Knowing how hot your grill is meant to get is important for understanding if it is working properly.
All Weber gas grills are designed to reach 500° - 550° F, with the burners set to high, and the lid closed, after about 10-15 minutes.
There are a few key things to keep in mind if you are having trouble getting your grill up to the high temperature range.
CONTROL KNOB SETTINGS
If your grill is not getting up to temperature the first thing to check is that you are setting the burner controls properly.
The "start/light" position that you use to light the grill is typically also the "high" position.
The further you turn the knobs the lower you are setting the grill.
Make sure you aren't accidentally setting your grill to low, thinking that you're setting it to high.
PREHEATING
Making sure to properly preheat your grill is very important if you want to have any chance of getting to the proper high temperature range.
Light your grill according to the instructions outlined in your owner's manual.
Then, set your burners to high, close the lid, and wait for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes your grill should be in the 500 to 550 F temperature range.
Properly preheating your grill is also one of the most important steps to take to keep food from sticking to the cooking grates.
LID CLOSED
We have a saying here at Weber...."Lookin' Ain't Cookin".
Going back to our original grill made in 1952, all Weber grills (including gas models) have been designed to be used with the lid closed.
If you are trying to cook your food with the lid open you're going to significantly increase the amount of time it takes to finish cooking the food, as well as keep the overall temperature of the grill much lower.
Keeping the lid closed also dramatically reduces the chances for flare ups to occur.
BYPASS (propane models only)
If you have a propane powered model, and it's showing any of the following symptoms, you might not be lighting your grill properly, and could be in what we call "bypass".
- The grill won't get hotter than 250 to 400 F.
- The grill is hard to light.
- The more burners you light, the lower the flames get.
Click here to learn how to get out of bypass, and how to avoid it.
NATURAL GAS MODELS
Natural gas models have a set of unique factors that can cause them to run too low.
Please click here for some information relating specifically to natural gas models.
COLD WEATHER
Grilling during cold weather presents some unique challenges.
When it's very cold out, make sure to allow extra time to preheat your grill.
Keep the lid closed as much as possible. We always recommend keeping the lid closed when using one of our grills, but it's even more important to do so when it's cold out.
Moving your grill to a sheltered location to protect it from snow and bitter cold winds can help.
Cold weather can delay the time it takes to equalize the pressure in the regulators of propane models, so if it’s cold outside make sure to give the hose/regulator some extra time to pressurize before turning a control knob to light the grill.
OTHER TIPS
Consider whether the cooking properties of the grill have actually changed. A failed thermometer could be providing a false reading.
Make sure that your gas supply is full, and properly connected.
If none of the tips or instructions above have solved the issue, please reach out to us here or at 1-800-446-1071 and we’ll be happy to help get your Weber working properly again so you can get back to grilling!