15+ Common Pit Boss Laredo 1000 Problems Explained with Solutions

If you are a Pit Boss fan, you surely have heard about their latest Laredo 1000 pellet grill. It’s an advanced wood pellet grill and smoker with a fully digital control board, the latest PID technology, a spacious grilling area, and lots of other versatile features. 

However, you can still encounter some common issues while using this wonderful pellet grill. In fact, some users already reported some of the following problems.

Hey, don’t fret! If you are planning to buy one, rest assured that all the problems have simple quick fixes. Plus, you won’t necessarily face all of these issues in a single grill.

Saying that let’s look forward to the possible Pit Boss Laredo 1000 problems and discuss their solutions.

Common Pit Boss Laredo 1000 Problems With Solutions

Well, my personal experience of using this pellet grill is wonderful so far. But it does give me a headache once in a while with some basic difficulties like the app doesn’t work, or the grill suddenly produces little to no smoke.

While scouring the internet for solutions, I found some other common issues reported by Laredo 1000 users. 

Here I go with the list of potential problems of this popular pellet smoker followed by the discussion on how you can troubleshoot them-

Temperature Issue

Sometimes, the grill cannot maintain a consistent temperature throughout. And sometimes it runs hotter than your set temperature.

Some users complained that they found the right and left side temperatures different from each other. All these issues possibly arise from three major causes-

• Inadequate airflow
• You are using bad-quality wood pellets
• Perhaps, the temperature probe is faulty

To solve the issue of temperature instability, you can clean the temperature probe or replace it if needed.

If the probe is alright, it’s time to check the pellet hopper. Sometimes, insufficient wood pellets prevent the smoker from delivering adequate heat output.

Similarly, poor pellet quality never provides stable and consistent heat flow. So, change any moist or poor wood pellets and replenish the hopper with high-quality dry ones. 

Thirdly, you need to ensure adequate airflow by cleaning the smoker’s vents and exhaust fan. 

Fire Hazard

Another issue reported by Laredo users is the fire hazard. Sometimes, you get too much smoke in the pellet hopper. And the burn pot fills up with ashes within 3-4 hours. 

Unfortunately, the fire burns back afterward. If you don’t clean the ash pot immediately, the grill catches fire.

The possible cause of this terrible fire hazard is that the fan speed might be too slow to clear the ash from piling up.

However,  you need to empty the ash pot once it’s filled to avoid the fire risk which is a real pain.

So, try cleaning the firebox diffuser plate, and start the smoker again. And if dirt and debris cause the fan to block, clean that as well. 

If the fan speeds up while grilling, it prevents ash buildup in the ash pot resulting in no fire to burn back.

Also Read: Pit Boss Pellets Review – Are Pit Boss Pellets Any Good?

Temperature Probe 

One of the major causes of temperature fluctuations in Pit Boss Laredo 1000 is the bad temperature probe.

After a few cooks, the probe doesn’t provide a reliable heat count.

The possible cause is that the temperature probe is too dirty. So, follow the cleaning process to clean it.

If that doesn’t restore the probe’s performance,  it’s perhaps damaged. In that case, contact the Pit Boss customer service to ask for a replacement. 

Hopefully, the new probe will solve the problem.

App Issue

As we know, the PB Laredo 1000 runs through the Smoke IT app. And the app doesn’t connect sometimes. Sometimes, it gets disconnected in the middle of a grilling session.

Howsoever, I shortlisted the following causes behind such malfunction of the app-

• The app is not up-to-date
• Your internet connection is poor
• Your device isn’t compatible with it
• It has a Bluetooth connectivity issue 

To resolve the app issue, check your wifi/ mobile data connection first. If everything seems okay, check if you have installed the latest version of the app or not.

Sometimes, outdated versions might have bugs that make the app malfunction. 

However, the simplest trick to make an updated app work is to reset the app preference in your smart device and then restart the app. 

If nothing solves the problem, contact customer support and follow the troubleshooting steps they suggest. 

Also Read: Pit Boss Griddle Vs Blackstone Griddle – Which Is The Best?

Meat getting too done

While using the pellet grill for a long-time, I once experienced this issue of my meat getting too done.

Basically, the underside of my meat used to be overcooked which is truly frustrating. 

It happens when your grill gets hotter than the controller. You can try the aftermarket heat deflector/ flame tamer by Pit Boss. 

They help decrease the radiant heat from the curved deflector plate that causes the meat to be toasted. I also tried to feed fewer pellets to the fire pot and it helped a lot.

However, sometimes, you need to start cooking on the second shelf, placing a water pan in the middle of the grates to even out the temperature.

Also Read: Pit Boss vs Masterbuilt Smoker: Which One Reigns Supreme for BBQ Lovers

Grill get hotter than the controller

As stated above, the grill sometimes gets hotter than the temperature displayed on the controller. This is a common issue in a Pit Boss Laredo. 

The problem is perhaps with the heat probe or the controller itself. If the controller isn’t calibrated for a long time, it might show inaccurate heat readings which are, in reality, cooler than the grill’s actual temperature. 

In such cases, recalibrate the controller to solve the issue.

Otherwise, the temperature probe might be wrongly placed. You should make the probe correctly positioned inside the meat to get the correct heat reading on the controller.

