Pellet grills, such as Traegers, are a low-maintenance way to cook and smoke food.
The simplicity of pellet grills makes smoking easy for anyone to do since you just need to fill the hopper with pellet, set the temperature, and wait until the food is done. It really doesn’t get any easier than that.
With how easy and user-friendly pellet grills are – it made me wonder if pellet grills are safe or if they’re a fire hazard?
Pellet grills are safer than propane, gas, or charcoal grills. However, similar to any type of grill or cooking method using fire, pellet grills are still a fire hazard.
Pellet grills are safer to start than traditional grills since they are self-igniting by using a hot metal rod that heats wood pellets until they smoke and smolder.
Unlike a charcoal grill that can have a big open fire, pellet grills usually have the fire inside of a firepot that is beneath the grill and drip tray.
So let’s quickly cover how a pellet grill works so we can understand how pellet grills are safer than traditional grilling methods.
How Pellet Grills Work
As the name implies, pellet grills use wood pellets instead of propane or gas to generate heat and smoke.
These wood pellets are used as the fuel that gets slowly fed into the fire pot. In the firepot, the pellets get burned which creates both heat and smoke.
The low maintenance, consistent heat and smoke is what makes pellet grills so special since you can set a temperature, such as 225°F, without having to maintain the fire. Here is an image of how the Traeger pellet grill works:
Read this article to learn more about how pellet grills work and how to get the most out of your pellet grill.
Are Pellet Grills Safe
Pellet grills are much safer than propane, gas, or charcoal grills.
Pellet grills are safer to start since they are self-igniting by using a hot metal rod that heats wood pellets until they smoke and smolder. Most propane and charcoal grills require an external flame to start the grill and usually benefit from an accelerant such as lighter fluid which can be dangerous.
Unlike a charcoal grill that can have a big open fire, pellet grills usually have the fire inside of a firepot that is beneath the grill and drip tray.
So overall, pellet grills are a much safer way to cook, barbeque, and smoke food compared to other methods.
Pellet Grill Fire Danger
Regardless of how much safer pellet grills are compared to other forms of grilling, there is still a fire danger when using pellet grills such as Traegers.
The most common reasons for pellet grills catching on fire are:
- Too much grease on the drip tray
- Too many pellets being fed into the firepot
Both of these issues are easily prevented with routine maintenance of a pellet grill.
The first issue of too much grease on the drip tray can be prevented by periodically cleaning the drip tray.
The second issue of too many pellets in the firepot can be prevented by periodically cleaning out the firepot. See this article on how to clean the firepot of a Traeger pellet grill.
Do Pellet Grills Flare-Up?
Although pellet grills typically rely on indirect heat and smoke to cook or smoke food, pellet grills can still have flare-ups.
If there is enough grease and if the temperature is high enough, the grease can ignite which causes a flare-up.
The good news is if the pellet grill is set on a lower temperature such as 180°F or 225°F then there is almost zero chance of a flare-up from happening. The temperature is just too low for the grease to catch on fire.
So putting a pellet grill on a “low and slow” temperature not only makes delicious smoked food but is also safer.
Is It Safe To Leave A Pellet Grill Unattended?
Pellet grills should never be left completely unattended for long periods of time.
Even though pellets are automatically fed into the pellet grill and the fire and smoke are indirectly cooking the food – there is still a chance something can go wrong.
It is ok to do other things while the food is slowly smoking or cooking on the pellet grill. Periodically check on the pellet grill to ensure that there are enough pellets in the hopper and that there aren’t any issues.
Can I Leave My Traeger On Overnight?
While it is possible to smoke food overnight, the traeger still needs to be monitored in case of any issues.
Regardless of how safe and automatic pellet grills appear to be, they are still a source of fire which can cause serious issues if a series of unfortunate events happen.
If the traeger is plugged in a safe distance away from your home and anything flammable then it may be ok to leave the trager on overnight.
However, smoking food overnight presents other challenges such as making sure there is enough fuel (wood pellets) to last the night. Having the pellets run out overnight is catastrophic since you will wake up to partially cooked food that may not be safe to eat.
Why Did My Pellet Grill Catch On Fire?
Although pellet grills are a safer form of cooking or smoking food – there are still cases where pellet grills catch on fire.
The most common reasons for pellet grills catching on fire are:
- Too much grease on the drip tray
- Too many pellets being fed into the firepot
Both of these issues can be prevented with routine maintenance of the pellet grill.
The first issue of too much grease on the drip tray can be prevented by periodically cleaning the drip tray.
The second issue of too many pellets in the firepot can be prevented by periodically cleaning out the firepot. See this article on how to clean the firepot of a Traeger pellet grill.
Why Is Smoke Coming Out Of My Traeger Pellet Grill Hopper?
Smoke coming out of the hopper is a less common issue with pellet grills but one that can still happen.
The common reason why smoke is exiting out of the hopper is that pellets within the auger drive have ignited. This means that the fire got so hot that the pellets in the tube that leads to the fire have ignited.
If you see smoke exiting from the hopper of a pellet grill then follow these steps:
- Set the pellet grill into its shut off cycle
- After the shut down cycle ends, wait 10 minutes
- Restart the pellet grill with the normal ignition sequence
Make sure that the traeger fires up normally and that smoke does not continue to exit from the pellet hopper. If it does then it is best to call the grill manufacturer and determine how to fix some faulty gear.
Final Thoughts
Pellet Grills, such as Traegers, are a much safer form of grilling and smoking than traditional methods.
However, there are still somethings to look out for when using a pellet grill in order to prevent fire hazards. First clean the drip tray of large amount of grease and periodically clean out the firepot.
Once the pellet grill is in cleaned out – it will be ready to go! So get back out there and smoke your next meal without any worries.
