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
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.
- Leak in the Fuel Supply
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.
- OPD Safety Valve shutting down due to a leak in the gas supply
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:
1. Use soapy water (not a match) to check the hose and the connections within the grill for leaks
2. Turn the propane tank valve off
3. Open and shut a grill burner valve on the Barbeque grill
4. Make sure all the grill burners and the propane tank valve is off.
5. Disconnect the hose from the propane tank
6. 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.
- Blockage in the Venturis
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.
- Propane tank might be bad
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.
- Blockage in the Regulator Hose
I had a reader submit the following via email. He was having problems with his Uniflame 5 burner Grill. Everything worked fine when lighting the burners until he lit the 5th burner. When the fifth burner was turned on, the other four either go out or the flame turns really low and then goes out.
He talked to Uniflame Customer Care Center and they reported that sometimes the regulator hose gets a gas blockage.
They advised him to correct it by turning off the tank, disconnecting the hose, open the grill and side burner and any other systems, open the controls to full open and leave for 45 sec to 1 minute.
Re-connect the hose, turn on the tank and attempt a re-light on the grill. If it still doesn’t work, it could be the regulator hose. His fired right up with no problems.
One other hint:
If you're having problems with low flame or yellow flame output, you might need to do some repairs on your grill. We've found Appliance Factory Parts to be a reliable choice for grill parts (regulators, venturis, hoses, grill burner assemblies, etc.).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.
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!
THANKS SO MUCH!
I reset the regulator, and now my grill is working again! The needed reset almost ruined my Friday night, but you saved the day!
I am so glad it worked for you! Glad to help save your Friday night!
Dave
I am looking for an answer to caper’s question about intermittent flames.
I’m also frustrated!I have a 4-burner perfect flame grill
It started with my last gas grill, not heating up over 450. I tried resetting the regulator and opd valvles with no luck. The grill was old so I bought a new one, same problem persisted with both tanks. So we bought a new gas grill, problem still exists. So we bought a new propane tank. Problem still exists. What am I doing wrong???????????
dang blast it!!! it took me like 5 times…. I’m not sure if it was easing the propane valve open. or banging the regulator, soaping the pipes, scrubbing out the ventura… but it worked…. how frustering but the salmon got cooked… rah thanks
Just one minor step 8 modification…finally solve the stuck regulator issue.
Only open the value until you hear the hissing…do not open all the way.
Go to step 9…viola
My grill 5 gal propane tank valve came complete unscrewed out.. I got the tank refilled and the tank knob was impossible to turn open without me using a pair of pliers. I guess I need a new tank
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I am on a ketosis cut where I eat a yummy ribeye for dinner every night, I had to cook my ribeye on the stove last night and it was absolutely dreadful, I did the reset and it hit 500 degrees in 10 minutes!!! WHOO HOO, You Rule!!!
I also had low flame on my WEBER,but above tips did not solve the problem.
– I vent to the local camping-shop to buy a new regulator – did not help either, so I returned the regulator to the shop.
The shop-owner advisved me to blow out the dirt in the WEBER-regulatorvalve – this solved my problem.
Does the same trouble shooting work for a furnace in a camper?
I am not sure, I don’t own a camper. Any readers have experience that would like to share?
I have a Jen Air BBQ, work great for many years . I replaced the 3 burners and then the unusual happened. I can only operate 2 burners and if open up the 3rd all burners reduce their flame. I tried to rest the regulator valve but no luck. This also happened when I have 2 burners on and I use the side burner as well.
Can any one provide me with some advice as t the probable cause?
Cheers
JOe
Thanks so much. You saved Friday night
Thanks a lot! #1 worked like a charm.
Excellent Grace – glad to have helped
Fantastic – I love Friday night – especially grilling with my family! Glad it worked for you.
Dave
Joe,
Does it matter which 2 burners are on? Are there any kinked hoses? It sounds like there is an installation problem that is restricting the fuel from properly feeding all three burners at the same time.
Dave
I’m going to try to reset the regulator tonight. I have gone a week without my grill while waiting for the new burner tubes to come. Installed them and still low flame!! Sounds like I didn’t need the tubes, just need to reset the regulator. Fingers crossed!!! Thanks for the info.
