Z GRILLS ZPG-550A User manual

VN08012019
WOOD PELLET GRILLS
ZPG-550A
OWNER’S MANUAL
MON TO FRI, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. PACIFIC STANDARD TIME
SERVICE CONTACT: 1-833-947-4557/1-833-ZGRILLS
EMAIL: [e-mail]
WEBSITE: www.zgrills.com

1
CONTENTS
WARNINGS
3
COMPONENT LIST
4
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
5
INITIAL FIRING INSTRUCTIONS
11
SUBSEQUENT START-UP
12
OPERATING TIPS
13
MAINTENANCE & CLEANING
14
TROUBLESHOOTING
16
DIGTAL THERMOSTAT CONTROL WIRING DIAGRAM
18
Z GRILLS SUPPORT
19
3-Y LIMITED WARRANTY
20

2
SAVE THIS MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

3
WARNINGS!
This grill is for outdoor use only. DO NOT use it in any enclosed area.
DO NOT store or use combustible materials or liquids near this appliance.
Keep children away while it is in use.
Maintain a safe distance between your grill and any combustible materials.
DO NOT move your grill while operating or while it is hot. Wait until the grill is
completely cold.
If a grease fire occurs, turn “off”and leave lid closed until the fire is extinguished. DO
NOT unplug the power cord. DO NOT throw water on it. DO NOT try to smother the
fire.
Clean and maintain your grill after each use.
We suggest that you use Z GRILLS BBQ WOOD PELLETS, which are specifically
made to work in our grills.
DO NOT use your grill on rainy days.
DO NOT touch any part of your grill while it is hot. Serious bodily injury could result.
We suggest the use of heat-resistant gloves when operating this grill.
We suggest that you should wrap the Grease Drain Pan with heavy-duty aluminum
foil before using because it is easy to clean.
For convenient and safe assembly, use at least two people to assemble the grill.
Make sure the power cord is disconnected before performing any service or
maintenance.
Always keep the Pellet Hopper dry, the wood pellets will expand greatly, break apart
and even jam the feed system if the pellets get wet or are exposed to high humidity.
DO NOT place anything heavy on top of hopper lid. It is not a shelf and is a tip hazard.

4
COMPONENT LIST
ITEM
QTY
DESCRIPTION
ITEM
QTY
DESCRIPTION
1
1
Grill Chamber
25
1
Digital Control
2
1
Hopper Assembly
26
1
Hopper Guard
3
1
Warming Rack
27
1
Auger Drive Motor
4
1
Porcelain Grills
28
1
Auger Nylon Ring
5
1
Grease Drain Pan
29
1
Auger
6
1
Heat Baffle
30
1
Foam Glue
7
1
RTD Temperature Probe
31
1
Hot Rod (Ignitor)
8
1
Hopper Shell
32
1
Feeder Assembly
9
2
Lid Handle (Side Handle)
33
1
Fan
10
4
Handle Guide
34
1
Power Cord
11
1
Lid
35
1
Hopper Insulation Gasket
12
2
Hinge Assembly
36
1
Fire pot Welding Assembly
13
1
Chimney Cap
37
1
Cable Clip
14
1
Smoke Stack Assembly
38
1
Hopper Guard
15
1
Smoke Stack Gasket
39
1
Hopper Lid
16
1
Locating Bracket
40
1
Hopper Side Handle
17
1
Grease Bucket
A
1
Screwdriver
18
1
Right Leg
B
2
Wrench
19
4
Tube Plug
C
25
Bolt
20
1
Bottom Plate
D
3
Hexagon Nut
21
1
Left Leg
E
2
Washer
22
2
Wheel
F
2
Spring Washer
23
2
Alex
G
2
Cap Nut
24
2
Wheel Cap
H
20
Washer

5
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
PARTS DIAGRAM
Hopper Burner Assembly：

6
1. MOUNTING THE BODY FRAME TO THE CHAMBER
1.Unpack all the items, including the parts packed in the Grill Chamber (1). Turn the body
upside down and place upon the original Styrofoam packing material from the carton.
(CAUTION: Grill is heavy and requires two people to lift.)
2.Take the Right & Left Leg (18)(21) and use the Bolt (C), Washer (H) to assemble the grill
body through the holes. The front and back are assembled in the same way. As shown.
3.Place the Bottom Plate (20) in the middle position of the two legs, attach the Bottom Plate
(20) on Legs by using the Bolt (C) and Washer (H). The four positions are installed in the
same manner. As shown.
4.Push the Axle (23) through the Wheel (22) and then through the hole in the legs as shown.
The Washer (E), Spring Washer (F), and Cap Nut (G) are used to secure the Wheel (22)
assembly in place. Repeat for the other wheel. Press the Wheel Caps (24) firmly into the
outer recess on the wheels as shown.

