The Main Reasons Your Pit Boss Won’t Turn Off And What To Do

You’ve just finished grilling on your Pit Boss and you press the power button to turn it off. However, the grill doesn’t power off. What gives? In this post, we’ll troubleshoot some of the most common reasons why your Pit Boss won’t turn off and what to do when it happens.

The Reasons Your Pit Boss Won’t Turn Off

Pit Boss grills are versatile cooking appliances that are made to work in a number of different settings, from searing hot to low and slow cooking. However, one common issue that can occur is the grill not turning off when you press the power button.

Pit Boss won't turn off

There are a two potential reasons why your Pit Boss won’t turn off and we’ll look at each one individually.

  • You didn’t press the power button
  • You’re dealing with an error code

For the most part, the grill will work without any issues. However, like any other appliance, you can expect it to run into the occasional problem. So let’s go through each scenario and what to do to get the grill to shut off and cool down so you can put it away safely till you’re ready to use it again in the future.

You Didn’t Press the Power Button

The most common reason your Pit Boss grill power off, is you didn’t press the power button. The power button is located on the top left hand side of the control panel and it’s easy to overlook if it’s your first time using the grill.

If you didn’t press the power button, simply press and hold it for two seconds or until you notice the blue light disappear. The grill will then start to shut down and the fans will turn off after a few minutes.

You need to apply a little bit of pressure, as the button isn’t extremely sensitive. I’ve found it best to use the pointer finger to press the button. However, if you’re still having trouble, try using a different finger or pressing the button with the side of your hand.

You know the grill is off when you don’t see the blue light.

You’re Dealing With an Error Code

The second reason your grill may not be shutting down is due to an error code. If you’ve never seen an error code, then you’re lucky. I saw my first ERL code the other day I cooked, and it prevented the grill from powering off.

Not all error codes will prevent the grill from powering off, but if you run into this problem, the only option you have is to unplug it from the power source.

If you find yourself having to do this one, it’s fine. You won’t hurt the grill if you do it once or twice.

However, you’ll want to make sure you address and fix the error codes, so you don’t have to keep unplugging it without shutting it down properly.

Continually unplugging the grill can lead to safety issues such as backburn and grill fires. A backburn is when unused pellets are left in the firepot and can cause explosions or fires when you power the grill back on. If you do unplug the grill, be sure to vacuum any used pellets from the grill before using it again.

In addition, improper shutdowns can lead to mechanical issues such as; jamming or warping the auger, as it causes the auger to stop functioning when the fire is still burning in the fire pot.

What’s The Right Way to Turn Off The Pit Boss?

Pit Boss recommends going through the shut down process, as it helps maintain your grill by removing any remaining debris, and pellets from the grill. The cook off process only takes five minutes and helps keep your grill clean after every cook.

Check out this step by step guide on how to do the Pit Boss shut down. It’s best to get into the habit of doing it after ever cook.

Why Does The Fan Keep Running After Powering Off?

The purpose of the fan is to ensure the food cooks evenly throughout, similar to a convection oven. If you’re in the market for a pellet grill and not sure how it cooks, read this forum.

So, even if you did the proper shut down, the fan will still run for a minute or two.

This is completely normal, and as the grill cools down, the fan will stop running without any effort on your part. How long the fan stays on, will depend on how hot the grill got. It will take longer to cool, if you were grilling at a high heat.

Regardless of how long it takes, leave it plugged into the power source, until the fan stops running. You’ll also want to wait until it cools completely before putting the cover back on it.

Final Word

The Pit Boss pellet grill is a reliable pellet grill that won’t have a ton of mechanical issues. However, like any other appliance, there are still a few things that can go wrong.

If you find the grill running after you thought you powered it off, chances are you just forget or didn’t press the power button hard enough.

It’s not a very common problem, but if you continue having issues, you may want to reach out to customer support.

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