoker not heating up?
In Camping Harmony‘s article, we’re going to walk you through all the steps to find out what’s going wrong and how to fix it. You’ll learn about the simple things that might be causing the problem, easy tips and tricks to not only fix your smoker but also to keep it running smoothly in the future. 

HOW LONG DO PIT BOSS GRILLS TAKE TO HEAT UP?

The Pit Boss grill has become a household name synonymous with quality and reliability. Knowing how long your Pit Boss grill takes to heat up is crucial for meal planning and execution, especially for freshman. 
Wood pellets fuel Pit Boss grills, giving meals a deep, smokey flavor and speeding up heat. The time it takes to heat up your Pit Boss grill depends on its type—portable, ordinary, or commercial.

The ideal cooking temperature, 350°F to 400°F, takes 15 to 20 minutes for most Pit Boss grills. Some larger models or those started in chilly regions may require 30 minutes.
Smoking requires colder temperatures (200°F to 250°F), thus your Pit Boss grill may heat up in 10 to 15 minutes. However, cooking or searing at 500°F or higher may take 25 minutes on the grill. Consider your grill’s type, pellet quality, and maintenance to maximize its cooking. 

WHY IS MY PIT BOSS ELECTRIC SMOKER NOT HEATING UP?

This article discusses power concerns and airflow bottlenecks as frequent heating issues and offers experienced guidance and solutions: 

Power Issues

Faulty Connection

A primary reason your Pit Boss smoker isn’t heating up could be a faulty power connection. This issue might stem from loose plug points, damaged cords, or internal wiring problems within the smoker itself.

Solution:

Look for any visible signs of wear or damage on the smoker’s power cord. Ensure the smoker is plugged into a working outlet. Try plugging in another appliance to verify the outlet’s functionality. The last option is checking if internal connections are secure. This step might require you to open the smoker’s back panel. 

Extension Cord Issue

Using an extension cord that isn’t right can also cause heating problems. If the plug wasn’t made for high-wattage devices, it might not give your user enough power to work right.

Working with these conditions for a long time can put stress on the smoker’s heating element and electrical systems, which can cause them to wear out faster than expected and need fixes that could be expensive.

Solution:

Look for cords specified for high-power appliances. Ensure the extension cord is rated for outdoor use and can handle the wattage of your Pit Boss smoker.  If possible, plug your smoker directly into the outlet to avoid potential power drops from the extension cord.

Major Causes Of Pit Boss Electric Smoker Not Heating Up

Low-quality Pellets

If you use low-quality pellets in your Pit Boss electric grill, it may not work as well. If you use bad pellets, you might end up with more ash, which can block movement even more and make the smoker less efficient at cooking.

Also, they usually have fillers and binders in them that can make your food burn unevenly, stay at lower temperatures, and taste bad. 

Solution:

Make sure the pellets are made from 100% pure lumber and don’t have any chemicals added. This will not only help your smoker make and keep heat better, but it will also make the food you smoke taste better. Investing in high-quality, food-safe pellets made just for smoking is the best way to fix problems with pellet quality.  

Igniter Faulty 

Lighting the pellets in your Pit Boss electric smoker is the job of the igniter. This starts the burning process.  If your smoker’s igniter doesn’t work, it can’t really be used. Igniter failure can be caused by many things, such as normal wear and tear, being exposed to water, or electrical problems.

Solution: 

First, look at the igniter to see if it has any damage or rust that you can see. If there is no power, the issue might be with the smoker’s electrical system and needs to be fixed by a professional.

Remember to use original substitute parts to make sure they work with your smoker and last a long time.

Airflow Problems

Dirty Ash Tray

Poor airflow can also make burning less efficient, which can make you use more pellets or wood chips, which makes your smoking sessions less efficient and costlier. If this thing gets in the way, the temperature inside the smoker could drop or not rise.

Also, the buildup of ash can attract water, which can damage the smoker’s internal parts and cause them to rust. 

Solution:

Before each use, you should check and clean the ash tray. Besides emptying the ash tray, give it a thorough clean periodically. Getting too much ash can make it hard to control the temperature and flow of air. Use a brush to remove ash residue and, if necessary, wash it with soap and water.

Blocked Airway

Poor combustion of pellets or wood chips can happen when the pathway is closed. This can cause the fuel to not burn completely and produce less heat. This makes it harder for the smoker to heat up and can also give your food a bitter, smoky taste because the smoke inside the cooking area gets old and too concentrated.

Solution:

Make cleaning your smoker’s airways a part of your regular maintenance routine. Open your smoker and inspect the air vents and chimney for any blockages. Use a brush or a vacuum to remove debris from vents and the chimney. Leaves, dirt, or even spider webs can obstruct airflow.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PIT BOSS GRILL HEAT UP FASTER?

I’ve discovered a few tricks to get my Pit Boss Grill heating up faster. Let me share with you what I’ve learned: 

• Preheating is Key: I used to be impatient, skipping the preheat stage, but I’ve learned better.

Why It Matters: Giving my Pit Boss a good 10-15 minutes to preheat not only brings it up to temp faster overall but ensures my food cooks evenly from the start.

What I Do: I crank it to the highest setting initially, then dial it back to my cooking temp. This method gets it hot, quick.

• Starting Clean: I can’t stress enough how starting with a clean grill has changed the game for me. When there’s a lot of grease and food on the grill, it takes longer to heat up.

Impact: Cleaner grates and interior mean better airflow, which directly affects how fast the grill reaches the desired temperature.

My Routine: After each use, once the grill has cooled down, I give it a good scrub with a grill brush. Every few sessions, I’ll do a deeper clean, especially focusing on the burn pot where ash can accumulate.

• Quality of Pellets: The type of pellets you use makes a huge difference. I learned this the hard way.

Lesson Learned: Low-quality pellets just don’t burn as hot or as consistently, leading to longer heat-up times.

My Choice: Now, I always opt for high-quality, low-moisture pellets. It’s been a game-changer in how quickly my grill heats up.

• Consider the Environment: I never realized how much wind affected my grill’s heat-up time until I started paying attention.

My Observation: On windy days, my grill struggled to maintain temperature.

Solution: I’ve since moved my grill to a more sheltered spot. It’s made a noticeable difference.

FINAL THOUGHT

Take a moment to remember how important it is to be patient and pay attention. In my quest to learn and figure out what’s wrong, I’ve come to understand that this issue is usually caused by a few main things: problems with the power source, airflow blocks, poor pellet quality, and igniter system failures. To make your Pit Boss smoker work better, make sure to clean and fix it up every time you use it.