7
2.MOUNTING THE HOPPER TO THE CHAMBER
1.Remove the 4 Gaskets and Bolts from the Hopper, open the Lid, insert the Hopper into the
Chamber, then using these Bolts and Gaskets install it in sequence from inside. (Note: The
Bolts need to go through the Locating Bracket (16))
2.Locate the RTD plug-in connector coming from the mounted RTD inside the grill frame.
Connect this with the mating connector located on the outside of the hopper burner
assembly. NOTE: excess wire on the RTD plug should remain outside the Chamber.
3.Insert Bolt (C) through the Hopper Handle (40) and into the Hopper.
3.INSTALLING THE CHAMBER HANDLE TO THE LID:
Remove the Gaskets and Bolts from the Lid Handle (9). From the inside of the raised lid,
push the Blots through the Gaskets and then through the lid (11) and Handle Guide (10).
Handle should sit inside the depression in the guide. Thread Bolts into Lid Handle (9) and
tighten with Wrench (B).

8
4.ATTACHING THE SMOKE STACK AND CHIMNEY CAP:
1.Place Smoke Stack Gasket (15) over the Smoke Stack Assembly (14), then assemble the
Smoke Stack Assembly (14) from the inside of the grill chamber.
2.Use Bolt (C) through the holes of Smoke Stack Assembly (14) and Smoke Stack Gasket
(15), align the hole of grill body, then attach the Hexagon Nut (D). Finally use Wrench (B) to
tighten them. As shown.
3.Tighten the Chimney Cap (13) on the Smoke Stack Assembly (14). Note that the chimney
is vertical and then tightened.
5.ATTACHING THE SIDE HANDLE:
Remove the Bolt and Gasket assembled on the Side Handle (9). Use the Bolt to pass
through the Gasket, the Handle Guide (10) and the Side Handle (9). Use Wrench (B) to
tighten.

9
6.INSTALLING THE HEAT BAFFLE:
Place the lower bracket of the Heat Baffle (6) into the groove of the feeder.
7.INSTALLING THE GREASE DRAIN PAN:
Install the Grease Drain Pan (5) over the Heat Baffle (6) facing downward to fit onto the
locating brackets so that the grease can flow into the Grease Drain Tube.

10
8.INSTALLING THE COOKING GRATE AND WARMING RACK:
Install the Porcelain Cooking Grate (4) and Warming Rack (3) into the Chamber.
9.HANG ON THE GREASE BUCKET:
Located the Grease Drain Tube which is on the right side of the Chamber, then hang the
Grease Bucket (17) on the hook.

11
INITIAL FIRING INSTRUCTIONS
Please read this manual carefully and follow it step by step before starting your
Z Grills for the first time and each time the grill runs out of pellets.
1.Remove the Porcelain Grills, Grease Drain Pan and Heat Baffle from the interior of the
grill.
2.Open the Pellet Hopper Lid, make sure there are no foreign objects in the Auger and
Hopper.
3.With the Switch in the OFF(O) position, plug the power cord into a 110 Volt AC grounded
outlet.
4.Turn on your Z Grill and turn the Temperature Dial to the SMOKE position. Please check
the following things:
(WARNING: Please do not touch it!)
Confirm the Auger is turning. (Wait for 1-2 minutes.)
Hold your fingers above the Firepot to confirm the fan is blowing air through the Firepot.
The hotrod will heat up and you should be able to sense the heat coming from it. (It takes
approximately 1-2 minutes.)
You should see a temperature number displayed on your LED DISPLAY. If you see
something different displayed it is an ERROR CODE. NOTE: PLEASE SEE
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR DETAILS ON ERROR CODES.
5.Turn the Temperature Dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE.
(Please note the draft fan will stay on for 10 minutes in this mode.)
6.Fill the Pellet Hopper with Pellets. Then turn the Temperature Dial to HIGH. It takes some
time for the Pellets to travel through the tube, when the Pellets start to drop, turn the
Temperature Dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE. Leave grill until it shuts off automatically.
7.Turn the Temperature Dial to SMOKE. Allow the Pellets to come to full flame. Once flames
are coming out of the Firepot, turn the Temperature Dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE and let the
grill cool down.
[We suggest that you should wrap the Grease Drain Pan with heavy-duty aluminum
foil before using because it is easy to clean.]
8.Place components back in place. Open the lid and turn the Temperature Dial to SMOKE. A
few minutes later, when you see whitish-gray smoke coming out of the grill, close the lid and
turn the Temperature Dial to any cooking setting desired.
9.Set Temperature Dial to HIGH and let grill run for 45 minutes at this setting to rid it of any
foreign matter. This step must be done before cooking any food.
10.Please preheat the grill for 10 minutes before adding food. This makes your grill heat up
faster and quickly reach your desired cooking temperature. Adding food sooner will slow
down the heating process.
ALWAYS START THE GRILL ON SMOKE SETTING WITH THE LID OPEN !
After the Pellets are ignited, you can turn the Temperature Dial to any cooking temperature
desired. Please don’t turn the Temperature Dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE while in use.

