Several questions have been asked on my Weber Technical Support Experience blog post regarding low flame output or yellow flame output on a BBQ Grill burner, so I thought I would post some ideas to resolve the problem.
This post is for the detective in each of us to figure out why the family barbeque is being delayed because the dang hot dogs won’t cook. The neighbors are getting impatient, the kids are getting restless and your wife keeps giving you the look like I should have just cooked everything in the kitchen.
So here it is, a list of 5 tips to help you troubleshoot low flame output on your Barbecue grill:
Low flame output or yellow flame can be caused by several things.
- Regulator problems
- Leak in the Fuel Supply
- OPD Safety Valve shutting down due to a leak in the gas supply
- Blockage in the Venturis
- Propane tank might be bad
The most common factor is your regulator is stuck. That is the assembly on the hose before it screws into the propane tank. This might need to be reset.
To reset the regulator, follow these steps (or check with your manufacturer)
1. Turn off the gas at the propane tank
2. Disconnect the hose from the propane tank
3. Open the lid of your BBQ Grill
4. Turn all the burner valves to high
5. Wait for 2 minutes (just time enough for a soda)
6. Turn off all the burner valves
7. Connect the gas line back up to the propane tank
8. Turn the gas on slowly on the propane tank
9. Light the grill using your normal lighting proceduresIf the regulator was stuck, it should have been reset using these steps.
If you always turn off your burner valves first before turning off the gas at the tank, you will keep the regulator from sticking again.
If you still have low flame or yellow flame, give it a second try, although you might have a faulty regulator that is causing the low flame or yellow flame. That will need to be replaced if it is bad.
This is the most common problem that impacts low or yellow flame output. To troubleshoot, apply soapy water to the propane tank valve, connector, hose, all the way up to where the hose connects to the burner assembly on your grill. Look for bubbles to indicate small leaks of the gas source. If you have any leaks, for safety reasons, get them repaired or replaced immediately.
This can be caused by the OPD safety valve in the Propane tank being tripped. A reason why the safety valve might have tripped could be that it detected a leak somewhere between the propane tank and the burner (including a burner not being turned off all the way).
The leak would cause a small amount of propane to leak from the tank which would trip the safety valve much like a circuit breaker in a breaker box. After the safety valve is tripped, only a small amount of propane is allowed out of the tank, causing a small flame.
Steps to reset the OPD safety valve:
- Use soapy water (not a match) to check the hose and the connections within the grill for leaks
- Turn the propane tank valve off
- Open and shut a grill burner valve on the Barbeque grill
- Make sure all the grill burners and the propane tank valve is off.
- Disconnect the hose from the propane tank
- Reconnect the hose back to the propane tankThose steps should reset the OPD Safety valve on the propane tank.
Now it is time to test the tank. Open the valve on the propane tank 2 turns slowly (not all the way on).
Light the grill as normal.
Unhook the hose from the tank and check the grill burner assembly and venturis for obstructions. I have had spiders crawl into the pipes and build a spider web which restricted the amount of gas that could flow from the tank to the grill burners. Follow your manufacturers instructions for doing this check.
The Venturi shutters also might need to be adjusted. Find the venturi tube adjustment screw. This screw releases the shutters. Light the grill and set to low heat. Loosen the venturi screw and open the shutters until the flame is mostly blue. Turn off gas and tighten the adjustment screw. Let the grill cool.
Try hooking up a different tank to the grill to see if the problem goes away. I wasted a whole 5 gallons of propane with a tank that went bad. A new tank fixed my problem.
One other hint:
Always open your propane tank valve slowly to keep the pressure in the tank from overwhelming your OPD valve or the regulator. Wait a few moments after turning the gas on before lighting the grill. This will allow time for the pressure to even out before lighting the grill.
I hope these tips will help you to get your grill working for the summer barbeque season.
If this information helped you and you would like to make a donation to help cover the costs associated with running this website, please donate via the Paypal link below. Thank you!
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About Dave
so I have this wonderful grill , and yesterday was my 64 birthday , I cleaned the grill put on a new tank and lite it , its a three burner grill and it usually get’s to be 500 to 600 degrees , well it never got past 350 , the regulator on the grill was ice cold to the touch , we had high humidity yesterday and a ton of rain , when I open two of the burners it started working when I opened the third the temp fell . seems like the safty valve was kicking in , i shut it down a number of time but it still acted up . , and after a fashion it did cook the food but what do you think caused the grill to act up other than Murphys law ?
it a year old on memorial day
jet aire grill
thanks
Thanks for this!!!! Great advice… It was the regulator… Never would have solved this without your help!!!! How did I ever fix anything before the internet??? Thanks again!!!
Thank you, thank you thank, thank you. I could not get the grill to get over 110 degrees. I followed the steps for the regulator and it fired up and was moving over 200 as I walked into the house. I thought this might be a whole weekend deal. Thank you!
Thanks for the advice about the regulator. You rock. Thanks!
Was about to buy a new regulator before I read your advice. Turns out the regulator just needed to be reset. Excellent advice and help, Thank you!
Thanks so much, the first tip worked like a charm. Saved me from buying a new regulator.
