How to Fix Auger Jams

An auger jam is one of those problems that stops a cook dead. The auger is the only way pellets get from the hopper to the fire pot. When it locks up, the fire starves and the grill goes cold. I have dealt with this on multiple brands and the fix is almost always the same.

How to Tell Your Auger Is Jammed

The symptoms are pretty clear once you know what to look for.

• The grill loses temperature and eventually shuts down. The fire pot runs out of fuel because no pellets are reaching it.
• You hear the auger motor humming but nothing is moving. The motor is trying to turn but the auger shaft is stuck. On some grills, you can actually feel the hopper vibrating from the motor strain.
• The motor is silent. This might mean a blown fuse, a tripped thermal switch on the motor, or a broken shear pin. More on that below.
• Pellets in the hopper are not dropping. Mark the pellet level with a piece of tape and check it after 10 minutes. If the level has not changed, pellets are not feeding.

Step One: Empty the Hopper

Unplug the grill first. Always. You are going to be reaching into the hopper and near the auger mechanism.

Scoop out all the pellets into a bucket. A plastic cup or small container works for scooping. Get as many out as you can by hand. Once you clear most of the pellets, you can usually see down to the auger opening at the bottom of the hopper.

Look at what is down there. Sawdust and crumbled pellet fragments are a dead giveaway for moisture damage. Hard packed pellet mush around the auger shaft is what causes most jams.

How to Clear the Jam

With the hopper empty, here is how I clear jams:

• Break up the packed material. Use a wooden dowel or the handle of a long wooden spoon to push down into the auger tube opening. Break up any compacted pellet material around the auger shaft. Do not use a metal tool. You can scratch or dent the auger tube, which makes future jams more likely.
• Vacuum the debris. Once you break things loose, vacuum out all the dust and fragments. A shop vac with a narrow nozzle attachment works perfectly here.
• Try to turn the auger manually. On most pellet grills, you can access the auger shaft from inside the hopper. Try turning it by hand (with the grill unplugged). If it turns freely, the jam is cleared. If it still will not budge, the obstruction is deeper in the auger tube.
• For stubborn jams, remove the auger. This means unbolting the motor and pulling the auger out of the tube. It varies by brand, but most augers slide out the hopper end once the motor and mounting plate are removed. With the auger out, you can clean the tube completely and inspect the auger for bends or damage.

Wet Pellets Are Usually the Cause

Nine times out of ten, auger jams happen because moisture got to the pellets. Here is how it goes: pellets absorb humidity from the air, they swell and soften, then they crumble into sawdust. That sawdust packs tight around the auger shaft like wet cement.

The worst scenario is leaving pellets in the hopper for weeks between cooks. Even in a covered grill, moisture creeps in through the chimney, lid gaps, and the hopper lid seal. I learned this the hard way after leaving my Z Grills 700E loaded for three weeks during a rainy stretch. The auger was completely seized.

My rule now: if I am not cooking again within a week, I empty the hopper. It takes two minutes and saves a 30-minute jam clearing session later.

Shear Pin and Motor Issues

Some pellet grills (Pit Boss models in particular) use a shear pin on the auger shaft. This pin is designed to break if the auger encounters a hard obstruction, protecting the motor from burning out. Think of it as a mechanical fuse.

• If the motor runs but the auger does not turn, a broken shear pin might be the cause. You will need to remove the motor to inspect the pin. Replacements are cheap and available from the manufacturer.
• If the motor does not run at all, check the wiring connection between the motor and the controller. On some grills, the motor plug can work loose over time, especially if the grill gets moved around. Also check for a thermal fuse on the motor itself. These can trip from overheating during a jam and need to be reset or replaced.
• Motor replacement. If the motor is truly dead, replacements run $30 to $60 depending on the brand. They bolt on with a few screws and plug into the controller. Not a difficult DIY job.

Preventing Future Jams

Prevention is far easier than fixing a jam mid cook.

• Empty the hopper between cooks. If you will not use the grill within 5 to 7 days, pull the pellets out and store them in a sealed container. This single habit eliminates 90% of auger jams.
• Use quality pellets. Cheaper pellets with more bark and filler content produce more dust, which collects around the auger. Brands like Lumberjack, Bear Mountain, and Camp Chef pellets have lower dust content in my experience.
• Shake the bag before loading. Pour pellets through a colander or just shake the bag and pour carefully, leaving the dust and fragments at the bottom of the bag. That dust is what packs around the auger.
• Run the auger dry at the end of each cook. Some grills have a "prime" or "feed" function that runs the auger without ignition. Use it to clear the auger tube of remaining pellets after your cook.
• Check the hopper lid seal. If the gasket or seal on your hopper lid is worn, moisture gets in even when the grill is covered. Replace it if it is cracked or missing.

Brand Specific Tips

• Traeger: Older Traeger models (pre D2 controller) are more prone to auger jams because the auger tube is narrower. If you have a newer Traeger with the D2 drivetrain, the auger system is more robust and clears itself better. Traeger also sells an auger cleanout kit.
• Pit Boss: Check the shear pin first. Pit Boss grills use a shear pin design on most models. It is the first thing to inspect when the auger stops turning. Keep a couple of spare pins in your toolkit.
• Camp Chef: The Camp Chef Woodwind series has a side access cleanout on the auger tube, which makes clearing jams much easier than brands that require full disassembly. If you are shopping for a grill and auger access matters to you, Camp Chef has the best design I have seen.
• RecTeq: RecTeq auger motors are beefy. Jams are less common, but when they happen, the motor can actually push hard enough to damage the auger tube. Do not try to force a jam clear by running the motor repeatedly. Clear it manually.
• Z Grills: The hopper on most Z Grills models has a good seal, but the auger tube itself is standard diameter. Same clearing procedure as most other brands. Z Grills customer support has been helpful in my experience when parts are needed.