12
SUBSEQUENT START-UP
ATTENTION: If the grill fails to light or the fire in the Firepot goes out while cooking, it is vital
to follow these steps when sufficient pellets are still in the Pellet Hopper. Failure to follow the
steps may cause a hazardous “over-firing”of your grill due to an excess of unburned pellets
in the Firepot.
1.Turn OFF the appliance and unplug the Power Cord. After the grill cools down, remove all
food, the Porcelain Grills, Grease Drain Pan and the Heat Baffle.
2.Remove all unburned pellets and ash from inside and around the Firepot (See instruction
for proper handling and disposal of ash).
3.Plug the Power Cord and turn on the grill. Pellets should fall into the Firepot and the Hot
Rod should begin to heat (it will start to turn red).
4.If this step is successful, you will see flames come out of the Firepot.
Then turn the Temperature Dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE and let it cool down. Next, put
components back in place, open the lid and turn the Temperature Dial to SMOKE. Wait a
few minutes until you see whitish-gray smoke coming out of the grill, then close the lid and
turn the Temperature Dial to any cooking setting desired.
5.If this step is not successful, see TROUBLESHOOTING or contact Z GRILLS Technical
Support to help diagnose the problem.
SHUTDOWN CYCLE
Auger turns off
Fan continues to run for 10 minutes
After you have finished cooking, turn the Temperature Dial to Shutdown Cycle position. The
function of this setting is to leave the Draft Induction Fan running for 10 minutes to burn
redundant pellets in the firepot. After the fan runs for 10 minutes, the fan will stop and the
controller will power off.
CAUTION: The main power switch will shut the power off to the controller and the
Temperature Dial Knob switch will cut off power to the grill components only. When servicing
the controller or any parts ensure that the power supply is disconnected by unplugging the
grill to avoid a shock hazard.

13
OPERATING TIPS
1.like all grills, the actual temperature of this grill and the cooking times will be affected by
external temperature, humidity, wind conditions, quality of pellets, etc.
2.It is beneficial to shelter your grill from the wind. This will aid in temperature output, heat
retention and heat recovery time when the lid is open.
3.Do not open the lid frequently, it will increase your cooking time. You can open the lid
when you want the grill to cool down quickly.
4.Please preheat the grill for 10 minutes before adding food. This will allow your grill to heat
up quickly and return to your desired temperature once food is added.
5.Never move your grill while in use.
6.Never put water into the Pellet Hopper or Firepot.
7.WARNING: NEVER ADD PELLETS TO THE FIREPOT DIRECTLY. IT IS DANGEROUS.
If you run out of pellets and lose your fire while cooking, let the grill cool down and start
again with the INITIAL FIRING INSTRUCTIONS.
8.We recommend you cover your Grease Drain Pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and
change it frequently. This is the simplest way to clean your Grease Drain Pan. Failure to
clean the Grease Drain Pan, V-shaped Grease Drain and Grease Drain Tube may cause
grease fires. If this situation happens, turn the Temperature Dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE
and keep the lid open until the fire is completely out. AT THE SAME TIME, BE CAREFUL
NOT TO BURN YOURSELF. When the grill is completely cool, clean any grease
accumulation from the V-shaped Grease Drain and the Grease Drain Pan. Replace the foil
on the Grease Drain Pan. Then restart the grill and resume cooking.

14
MAINTENANCE & CLEANING
Your Z GRILL requires regular maintenance.
Make sure your grill is OFF, unplugged and completely cold before performing any
maintenance and cleaning.
Grease
1.With regular use your grill will accumulate grease on the Flue Lining, the Grease Drain
Tube, the V-shaped Grease Drain and the Grease Drain Pan. Always be sure these areas
are clean and free of grease and debris. You should check and clean these areas regularly
to reduce the risk of fire.
2.It is easier to remove accumulated grease when the grill is still warm (not hot).
BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF. Heat-resistant gloves are recommended.
If too much grease is allowed to build up in the V-shaped Grease Drain or is allowed to plug
the Grease Drain Tube, a grease fire could result. It is necessary to clean these area
regularly. You can scarp the grease accumulation from inside the V-shaped Grease Drain
and Grease Drain Tube by using a stiff, nonmetallic tool. Much of the loosened grease can
be pushed down through the Grease Drain Tube and fall into the Grease Bucket. Wipe up
remaining grease residue with paper towels or disposable rags.
Flue Pipe(Smoke Stack)
Remove the Chimney Cap Assembly, clean it with warm soapy water. Scrape the creosote
and grease accumulation from inside of the vertical and horizontal sections of the Flue Pipe
by using a stiff, nonmetallic tool such as a wooden paint stir stick. Once the creosote and
grease residue has been loosened from the Flue Pipe Lining, much of it can be cleaned with
paper towels or disposable rags. Do not spray water or other liquid cleaners onto the inside
of the grill.
Outside surfaces
1.Use warm soapy water to wipe away grease. Do not use oven cleaner, abrasive cleansers
or abrasive cleaning pads on the outside grill surfaces.
2.It is highly recommended that you use Z GRILLS Cover to protect your grill .
3.You can use a high-quality car wax on the outside surfaces of your grill to protect it’s finish.
Internal component
1.To clean the Porcelain-coated Grill Grates we recommend using a long-handled cleaning
brush designed for Porcelain-coated Grates.
2.It is recommended that you clean your Grill Grates after each use.
3.Clean the inner RTD temperature probe after each use.

