Maintain Your Gas Grill For Years of Grilling Pleasure

Although grilling outdoors is typically done in the warm months of summer, more and more diehards are extending this cooking activity to a year-round event. Of course, some of us are fortunate enough to live in climates where grilling is easily done in any month on the calendar. But anytime is a good time for some grilling!

But regardless of the season, it's important to keep your grill in fine working order so it's ready whenever the 'hankerin' for tasty BBQ strikes your fancy.

As Always, Safety First

By following some basic guidelines, you be assured your grill is in top-shape and many outdoor cooking sessions will follow.

Attention! For those who've served in the military, standing at attention prior to inspection is routine. And inspecting your grill should be routine as well and deserving of your attention. (Except there's no need to 'assume the position'!) So let's have a close look at the grill to make sure it's in fine working order.

The fire is the main aspect of your grill. But things like bugs, spiders, bird nests and other critters can make a home in the burner tubes and other 'comfy' hidden locations. A quick look over will uncover any obstacles that may prevent gas from freely flowing to the ports.

Once a clear gas flow has been assured, next check for leaks. The easiest test for gas leaks is with liquid soap. (Yes, dish washing soap works fine.)

If you have a spray bottle you can mix up a little soap and water. If a spray bottle is not handy, squirting a little soap directly from the container will work as well.

Assuming you're outside (because it's never a good idea to operate your gas grill in any environment other than a well ventilated area), make sure the control knobs are all pointed to the 'off' position.

Next, turn the gas valve a little to open the flow and begin spraying the soap - or soapy solution - on the joints in the gas line and around the connections to the tank. Bubbles forming mean there's a leak. Not good. But better to find it now than what could happen later.

To stop the leak - and bubbles, tighten the seals. That should take care of it. If it doesn't, parts may be too worn and will need replacing. Once you're done with your leak inspection, don't forget to close to close the gas valve!

If you have a spare propane tank, it's not recommended to store it under your grill. Yes, it's a convenient location and you know exactly where it is if you need it but it's not a good idea. In fact, storing them in any kind of enclosed space is not advised. It's best to keep them outdoors, in an upright position, and certainly away from curious children.

Keeping your grill clean is a wise move and there's a number of ways to accomplish this. Some outdoor chefs like to cook on aluminum foil. This keeps the grilling surface nice and shiny and making clean up a simple crumple-n-toss activity!

Another way to keep foods from sticking is to spray a non-stick spray to the grilling surface. Although you may want to remove it while spraying so the excess doesn't drip down on the burner area.

One lazy and simply way to clean it is to pre-heat the grill and burn off those stuck on globs of BBQ sauce and fat drippings! After a few minutes, the char-broil bits come off easily with s stiff, metal brush. But the 'recommended way' to clean the grill is to scrub the surface with a stiff brush and soapy water while it's still warm. Not hot, but warm. Then rinsing it with and dry with a cloth. The debris stuck to the grill is easier to remove when it's heated up. The cold stuff is like concrete!

Many gauges that are supposed to tell you how much propane is left in the tank are not reliable indicators. One way to 'ball park' how much gas is left in the tank is to weigh it. A standard propane tank weighs about 18 pounds when empty. And around 32 pounds when full. So one way to judge how much more cooking power is stored in your tank is to put the cylinder on a bathroom scale! No, it's not a high-tech method but it works.

It's vitally important to keep in mind that grilling is an OUTDOOR activity. Besides enjoying the great outdoors while cooking, it the safest place to operate your gas grill. Cooking in an enclosed space like a garage or an enclosed patio is a recipe for danger.

The gas grill radiates heat and can produce a lot of smoke during use so make sure you're well away from walls, awnings, picnic table umbrellas and the like. Be mindful of kids, animals and plants too! Grilling is supposed to be an enjoyable event. Keep it safe.

After you're done cooking the meal to perfection and the grill is cleaned and ready to go for the next go-around, there's one more thing to do. Cover it. Naturally the grill must be cooled before throwing over the protective cover but doing so will keep the elements from prematurely aging your prized cooking machine and thus providing you many years of grilling pleasure.



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