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Blackstone Not Starting? (Try These Tips)

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Blackstone griddles feature high-quality components and excellent construction, but even these reliable machines can run into trouble sometimes.

If you use your griddle often, you might experience problems starting your Blackstone. 

Fortunately, fixing a Blackstone griddle that won’t start is often quite straightforward. 

Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to fix the problem.


What should I do if my Blackstone does not start?

If your Blackstone doesn’t start immediately when you want to use it, don’t panic. 

Most of the fixes are simple and only take a few minutes to try.

Blackstone griddles are meant to survive incredible temperatures and frequent use, but that doesn’t mean the occasional hiccup can’t happen.

Consider the following fixes when you can’t get your Blackstone to fire up.


Blackstone Not Starting Because of Improper Igniter Placement

You might jump to the conclusion that the burner tube in your Blackstone griddle isn’t working when it won’t turn on, but it’s only necessary to inspect the burner tube if you first confirm that the igniter is working properly. 

In many cases, an issue with the igniter will prevent you from starting the grill, and it’s always a good place to start when your griddle isn’t acting as expected.

The first thing you’ll want to examine is the position of the igniter. If it’s not placed properly, the spark won’t reach a point where it can ignite the gas in the griddle.

Take a look at the components around the igniter. Are they loose? Is everything seated properly?

You might find that repositioning the igniter is all it takes to get your Blackstone griddle to turn on again.


Does a Blackstone igniter have a battery?

If you reposition your igniter and the griddle still fails to start, the second thing you’ll want to do is check the battery. 

The battery in the igniter of a Blackstone griddle is AA, and you’ll occasionally need to replace it. Fortunately, it’s quite simple to replace the battery.

All you need to do to replace your Blackstone igniter battery is turn the igniter knob counterclockwise to unscrew the knob until you can remove it.

You’ll expose the battery, which sits in a horizontal position in the griddle.

Simply pull out the old battery and replace it with a new battery, taking care to place the battery in the correct direction.

Tip: Consider keeping some rechargeable AA batteries on hand for your griddle.

Just a few is enough. While you use one battery, you can charge up the next battery for when you’ll eventually need it. 

The battery lasts a long time when it’s powering the igniter, so you shouldn’t have to worry about replacing it too often.

In fact, you might forget the griddle has a battery in it until it stops working again.


How do you ignite Blackstone?

For a Blackstone griddle that has an igniter in each of the temperature knobs, you’ll want to twist each knob to the left for a few seconds and then return the knob to the “off” position.

Then, you’ll twist the knob to the left again, and the burner should ignite. You can release a little gas by turning the knob once to the left for just a few seconds and then ignite the gas when you turn the knob a second time. 

As you use your Blackstone griddle more, you’ll learn the exact timing for the ignition process.

For griddles that feature a single knob for the igniter and several temperature knobs (on the larger models), you’ll generally need to pay the most attention to your igniter knob because of the potential for a dead battery.

If your main igniter knob isn’t functioning, the rest of the griddle won’t function either.

Why is my Blackstone not starting? 

When was the last time you replaced the propane tank for your Blackstone griddle? If you’re wondering why you can’t start the griddle and all you hear is a clicking noise, you might be out of fuel. 

It’s not really a problem to run out of fuel (you’d expect to use all your fuel by some point), but it can be one of those things you forget to check. If your griddle isn’t starting, see if you need to replace your fuel source.


Keeping Your Blackstone Griddle Clean

One of the important facets of griddle care is keeping your Blackstone griddle clean. Did you know that the occasional bug or pest can make its way into your griddle and cause minor havoc with its functionality? Before assuming your griddle needs major repair, make sure the inside is clean. 

It’s not out of the realm of possibility for a bug to make its way into one of the burner tubes and cause problems with your ability to use the griddle.

If it’s been a little while since you’ve cleaned your griddle, it might be time to clean the griddle surface and then remove it to undertake a deep clean on the interior sections. 

Just make sure your griddle isn’t hot when you clean the inside.

Also, cleaning the top before opening it is advisable so any dirt or debris doesn’t fall into the interior when you remove it.


Final Thoughts

When you keep your griddle clean and use it with care, it should provide you with many years of amazing meals.

However, it’s helpful to understand a few of the common problems you might experience with the griddle when the battery goes dead, or one of the components gets a little misaligned.

Having this basic knowledge helps you avoid having to get a professional’s help, and it also makes sure you’re not caught without a griddle right before you want to use it for a party or gathering.