Slow heating up

One of the biggest complaints about Pit Boss Laredo 1000 is the slow heat-up process. It frustratingly takes about an hour to reach 300-350 degrees.

It perhaps happens due to the PID controller which causes the fan to slow down. When the fan slows, the fire slows down as well resulting in heating up the grill slower.

However, keep on cooking on the smoker. After a few cooks, the PID controller gets better and starts responding faster.

If you allow some break-in period to the grill, the slow heating issue eventually gets better.

ERL error code

If you experience an unexpected ERL code on your Pit Boss Laredo grill, it means there’s a problem with the heat sensor. Any problem related to temperature reading makes such code appear.

Usually, if the temperature probe is loosely connected or it gets dirty, such code occurs. 

Also, cold and windy weather conditions also trigger the failure of lighting your grill and then the ERL code is there to notify the error.

In most cases, turning off the grill, unplugging it, waiting for a few minutes, and then restarting it by plugging in again makes the code disappear. If it’s too cold outside, hit the “start again” button to start a new cycle.

If nothing works, you need to contact customer support for a new control board with updated firmware to get rid of the ERL code.

Ash Pan Being Stuck

Though it’s a rare problem with Pit Boss Laredo grill, some users reported that the ash pan got stuck in their smoker. 

It mostly happens due to dirt and debris build-up at the bottom of the grill. Also, a misaligned ash pan gets stuck inside and doesn’t come out easily. 

However, you must clean the grill after each use to prevent such mishaps. Scraping the pan regularly is the key to making it slide easily. 

And sometimes give the pan a good tug and it will start moving.

Igniter Issue

Whether it’s the Laredo 1000 or any other Pit Boss grill, the igniter issue mainly arises from a faulty control board, faulty igniter connection, dirty igniter, or due to wet pellets in the hopper.

If the control board is at fault, you should ask for a replacement from the manufacturers.

Sometimes, the igniter itself is somehow damaged after several uses. In that case, go for a new igniter and install it properly.

If you are using the smoker for a long time, chances are, the heating elements of the igniter are blocked with dirt, debris, and food grease. Let the grill cool down and clean it thoroughly. This will make the igniter work well to start the grill smoothly. 

Also, ensure a secure connection of the igniter to make it work uninterruptedly. 

Finally, replace the moist wood pellets in the hopper that possibly cause the ignition issue. Replace them with dry ones and you are good to go.

Auger Gets Bound Up

Some users reported that the auger in the grill got bound up within the first two months of using the grill.

It is, however, caused by a loose connection or the misalignment of the auger.

Check for all the connections and ensure they are tightened. Also, if the issue occurs from the pellet dust problem,  thumping on the auger in the hopper bottom could solve it.

Sometimes, the auger motor is at fault to make it bind against the auger tube. In that case, you need to replace the motor.

Auger not feeding

Once the auger of my grill was not feeding pellets to the firebox. It happened due to a jammed auger.

Nevertheless, auger failure can be caused by an obstructed auger fan, grease/food particle build-up, rust build-up, wet auger pellets, etc.

After much research, I cleaned the auger tube thoroughly. Thankfully, it worked for me to get the issue resolved.

And if the auger motor is not working, you should think about replacing it. 

Ash Tray Issue

You might find the ash tray a bit tricky to open or close at the beginning. But it’s not a big deal if the assembly is alright. Try sliding the tray to a 30° angle and it should come out easily. 

Little smoke

If you are not satisfied with the amount of smoke your grill produces, try adding one or two smoke tubes to enhance the flavor profile. 

You can also leave the Laredo in smoke mode for a few hours at the beginning. It makes a huge improvement in the overall smoky essence of your food.

WiFi Connection Lost

This is not a common problem for Pit Boss Laredo 1000. But once in a while, you may have to deal with lost wifi signals. It could happen due to a poor internet connection though.

Despite having a strong wifi connection, sometimes, the app doesn’t stay connected to wifi. In that case, rely on Bluetooth. 

Bad Customer Support

Surprised? Pit Boss and bad customer support don’t make sense, right?

But not everybody shares the same experience. Some customers did complain about reaching our Pit Boss several times but not getting any response.

While some users said they were not benefited by the troubleshooting techniques suggested by the customer support representatives.

Nevertheless, my personal experience says that Pit Boss has wonderful customer service to promptly solve issues or send replacements. 

Is Pit Boss Laredo 1000 Worth It?

Despite having some small issues,  Pit Boss Laredo 1000 is truly a wise investment for BBQ aficionados, thanks to its top-notch construction. The grill is indeed, very well-built and therefore, withstand rough uses for years.

Besides, the 1006 square inches of cooking space is truly praiseworthy for any pellet smoker. It lets you cook a feast for family and friends. 

And in most cases, the temperature control is great with a precise heat flow throughout. 

Best of all, the 8-in-1 cooking versatility lets you cook anything to your heart’s desire.

With all these amenities, it’s absolutely worth the expense.

Conclusion

That’s the end of this guide on Pit Boss Laredo 1000 problems. Hope this warns you about the possible issues with this pellet smoker in the upcoming days so that you could be prepared to troubleshoot them easily.

Let me say it again, these are not frequent issues. You might face them once in a while or perhaps, never.

Even if any issue arises, either follow the quick fixes above or contact the customer care unit. They will surely help you make your grill better.