Hestan Outdoor grills we service
Hestan began as a grill maker, and the outdoor line is still large. There are built-in grills for a stone or steel island. There are freestanding grills on carts and deluxe models with a double side burner. Widths run 30, 36 and 42 inches. Each grill comes set up for natural gas or liquid propane. Our Hestan appliance repair page covers the indoor line as well.
A burner that will not light
These grills use a one-push ignition. You press and turn the knob and the burner should catch. When it does not, we check three things in order. First is spark: a cracked electrode or a loose wire gives none. Second is gas: spiders and wasps nest in burner tubes and block them. Third is the valve behind the knob, which can stick after a wet winter.
If no burner lights at all, look at the fuel supply. A propane tank may be empty, or its safety device may have tripped. On natural gas, the shutoff at the wall may be closed.
Low heat and uneven flames
The Trellis Burner is rated at 25,000 BTU. When a grill that strong will not pass medium heat, something is starving it. A failed regulator is the top cause on propane models. Clogged burner ports come next. Grease drips, bakes hard and closes off a row of holes. We brush and clear the ports and check the flame color. A steady blue flame is right. Tall yellow flames tell us the Hestan burner is getting too little air.
Below the grates sits a radiant tray with ceramic briquettes. Hestan made it to flip over for cleaning. If the briquettes are caked with grease, you get flare-ups and hot spots. Flip the tray and burn it clean now and then.
Sear burner and rotisserie faults
Some models have a ceramic infrared sear burner in place of one main burner. The tile face is fragile. A dropped tool or a splash of cold marinade can crack it. A cracked tile burns unevenly or pops, and it must be replaced.
The infrared top burner runs from 12,000 to 18,000 BTU and heats the rotisserie. Its motor is hidden inside the grill and driven by a chain. If the spit stops under load, we check the motor, the chain and the power feed. Make sure the meat is balanced on the rod first.
Lights, hood and other electrical parts
Hestan fits Halogen Stadium Lights under the hood. They switch on by motion. The control panel has LED lights too. Heat and rain are hard on wiring, bulbs and the transformer. If the lights fail, check that the outlet has power. A tripped outdoor GFCI outlet is often the whole story.
The Horizon Hood lifts on spring hinges and stays where you leave it. A lid that drops or feels heavy needs new hinge springs. Do not keep using it that way, because the lid is heavy steel.
Four safe checks can save you a visit.
- Open the lid before lighting, every time.
- Swap in a full propane tank and open its valve slowly.
- Brush soapy water on the hose joints. Bubbles mean a leak, so shut the gas off.
- Test the outlet with a lamp or a phone charger.
Visit cost and what to expect
Grill calls are priced like any home call. The diagnostic is $79 and it is credited back when you approve the job. Our tech gives a fixed quote, parts and labor together, before starting. A+ is an independent grill repairer, family owned. The grill crew is licensed and insured, each with a cleared background check, and grill work is under our 30-day repair warranty. Grill owners can ring us once it is 6 AM, and the grill desk stays on until 9 PM daily. The online form works too. Same-day visits are common.
Is an older Hestan grill worth repairing
Nearly always. The body and the DiamondCut grates are heavy stainless steel and last for years. Igniters, valves, regulators and burners are the wear parts. Replacing them costs a small part of a new grill, and a built-in grill is costly to cut out. We would only advise against repair if the firebox itself has burned through.
We work in Houston, Los Angeles, the Chicago area, Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. Houston grill owners can begin at our Texas appliance repair page. General tips are on our grill repair page. For the indoor kitchen, see Hestan range repair. After each cook, run the burners on high for ten minutes to burn off grease.