You have a Pit Boss brand smoker and you are preparing to smoke your evening food and all of a sudden you find that the Pit Boss heating element not working.
There can be three many reasons for a Pit Boss heating element not working, bad connections, failure of the heating element, and faulty elements that needs to be replaced.
Here I want to clarify that we are talking about a Pit Boss Electric Smoker. Let us tell you that the pellet grill does not have a heating element but an igniter or hot rod. If you are looking for a solution to your pellet grill problem, you will find it here as well.
Why Pit Boss Heating Element Not Working
How to find out exactly what the problem is with the Pit Boss smoker heating? This article is going to give you the solution to this problem. You just have to read till the end.
Before starting make sure the grill is disconnected from the power outlet and allow the grill to cool.
- Bad Connection; The Pit Boss heating element not working, this could be due to a bad power connection. Be sure to confirm that the heating element screw hasn’t loosened over time, if so, reattach it firmly.
- Heating Element Failure; To test whether the heating element is working, remove the cooking components from the grill. Now set the control knob to high and verify that the indicator lights are on and the heating element is working properly will appear on the heating element.
If a faulty element is found during checking, we highly recommend that you call an expert to replace it as it can be a bit dangerous if you make a mistake.
However, replacing a heating element is not rocket science. If you have even a little electrical experience of electrical work then it is easy to do.
How To Pit Boss Heating Element Replacement
Replacing a heating element is easy, but it can be dangerous if you don’t follow safety instructions. We highly recommend that you call an expert if you do not have any electrical experience.
Step By Step
- The first thing you need to do is disconnect the electrical connections to the Pit Boss smoker.
- Open the unit door and remove everything from above the heating element.
- Remove cooking grates, water pan, water pan supports, chips box, and heating element.
- Replace with a new heating element and make sure the wire connects to the correct side.
- Fit everything as before and you now have a working Pit Boss heating element.
Pit Boss Electrical Vertical Smoker Problems
It is also important to discuss any unwanted problems with your Pit Boss electric smoker so that any problems can be dealt with in the future.
Below are some common Pit Boss smoker problems and a tutorial on how to fix them.
Heat Indicator Not Light
The heating indicator on the Pit Boss Electric Smoker does not light up. Unit not connected to a power source, unit not turning on, faulty light connections, and faulty inductors can be some of the basic reasons.
Solutions
- You are going to do electrical work, before taking any new steps make sure that all the electrical is disconnected from your Pit Biss smoker.
- Be sure to connect your electric smoker to a correct and working power port. If the connection is loose, attach it firmly to the port. Make sure the GFCI is 15-20 Amp service.
- If the connection is ok, then turn the control knob to high to turn on your vertical smoker.
- Check the heat indicator wires, and connectors are firmly connected. If a short is observed, reconnect the grill to the power source and set the control knob to HIGH.
- If all of the above is working properly then it is time to replace the indicator or control panel.
Take Time To Reach Set Temperature
To cook any food, temperature consistency is very important, otherwise, the food will not have a good taste. It is common for your Pit Boss Vertical Electric Smoker to take a long time to reach the set temperature. But what is the reason for this?
Common causes include cold weather, extension cords, door not closing properly, water pan not in the proper position, and faulty control panel.
Solutions
- Make sure your pit boss smoker cooking chamber’s door is properly closed.
- This is natural if the temperature in your area is below 18°F. It will take some time to heat up. You must use a thermal cover for your unit to function properly.
- The extension cord is also a factor, so when you use a cord, keep in mind that the maximum length of an extension cord should be less than 25 feet, and the minimum gauge of wire should be 12/3.
- Make sure the water pan is properly seated on the support bracket.
- If all of the above is correct then it’s time to replace the control panel.
Cooking Chamber Door Not Closing Properly
If the cooking chamber door of your Pit Boss smoker is not closing properly, it needs a proper door monitor.
It is almost impossible to maintain the temperature and smoke if the door is not closed properly.
Solutions
- It may be the poor door alignment, adjust the door hinges to ensure that door is mounted correct position.
- Another major reason is that the seal inside the door has been damaged, in which case the only solution you have is to replace the door.
Grease Leakage From Cabinet
Grease leakage is a common problem but should not be taken lightly as you know grease has the power to create fire. This can be fixed by following a few steps. It is easy to convert the Pit Boss Natural Gas Conversion Kit.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as the door not closing properly, the unit not leveling, the grease tray being full, and the grease tube is clogged.
Solutions
- Make sure the door closes properly, and check that the seal is not damaged and that the door latch is working properly. Also, check the unit on a level cooking surface, otherwise shift it to the right place.
- See if the grease tray is full reinstall it and check the drain tube as well. If it is clogged, clean it.
Pit Boss Not Generating Smoke
You bought a smoker unit because you want to taste smoked food, but your pit boss is not producing smoke, what is the reason?
The main four reasons for this are given below.
Solutions
- First, check whether there are wood chips or not. If not, then fill the chip box and then give time for the smoke to come out, it will take 10 to 20 minutes.
- Heating element timeout or not enough to heat for wood chips. This is because you have set it too low. First, fully open the rear vents to boost airflow. Next, set the control knob to HIGH, this will take about 20 minutes.
- Make sure the wood chips box is not broken. If it please change it.
Final Verdict
We hope you have to find the answer to “Why Your Pit Boss Heating Element Not Working”. However, we have tried our best to give you the right advice.
By now you must have learned how to replace the Pit Boss heating element and control panel but here again, we would like to remind you that it would be better to call an expert for this task.