Laura – My fingers are crossed for you. Hopefully you can return the burner tubes…
Let me know if it works.
Dave
I have a 4 burner Perfect Flame Grill. When I start all 4 burners they flame out. If I start 1, 2, or 3 burners they work fine. The moment I start the 4th burner, all of them flame out. Doesn’t matter which burners I light, all work in some combination. Just when I start all 4 do I have a problem. Is my pressure regulator on the propane tank bad? The venturis are all clear. Thanks!!!
@steve hicks. You’re using propane. Propane is a lousy fuel… I would kill to have natural gas at my home.
Thanks so much people! Reset my regulator and barby runs like new. I was at my wits end trying to figure out what went wrong with 3 year old bbq. Happy grilling everyone!
Thanks Fredrick for the donation! Much appreciated!
I just got back from service call. Guy had low flame thermometer wouldn’t reach 200… I rest the regulator an here it is hitting 600 in a matter of seconds ! My customer was a little upset that “it was that simple”.
I am glad that it was an easy fix. Gotta love the internet!
Thank you. Worked right away!
Excellent Timothy – Glad it worked for you!
We had a charbroil for years, didn’t like it. very uneven heat. My wife wanted a webber. So we did from Home Depot. I am totally disappointed. The Ignite lasted about 3 months and never worked again.
I don’t know what to do.
I doubt if I will ever buy another one.
Paou
3yr old Weber Genesis, problem weak flame, wont heat up past 250, I have removed and cleaned burners, i have purchased a new regulator from Weber, i have 2 new tanks, there are no blockages, just seems like gas pressure is weak… any suggestions???
You are the boy!! You have just saved my dinner!! I have reseted the regulator and now I am enjoying nice steak. Donation is coming to you right now.
Thanks Dino.
Dino,
Glad to help!
Thanks for the donation
thanks so much for the post grill works great now after using this advice
Thanks for great info. I found this awesome bbq on the side of the road, someone was disposing, and I thought I may be able to fix. With just a few simple instructions/tips from this website…..poof…..like magic, I had a new to me, hardly used, $400 barbecue. Thanks tips!!
M.
Gotta love it. Enjoy the grill!
You are welcome!
Did everything but hang a broom from the ceiling. This grill has seen better days.
Dude! Thank you! Just saved my $60 of Chicken Breasts that were grill-less there for a minute.
Thanks so much. I was the BBQ master for a multiple family event. The grill was close to dead. I found this website, and reset my regulator. Every one were impressed.
You saved me!!!!
I have a Weber Genesis Silver C running on natural gas. No propane tank involved. Does a natural gas hookup use the equivalent of a regulator? I can’t seem to find it.
Was working fine until Hurricane Sandy. Pre-hurricane I disconnected the gas line and moved my barbecue out of harms way to a covered spot. When I hooked it back up my flame was low. After a half hour it only got up to 250 F. I replaced the flavorizer bars, which badly needed replacement, cleaned the burners, venturis, etc and made sure there were no kinks in the gas line. It works a little better now, but after a solid hour the temp only got up to 350.
Any suggestions?
Thank you for the clearly written directions to reset the regulator. The issue came up suddenly on our Weber grill, and as we grill regularly, I am grateful to have found a simple solution on the internet. Thanks so much!
I have a Weber Spirit 2 years old. it has two burners and the front one by the igniter works but the back one can only be lite by using a match. Any ideas?
Our grill wouldn’t get hotter than 350. We found a kink in the rubber hose coming out of the gas tank. If left along it will kink again. Poor design!
I’m in need of HELP! I have a corn roaster which i use for fairs. It was stored for a while (approximately 2 years) in my garage. I recently pulled it out to get it ready for an event and had a really difficult time attempting to light my pilot. Once i was able to get my my pilot lit, I turned the knob over and my burners came on. The same goes for the other side as well. After about 15 minutes my right side burner shuts off and then momments later so does my left side. It then becomes extremely difficult to light my pilot back on, completely frustrating. I called the manufacturer and all he said was that it might be my thermocouple. I went ahead and switched both out hoping that was the discrepancy. To my luck, they did the exact same thing after about 20 minutes or so. Its not my propane tank because I’ve used a few different tanks and I also replaced the the hose and regulator to the propane tank. Can it be my regulator/safety valve where my pilot knobs are at? I’m at a complete lost, please help, any information is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you so much!!
