Troubleshooting

Nothing beats a Holland Grill for preparing fantastic tasting food. Click on any of the following links to access our collection of tips and hints for troubleshooting to get the most out of your Holland Grill.

Grill not getting hot

The Holland Grill is designed to grill at approximately 400 degrees. It will cook a little hotter in the summer and a little cooler in the colder months. Make sure your grill is heating properly with these helpful tips.

Additional Information
Occasionally, you may feel that your Holland Grill is not getting hot enough. There are several things you can do to make sure it does. But first, you must be able to answer a simple question... HOW HOT IS IT? Our test to determine if a Holland Grill is heating properly is to place an oven thermometer (don't always go by the thermometer in the lid of the grill) on the center of the cooking surface. Light the grill, close the lid and let it burn for 30 minutes with no food on it. The grill should reach 400 degrees or better. (The grill may get as high as 475 in the very hot summer) If you get a similar reading, then your grill is doing what it should do. If it is not, consider these possible reasons: NOTE: Make sure your drip pan is clean. Too much buildup of the "black crunchy stuff" can prevent your grill from heating properly.
  • Not following proper lighting sequence which can activate safety valve
  • Something blocking the orifice (dirt, spiders, ants, cobwebs, etc.)
  • Something INSIDE the burner such as a build up of "rusty powder and flakes", mud dobber nests, etc.
  • Bad regulator or crimped hose
  • Bad LP tank valve
NOTE: OBSERVE ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING WITH GAS. REFER TO YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL OR CALL HOLLAND'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. 1. IMPROPER LIGHTING SEQUENCE: Because of the safety valve installed in all LP regulator hoses, the Holland Grill must be turned on and off the same way every time. First, with the LID OPEN, open the LP tank valve all the way. Next, turn on the gas all the way at the grill while turning the igniter knob at the same time. When you're finished grilling, turn off the gas at the grill FIRST and then close the LP tank's valve. (This lighting sequence does not apply to grills fueled by natural gas.)If pressure has built up in the hose or if you do not perform the proper lighting sequence, the flame will look good but your grill will not get hot. You can purge this pressure from the hose by first turning off the grill and closing the LP tank. Unscrew the plastic coupler from the LP tank. You should hear a slight hissing sound as pressure is expelled. Wait a minute, reattach the hose to the tank. Open the tank slowly and then relight the grill in the proper sequence. NOTE: A general rule of thumb is that if your grill WAS getting hot and NOW it is not, then something is blocking the flow of gas. Possible blockages include a blocked or clogged orifice, obstructions in the burner, bad regulator, possible bad LP tank valve and in rare cases, a bad gas valve. You simply have to find the blockage. Listed below are some possible sources of blockage: 2. ORIFICE BLOCKAGE: The orifice is basically a small nut with a very small hole in it. This small hole lets all the gas into the grill. If it is blocked in any way (dirt, cobwebs, spiders, etc.) it must be cleaned out. To access the orifice you must unscrew the gas valve from the burner. On models with an igniter, you must first remove the four screws holding the control panel on before you can unscrew the gas valve. Once you have access to the gas valve, remove the regulator hose. It's a good idea to use two wrenches to do this. Grasp the flat part of the gas valve with one wrench and hold it tightly. With the other wrench, remove the regulator hose. Then, loosen the flat lock nut located at the end of the valve next to the air shutter. Once loosened, you can unscrew the entire gas valve from the neck of the burner. (The air shutter and bug screen will also come off when you unscrew the gas valve.) With an adjustable wrench, unscrew the orifice from the gas valve and hold it up in the air to view any possible obstructions. Run a broom straw or some other small rod through the orifice to make sure it is clean. BE CAREFUL not to do anything to make the hole in the orifice bigger. Click here for more information on how to access the orifice. 3. CLEAN OUT THE BURNER: The cast-iron burner, especially on grills a couple of years old, can become obstructed by a rusty powder and thin flakes that will not allow the gas and air to mix properly. One sure sign that some blockage is inside your burner is if you notice "lazy" yellow flames that can "lick" up high onto the sides of the drip pan. This is usually an indicator that there is too little air/gas mixture usually caused by a build up of something inside the burner. You may also notice a black soot on your food if this condition exists. Soot is unburned gas and is caused by too little air/gas mixture. With the gas valve removed, use a shop-vac to suck out the obstructions from the burner. DO NOT try to blow out the obstructions, as there is a mesh screen inside the burner that will prevent obstructions from coming out. If you don't have a shop-vac, have someone help you tip the grill forward until the powder and flakes fall out. Reattach insect screen, air shutter, orifice and gas valve and make sure all connections are snug. Reattach the regulator hose and the control panel. Be sure to spray all hose connections with soapy water to check for leaks. NOTE: On grills that are several years old, you may notice some rusty-looking flakes and crud on the outside of your burner. Use a steel brush to clean the outside of the burner and gently tap burner with a small hammer to help remove this build up. CLICK HERE for more information on cleaning the burner. 4. REPLACE THE REGULATOR: If the above actions fail to restore your grill's proper heating temperature, check with your dealer about replacing the regulator hose. Or you may call Holland's customer service department or order through our website. If your grill is in warranty, you will only be charged a shipping and handling charge. Also, inspect the black hose to see if its crimped, melted, or damaged in any way. If either of these conditions exist, you must replace the regulator and hose. 5. REPLACE THE LP TANK: Sometimes, especially with the tanks you get at the exchange outlets, the tank valve itself can malfunction and prevent your grill from heating properly. If all the above actions fail, borrow a neighbor's tank if possible and try it on your grill. Replace the tank if necessary.