BBQ Grill

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.