Parts Explained 8 of 8
Hood Thermometer, Lid Springs and Handles
The dial in the hood, which reads the air under the closed lid, and the pivots, counterbalance and handle that let a heavy hood rise and fall under control.
What does the hood thermometer actually measure?
The air trapped under the lid. Viking’s E-Series service manual says the canopy thermometer is there to help with preheating and closed-canopy grilling, and its chart calls the figures estimated cooking temperatures with the canopy closed.
So read it with the hood shut. It describes the cooking space, not one grate bar.
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Why does the needle lag or stop short?
Often it has not had time. The 5 Series guide preheats with every main burner on HI and the hood closed for 10 to 15 minutes, and warns against going past 15.
If it still will not climb, Viking’s guide points to wind: a breeze into the back of the grill stops hot gases leaving at the rear, and the heat builds in the control panel and knobs instead. Treat them as hot. The guide recommends a windbreak behind the grill.
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When is the gauge itself the fault?
When it mists inside, holds water, rattles, or sits at one reading on a still day with every burner on high. A sealed dial that has lost its seal or its movement is replaced, not opened. A needle that moves with the burners but disagrees with the food is probably fine: it reads air, not food.
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What keeps a heavy hood from dropping?
On E-Series grills a spring-loaded counterweight helps the canopy open and close and spreads its weight; the canopy is bolted at each side. A hood that turns heavy, drops from half-open or slams has lost part of that balance. The spring is under load, so it waits for the visit. A loose handle is never something to lift a hot hood by.
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Follow-ups
Should I trust the hood dial or a probe thermometer in the food?
Use each for its own job. The hood dial shows how hot the air under the closed lid has become, which is what Viking ties it to: preheating and cooking with the hood down. A probe tells you when the food is done. If the dial never climbs on a still day, ring Woodinville Viking Repair on (425) 321-3414.
Can I keep grilling if the hood will not stay open?
Better not. Viking's 5 Series guide wants the lid open while the grill is being lit, and a hood that creeps down brings a hot, heavy lid toward your hands. Do not wedge it or force the spring. Woodinville Viking Repair, (425) 321-3414, looks at the counterbalance and the side mountings on the $89 visit.
Is a misted hood thermometer worth a visit on its own?
It is a small part, so it is often simplest to mention it when the grill is booked in for something else and have it looked at then. If it is the only fault, Woodinville Viking Repair, (425) 321-3414, confirms which gauge fits your hood and quotes it once the $89 diagnosis is done.