I am having problems with my Perfect Flame grill. When you turn it ignite nothing happens except a leaking sound, you can do it over and over and then all of a sudden a burst comes out. What could it be? I dont want to spend a ton of money on part after part. Do you have any helpful advice?
Holy Cow!!!!!
It was the regulator….more importantly it was the middle burner was not shutting off completely (corroded knob stem) after getting it to shut off Completly!..I did the other steps…HIGH HEAT BABY!!
Thanks
OK so I have my grill and I just replaced the Tank because I thougth the tank was out of fuel. When I connected the new tank and turned on the grill I was getting the same problem as with the old tank: LOW BLUE FLAME. and difficulty in gettting the flame to go on. Can anyone give me some hints as to why these things are happening? Thanks
Hey Rocketjockies BBQ,
Did you go through the steps above? Lots of people have been having success resetting the regulator…
Also, can you provide the brand/model of your grill so we can troubleshoot?
thanks
Dave
THANKS! THANKS! THANKS! My barbecue was old but still working, Last night it was almost dead and I was thinking new barbecue time. After resetting the regulator it works better than ever.
Now it’s time to read the rest of your website.
Will this regulator trick work on natural gas burners?
I am not sure, I have never tried it on a natural gas burner. Anyone have any experience here that would care to comment?
OK Dave; I tried all the troubleshooting steps you mentioned and I still have an issue with LOW Flame. Any other suggestions… I even used a can of AIR to blow thru the flame ports to be sure they weren’t clogged.
i have a UNIFLAME Grill and from the comments i have read this grill is not user friendly after a year or less.
Hey Rocketjockies BBQ. I did some research on your Uniflame grill and wonder if the problem might be that the Excess Flow Safety Device is activated.
They have a technical support number at Blue Rhino the maker of Uniflame Grils. Here is their info:
“For further assistance, please call our Customer Care Center at 1.800.762.1142″
Hope that helps
Dave
You are my freakin’ hero!! First time, flames about 1/8 of an inch. After 15 minutes temperature around 120F. Used your suggestions regarding the regulator reset. Took me 5 minutes to do. Worked beautifully, the grill is at 500F in just 8 minutes…unbelievable. Thought I was going to grill in the kitchen…
Very nice, my wife and I are going to enjoy delicious Poblano & Skirt Steak Fajitas…come over!
My problem is intermittent. Sometimes I will have high heat, other times low heat/flame. Sometimes it will start high, then at some point, flames will go really low, as ifI turned the knobs to low but they are still on high. Now, if I turn one side off, the other side’s flames get bigger, but not both at the same time…both on at the same time results in minimal flame & heat (45 mins to cook a couple burgers…). This happens almost everytime I use it. Tried 2 burners. Is it worth getting a new regulator? They are only $20…let me know please, this is getting frustrating. It’s a Broil Mate.
I own a Brinkmann ProSeries 2200. It’s about 8 years old. Thought i was outta gas one day. Refilled the tank, and still had low flame. Been using my Old Smokey, and I’m not a big fan of charcoal. Your advice on resetting the regulator was brilliant. My grill burns hotter than it has in a long time, and as Hank Hill would say, I’m “tasting the meat, not the heat”! Thank you!!
Thanks had really low flame, took your advice and it now works like a charm.
Good news rJoyce – just in time for the July 4th Holiday BBQ!
In section 3 you talk about an OPA safety valve. I went on the web and was unable to find any information on OPA valves. Did you mean the OPD safety valve. If not, what does OPA mean and where is it located in the pressure tank?
Ray, thanks for that. I had a typo. I will fix the post to reflect the OPD valve…not OPA valve.
More info here: http://www.propane101.com/opdcylindervalves.htm
Thanks again
Dave
thank u dave your reset work for me your awesome
I have a 3 year old gas bbq. When I go to light it the flame is very small (1/8 inch max.). As I try to light other burners the flames become even smaller. I tried all the resets suggested, and checked for spiders without any success. I have noticed that the side burner still works fine, so I am a bit confused. We did have a fire on the 4th burner valve earlier, but I am unsure if that might have anything to do with it. Any help would be appreciated.
Just wanted to say thanks for the great advice. Bought a new Weber Grill a few months ago. Was using regularly then something happened. Tank reading low when the day before was close to full, low flame. Reflled tank – same problem. Figured I needed to buy a new grill. Your first hint on resetting the regulator worked like a charm. Thank you for saving me from going out and wasting hundreds more on a new grill!
THANK YOU…BEEN UPSET WITH MY GRILL BUT YOUR TIP ON RESETTING THE REGULATOR HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM…I DID HAVE TO GO THRU IT TWICE BUT NOW MY HAWAII BURGERS ARE ABOUT DONE
Darrell and Randy, I am glad the hints helped!
Dave
I have an outdoor kitchen concepts ok3000 bbq which has had little use. it has definite over hot spots and overall can’t get to a low temp for slow cooking. the manual says there are airflow adjustments but doesn’t show where they are. of course I can’t find them either. their website is crashed. any hints? thanks
Hi tahoeq,
I checked and it looks like Outdoor Kitchen Concepts phone number is available. Maybe you can give them a call. The number is 1-800-652-7923.
Let me know what they say…
Dave