I had this heat problem when I first got mine. I found the problem to be in the regulator (operator error). The regulator has a check valve that restricts the flow of gas if turned on quickly or if any of the burners are on while you are opening the regulator.

Solution: Turn all burners off and turn the regulator valve on very slowly. The regulator senses that there is no leaks and the restrictor valve stays open. Then light the burners one at a time. They should burst into flame when lit and you should see the flame. If this doesn't work, turn off and try again.

It worked on mine. I get 450 degrees in about 14 min and it gets to 550 degrees in about 20 min. This is as high as mine has gotten with all three burners on. It seems to be enough for a good steak.

Thanks for the answer, but I have already been doing this. Just can't understand why I can't get the same temps as everyone else. I did double check the temps with an oven thermometer.

A question-Are you getting good searing at the 400 degrees or do you just want to see it go to 600? I suspect most of the Member's Marks top out over a short period in the 400-500 degree level. I have converted to natural gas and get this. If I forget it on, it will go higher but I suspect it stresses the grill pretty badly. It also causes the stainless to turn tan.

If you want the type of steak you describe, you may want to try blackening it. We use a crawfish burner with lots of heat capability. It is loud enough for the neighbors to hear it when it is fired up. Put a cheap cast iron skillet on the burner and allow it ot heat to almost red hot. Coat the steak with butter and dip it into seasoning. Toss it in the skillet. It WILL flame up and put on quite a show with flames going up 18 inches or so. Cook it for 45-60 seconds on each side. It will come out rare with brown and black outsides. If you want it more done, place it on the grill for additional cooking.

femgolfer,

I have had this grill for over a year now and love it. I use it many times per week. I have read and made several posts about the heat of this grill and posted some solutions. I had heat output issues when I first purchased the grill and the regulator hummed loudly too. Customer Service replaced the regulator under warranty and that solved the humming. They also explained about the new tank system with the OPD valve inside. As was noted by another poster you should open the tank valve SLOWLY. This helps to ensure that the tank OPD valve does not shut or restrict the flow of gas.

I used an oven thermometer at the grates to compare to the built in gauge. On my unit the built in gauge showed 425 or so, but at the grate level it was slightly over 600. But, you noted you've tested this.

Also, here is something that I never thought of until I had my tank refilled recently. I mentioned to the person refilling that it seemed the heat output was low. He asked if the tank had been purged recently. A LOT of AIR (not propane) was released from the tank in this purge process. The propane guy said that propane is mixed with air to decrease the burn temperature. He noted that if this was not done that it would burn too hot for general consumer uses such as grills. But after a few tank refills the tanks get too much air trapped inside and thus the propane exiting the tank does not burn as hot as it should. The solution is to have the tank purged on a regular basis. Once I started having the tank purged at each fill up I have not had any heating problems at all.

I hope this helps.