You may have come across a YouTube video or two showing a pellet grill exploding. There was even a news report it several years ago, which obviously got several potential pellet grill owners concerned.

Why can a pellet grill explosion happen? Well, its due to a start-up procedure gone wrong. It's either the pellets have got moist/wet, and/or the burn pot is full of ash, and the hot rod igniter is obstructed from the incoming pellet fuel.

When wood starts to smolder before a fire is ignited, the smoke itself contains combustible gasses (Carbon Monoxide). If the pellets are moist/wet and/or the hot rod igniter is covered in ash the start up process will take longer before a fire is established, hence a lot of smoke will be produced.

If the lid on the pellet grills cooking chamber is down, that combustible smoke will collect in the cooking chamber until the fire is finally established, which will then ignite that smoke in the cooking chamber and boom!

Therefore, the key to avoiding a pellet grill exploding is to make sure your pellets are dry (no rain got into the hopper), and the burn pot/hot rod igniter is clear of ash, and finally, leave the lid up on the cooking chamber until the fire is established.