GrampsFish
New member
My understanding is a Weber E210 grill should reach 500 degrees within 10 to 15 minutes of lighting the grill and closing the lid.
We've had our grill for years, and though I've never timed it, I'm pretty sure it worked that way until a few months ago when the grill stopped getting any hotter than 360 degrees.
After doing a bunch of stuff, which I'll detail below, the Weber thermometer in the grill lid takes about 25 minutes to reach 450 degrees if there are no grates and no flavorizer bars inside the grill, and takes about 250 minutes to 360 degrees when the grates and flavorizer bars are installed. A third-party over thermometer on the top shelf inside the grill reads about 30 degrees higher than the Weber thermometer in the grill lid (480 degrees with no grates or flavorizer bars, and 380 degrees with the grates and flavorizer bars).
- The last time I did measurements, the ambient temperature was about 74 degrees.
- I got pretty much the same results with a propane tank containing about 12 pounds of propane and then with an exchange until that was full.
- When the problem first occurred, I bought a third party regulator and third party burner tubes from Amazon. No change in performance.
- I contacted Weber support and then sent me a new valve manifold at no charge. No change in performance.
- I contacted Weber support and bought a Weber thermometer and a regulator/hose assembly from them. No change in performance.
- I contacted Weber support and bought a Weber burner tube set from them. While installing the burner tubes I disconnected and cleaned out the piping between the regulator/hose assembly and the valve manifold. No change in performance.
- I sent photos of the o'rings in both propane tanks to Weber and they confirmed the o'rings were in good shape.
- I cleaned the grill, making sure that there was absolutely nothing inside the grill or around the tray at the bottom of the grill that might impeded airflow.
- Evidently it is possible that opening the propane tank valve too quickly can put the regulator into a "low flow" mode that limits the maximum temperature to around 320 degrees. I bought an inline, dial type propane level indicator with a needle that goes from zero to the propane tanks fill level as you open the propane tank valve. The needled instantly pegged to "full" the first few times I opened the propane tank valve with the level indicator installed. I practiced opening the valve over and over again until it took almost a full second for the needle to relatively slowly and smoothly move to full. I then removed the level indicator, removed the grates and flavorizer bars, and waited 25 minutes for the grill to reach 450 degrees. I opened the lid and installed the grates and flavorizer bars without turning off the grill, and at the end of 25 minutes the Weber thermometer in the grill lid read 360 degrees.
- For one test, in the hope that increased airflow might fix things, I pulled the pan at the bottom of the grill forward until there was a slight gap between it and the back of the grill. The flames in the burner tubes sputtered some, but other than that there was no change in performance.
On a side note, the folks at Weber Customer Service tell me they've issued a credit for the regulator and burner tubes. They had provided the valve manifold at no charge, so other than a bunch of time and a fair amount of frustration, my only cost so far is for the third party regulator and burner tubes I purchased before contacting Weber, a new Weber grill lid thermometer, the inline propane level indicator, and the 12 pounds of propane still in my old tank when I exchanged the tank for a full unit.
Bottom line is I'm hoping for some explanation of why the grill reaches 450 degrees with no grill plates or flavorizer bars, but won't go over 360 degrees with those installed. And I'm also hoping for a way to fix the issue.
Any ideas?
We've had our grill for years, and though I've never timed it, I'm pretty sure it worked that way until a few months ago when the grill stopped getting any hotter than 360 degrees.
After doing a bunch of stuff, which I'll detail below, the Weber thermometer in the grill lid takes about 25 minutes to reach 450 degrees if there are no grates and no flavorizer bars inside the grill, and takes about 250 minutes to 360 degrees when the grates and flavorizer bars are installed. A third-party over thermometer on the top shelf inside the grill reads about 30 degrees higher than the Weber thermometer in the grill lid (480 degrees with no grates or flavorizer bars, and 380 degrees with the grates and flavorizer bars).
- The last time I did measurements, the ambient temperature was about 74 degrees.
- I got pretty much the same results with a propane tank containing about 12 pounds of propane and then with an exchange until that was full.
- When the problem first occurred, I bought a third party regulator and third party burner tubes from Amazon. No change in performance.
- I contacted Weber support and then sent me a new valve manifold at no charge. No change in performance.
- I contacted Weber support and bought a Weber thermometer and a regulator/hose assembly from them. No change in performance.
- I contacted Weber support and bought a Weber burner tube set from them. While installing the burner tubes I disconnected and cleaned out the piping between the regulator/hose assembly and the valve manifold. No change in performance.
- I sent photos of the o'rings in both propane tanks to Weber and they confirmed the o'rings were in good shape.
- I cleaned the grill, making sure that there was absolutely nothing inside the grill or around the tray at the bottom of the grill that might impeded airflow.
- Evidently it is possible that opening the propane tank valve too quickly can put the regulator into a "low flow" mode that limits the maximum temperature to around 320 degrees. I bought an inline, dial type propane level indicator with a needle that goes from zero to the propane tanks fill level as you open the propane tank valve. The needled instantly pegged to "full" the first few times I opened the propane tank valve with the level indicator installed. I practiced opening the valve over and over again until it took almost a full second for the needle to relatively slowly and smoothly move to full. I then removed the level indicator, removed the grates and flavorizer bars, and waited 25 minutes for the grill to reach 450 degrees. I opened the lid and installed the grates and flavorizer bars without turning off the grill, and at the end of 25 minutes the Weber thermometer in the grill lid read 360 degrees.
- For one test, in the hope that increased airflow might fix things, I pulled the pan at the bottom of the grill forward until there was a slight gap between it and the back of the grill. The flames in the burner tubes sputtered some, but other than that there was no change in performance.
On a side note, the folks at Weber Customer Service tell me they've issued a credit for the regulator and burner tubes. They had provided the valve manifold at no charge, so other than a bunch of time and a fair amount of frustration, my only cost so far is for the third party regulator and burner tubes I purchased before contacting Weber, a new Weber grill lid thermometer, the inline propane level indicator, and the 12 pounds of propane still in my old tank when I exchanged the tank for a full unit.
Bottom line is I'm hoping for some explanation of why the grill reaches 450 degrees with no grill plates or flavorizer bars, but won't go over 360 degrees with those installed. And I'm also hoping for a way to fix the issue.
Any ideas?