15
Ash
Clean the ash from the interior of the grill periodically. If excessive ash is in the firepot, it may
cause the fire to go out. This is especially true in the SMOKE setting. A shop vac is an
excellent tool to use for removing the ash. WARNING: MAKE SURE THE GRILL FIRE IS
OUT, THE UNIT IS OFF, UNPLUGGED AND COLD BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN
ASH FROM THE GRILL.

16
TROUBLESHOOTING
CAUTION: Make sure the grill is completely cool and unplugged before you do any
inspection, cleaning, maintenance or service work.
Problem
Potential
Cause
Solution
Grill does not work properly
Power
Make sure the power cord is plugged
in. Verify there is power at the electrical
outlet.
Fuse
Remove the digital control, check the
fuse on the back. Replace the fuse if
blown.
Hot Rod
If both of the Draft Inducer Fan and the
Auger Driver Motor are operating, the
Hot Rod needs to be replaced. If one or
both are not operating, please contact
customer support.
Wires &
Connections
Check the wires and connectors to
make sure they are fastened securely
and not damaged. Contact customer
support if you need help.
Auger Drive
Motor
Locate the small fan motor blade on
the back of the auger drive motor. Turn
unit on. If the fan does not turn on then
the Auger Drive Motor needs to be
replaced.
Fire goes out
Too much ash
Clean the ash. Refer to
MAINTENANCE & CLEANING.
How to start
SMOKE setting
Start your grill on the SMOKE setting
with the lid open. After 5 minutes, close
the lid and turn to any temperature
setting desired. Read the INITIAL
FIRING INSTRUCTIONS carefully.

17
ERROR CODES
LEr (Low Temperature Alarm )
Grill temperature was below 120℉for more than 20 minutes.
HEr (High Temperature Alarm )
Grill temperature reached 550℉.
Er 1
Ensure temperature probe is properly connected to the controller board.
Er 2
Temperature dial security alarm.
Turn the Temperature dial to SHUT DOWN CYCLE, turn off the grill and then turn it on.
Then you can turn the Temperature Dial to any cooking temperature desired.
WARNING: DO NOT TURN OFF THE SWITCH WHILE THE FAN IS STILL WORKING ON
THE SHUT DOWN CYCLE, THE GRILL WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF WHEN THE
CYCLE IS DONE. INTERRUPTION OF THE SHUT DOWN CYCLE COULD RESULT IN A
FIRE IN THE HOPPER CHAMBER.
Unexpected grill temperature is
displayed
External Factor
Grill temperature is influenced by
environmental factors such as high
temperature, wind and direct sun.
Place unit in shaded area. Open the lid
to reduce inside temperature. After
start your grill in 40 minutes, the grill
will reach your desired temperature.
Excess or discolored smoke
Pellets
Replace moist pellets with fresh dry
pellets.
Get your new parts
Contact
Z GRILLS
Customer
Service or your
Z GRILLS
dealer to place
an order
When contacting customer support
please have the following information
available: Your authorized Z Grills
dealer, your name, phone number,
address, your Z Grill serial number and
part identification number. Your part
number is listed on the COMPONENT
LIST.

18
DIGTAL THERMOSTAT CONTROL WIRING DIAGRAM

19
Z GRILLS SUPPORT
Thank you for purchasing a Z GRILL!
If you have any question, please contact customer support or your Z GRILL dealer.
Z GRILLS, INC. offers the best technical and sales support in the industry.
When calling customer please be prepared to provide the following information:
1.Dealer's name and date of purchase
2.Purchaser's name, phone number and address
3.Z GRILLS model number, serial number and part identification numbers
4.Please be prepared to describe your problem accurately so we can help you resolve your
issue
5.Providing pictures or videos is beneficial
Z GRILLS CUSTOMER SERVICE
MON TO FRI, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. PACIFIC STANDARD TIME
SERVICE CONTACT: 1-833-947-4557/1-833-ZGRILLS
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.zgrills.com