Disclaimer - we are not experts; but, we may be certifiable! Use our site to help you find your solutions; but, do your research, hire professionals where
necessary, and please don't run with scissors.
It is finally warm enough for cook outs! But first, a little equipment maintenance is in order.
Someone forgot to clean the grill surface after the last cook out...oh wait, that would be me. The
best way to clean the cooking surface is to take a metal brush to it while the grill is very hot.
We'll do that step last. So remove the cooking surface; ours has 3 pieces.
After removing the grill and the burner protectors, you will be down at the burners. I made a
dust pan out of thin cardboard from a klennex box. This worked but, was clunky. So, I just
put on some work gloves and dug out all the junk by hand.
The next step is to scrape off and remove the angled metal pieces that keep food from dripping
on the burners.
Get a refill (if necessary). The folks at Lowe's told me it is against the law to bring a
propane tank into the store; so, leave the empty outside while you pay for the new one. When
you install the tank, make sure that it is firmly seated in the mounting hole. Some grill have
clamps that have to be screwed in for a better hold.
A close up of the mounting hole.
Connect the regulator to the propane tank. Check for kinks in the supply line to the grill. When you
are satisfied with the connection, spread soapy water around the fitting (black object in this
picture) and any suspect sections of the supply lines. Turn all the burner knobs to off and then turn
on the gas. Look for bubbles where you spread the soapy water - this is a leak and must be
addressed. Turn off the gas at the tank and reconnect / replace the regulator. Ask for help at the
hardware store or replace the grill if necessary.
Note: Propane is flammable & explosive - proceed at your own risk
Now, it is time to test the burners. Remember that all the burner controls must be in the off
position when you open up the valve on the propane tank, otherwise the regulator may go into a
safety mode that shuts down the flow of gas. You should see blue flames with occasional flicks
of yellow. If you smell gas or there is too much yellow, turn off the gas and clean out the holes
in the burner assembly. There are actually blue flames in this picture.
And, here is what it looks like after putting it all back together!
Metal scrub brush for cleaning grills; note the metal scrapper at the top of it. This should be
used to clean the cooking surface after each cookout - while the grill is still hot. It works best
if the material to be cleaned off has been heated to the point it is a white ash; but, this is not
necessary. Some manuals recommend a brass brush because brass is softer and is less likely to
damage the burners. However, the problem with brass - it wears out fairly quickly. Depending
on how much grilling you do, you may have to replace the brush more than once a season. We
have switched over to a steel brush - cheaper and lasts longer.