Also, I forgot to mention that it seems to only turn back on once it cools down. I know it’s weird, but Im hoping you have some helpful information for me. Again, thank you.
My wife and I received a grill as a gift from my Father-in-law after we cooked his steak on a Char Broil gas grill. He was apparently disgusted at the outcome from that endeavor so he set us this Weber. Undoubtedly, this has been the best grill I’ve ever owned . It is the perfect size for the two of us “empty nesters” but it has the capacity to cook burgers or steaks for a much larger group.
I don’t have the owners manual, receipt or any documentation for the grill. My father-in-law took care of all of that and placed it in the File 13 receptacle (garbage). It has been such a good grill that I never needed it anyway. If pressed to guess, I would have to say it is around 5 years old.
We grill usually once a week or every other week at least. Recently my wife smelled gas and I told her to leave it alone until I had a chance to look at it. Well, that took a couple of months before I got around to looking at it. Yesterday, I determined that it was leaking around the O-rings at two separate locations at the tank and at the regulator connection. The tank was down to about a 1/3 tank left and I thought that this might be causing the low flame issue.
I went to Lowes and bought a new gas line and fresh tank of Blue Rhino. I came home and looked at the burner and it needed to be cleaned so I took it off and opened every hole in the burner with a straightened fish hook (works great for this task) and blew the burner out with my air compressor. I reassembled the burner to the grill an reconnected the grill to the tank after following the directions from your website using the directions to reset the regulator.
Unfortunately, this didn’t result in much of a flame even though every little orifice on the burner emitted a small blue flame. I disconnected it again and followed the regulator reset instructions once more. It still wasn’t hot enough to cook on. My question is should the regulator be blowed out with the air compressor and if so what’s the proper way to do it?
If Weber were to go out of the grill business America will fall to ruin!
Thanks for making a great product!
I was having problems with my BBQ grill small flame even when burners were wide open. Replaced the tank still had same issue. Finally found out it was the propane regulator, it has a safety that can get tripped sometimes. Look for a small pin hole on the regulator, stick a small wire to press in it. It’ll reset the regulator it worked for me. Just make sure the regulator is disconnected from the propane tank before you mess with it.
Little help needed, I recently replaced the burners on my grill, once its lit one side of the burner goes out and makes a hissing noise. This can happen on any of the 3 burners, I turn it off and back on and it may be fine for several minutes or until done or it may happen several more times. Never the same burner. Will the reset fix this issue? My real concern is it will happen while I am away from the grill and blow up!
Hey Mike,
Hissing could be bad. I would immediately do a soap check on all fittings, couplings, etc., to see if there are any leaks that were introduced when you replaced the burners.
Let me know
thanks
Dave
Hey guys,
I had the same problems this weekend with my BRAND NEW Uniflame 5 burners grill…I tried to reset the regulator several times, didn’t work. I tried using another propane tank…again low flames on 3 burners and the 4th and 5th didn’t even fired. So I went to the hardware store to buy a brand new regulator, and guess what? Samething!! Low flames! This morning I called Uniflame tech support and here’s what they told me to do:
- reset the regulator ( again )
- reconnect the propane tank
- then set to high the farthest burner from the propane tank ( in my case it was the side burner)
- open the propane tank valve slowly and HALFWAY .
- start the burner
Guess what ? It works!
After the side burner was fired, I fired the other one , one at a time starting with the closest to the side burner.
They didn’t told me why this happened , but I guess that maybe it was a gas blocage down the hose…
Hi! I have a Uniflame, and no matter what I do it just won’t work. I’d turn on one burner and it holds a little bit on high, but a few seconds and it just lowers down or turns off. I’ve reseted the regulator, have blown compressed air to clean, have taking the whole gas system apart and no luck. Please help ?