Can You Use a Traeger Grill in the Rain? {Three Things to Consider}

Traeger’s are the most popular pellet grills on the market. This pellet grill has been around for 30 years, is very versatile, makes delicious food, and can be used in nearly any weather. Traeger has many fans for their grills and it is not hard to see why.

There is one question that many enthusiastic Traeger grill owners are asking; “Can you use a Traeger in the rain?”

The answer is “Yes, if your grill is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet then you can use a Traeger grill in the rain.”

Read on to learn more!

How to Use a Traeger Grill in the Rain

According to Traeger their pellet grills can be used in the rain as long as the water is less than 60 degrees from vertical.  That is, the grills can handle regular rain but if water is blowing up beneath the grill during one heck of a storm then you will have some problems.

While you can use these grills in the rain there are three things that you need to pay attention to when using a Traeger grill in the rain.  These are:

• Wet pellets
• Electrical shock
• Altered performance

Let’s look at each of these issues in more detail.

Rain Can Get Your Pellets Wet

One of the issues you need to be concerned about is the wood pellets getting wet in the hopper. If your pellets get wet then they will rapidly swell and turn to sawdust.

When the pellets swell are in the auger they can cause the auger to jam or even break.  Usually the hopper lid fits tight enough that, unless you are dealing with serious sideways rain, water should not get inside.

Some people will still take precautions such as flipping over a full sized cookie sheet/baking pan and placing it on top of the pellet hopper to drain water away.

If you think some bad weather might be coming your way then go ahead and fill the hopper all of they way up with pellets so you won’t need to refill during the cook.

Another precaution you can take if you have advance notice of impending bad weather is to fill the hopper with Royal Oak Charcoal Pellets.  The charcoal pellets from Royal Oak are water resistant and do not swell when they get wet.

Wet Weather Can Cause Electrical Shock

If the idea of using an electrical appliance in the rain has you concerned then that is understandable!

In general, the electrical components of a Traeger are sealed up pretty tight and the internals should not get wet when it rains.  Additionally, the grill will probably be plugged into an outdoor outlet which, under current building codes, are required to be Ground Fault Protected.

The most likely place to cause you any wet weather issues is the connection between your extension cord and the grill.

If you take the time to wrap the plug/receptacle with some electrical tape then there is almost no chance of water getting in and causing the GFCI to trip.

HUGE DISCLAIMER: Your grill MUST be plugged into a GFCI protected outlet.  If your grill is not plugged into a GFCI outlet then your should NEVER use it in wet conditions.

Bad Weather Can Cause Altered Grill Performance

The biggest issue with using a Traeger in the rain is that it can throw your grilling session off schedule.

The rain is going to cool the grill off and, especially if it is also windy, suck some of the heat out. This is especially true if you are using a Pro Series instead of an Ironwood as the Pro Series have less insulation.

You should expect both cook time and pellet usage to increase as the grill fights the weather to maintain temperatures.

This is something to really be aware of during long, overnight cooks where there is a chance of the pellet hopper running empty.

The Biggest Risk of Using a Traeger Grill in the Rain

In reality the biggest risk factor of using a pellet grill in the rain is your behavior.

More than once on rainy days I have found myself trying to dash out to my deck to pull of some ribs while wearing a pair of Crocs.  The shoes are so dang slippery on the wet deck that I half the time I end up slipping and wiping out.

Luckily the few times I have slipped have been before I took the ribs off the pit!