Gas Grills: 9 Things To Do For Safety And Maintenance

 Gas Grills: 9 Tips for Safety and Maintenance

How do I prepare my grill for spring?

Be sure to clean the spider webs from the vent tubes as described below.

Open your grill in the spring and you will find traces of food you cooked last season. Don't worry. According to  cleaning the grill is easier than most people realize, and you can usually do it without brushes, dirty sink and elbow grease before you start your day. You need a grill. However, use the following method only after checking the owner's manual. Some manufacturers warn against using an oven cleaner on any part of your grill.

Place a plastic bag on the floor, then the newspaper, then the rack on top of the newspaper. Sprinkle generously with oven cleaner and cover with another layer of damp paper. Follow this with another plastic bag and lighten the edges so that all the trouble does not end up in your neighbor's yard. Now, instead of scrubbing and scrubbing, let the oven cleaner work for you overnight. The next day, remove the grill and place the soaked newspaper all in one of the waste bags. Wear gloves and follow all manufacturer's safety precautions when working with caustic cleaners, such as oven cleaners. Rinse the rack thoroughly, then rinse the oven cleaner residue with a little soapy water. Rinse again, apply a light brush of vegetable oil and you're ready to go!

It is a good idea to run the grill at a height of 30-45 minutes to disinfect everything before the first use of the season.

How to season culinary greats for the first time?

For a new grill, you must burn the protective oils applied by the manufacturer by running the grill on high heat for about 30 minutes. After the grill has cooled, coat the grouts with vegetable oil spray and allow them to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. This will absorb the oil into the grates and prevent the food from sticking.

How to clean cooking utensils?

Once you have removed the food from the grill, brush the grout with a grill brush for about 10 seconds. If you have porcelain-coated grills, be sure to use only a brush on a brass bristle, and never scrape the grill with the scraper usually attached to most brushes.

Then turn off the grill immediately. After the grill has cooled, generously spray palm-like vegetable oil on top of the grill (this should be done each time before the grill burns). Doing this will loosen any food that has stuck to the grill and throw it on the bottom of the grill, the next time the grill is preheated it will be digested.

Running the grill high for ten minutes mimics a self-cleaning oven, but it's like using the grill twice. Of course, you can forget about burning your grill, and you can easily leave it on for 30 minutes or more. This puts your grill under the same pressure of being used 3 or 4 times, which means you will have to buy new parts or even a new grill much faster than you should.

If you feel your grill needs to be lit, it will not really hurt once a month, but all you have to do is brush religiously for 10 seconds as soon as you cook and grease the grill well.

To make it easier to keep the grill clean, do not apply tomato-based sauces until the last few minutes before removing food from the grill. Marinate and spray the food with vinegar, citrus or soy based mixtures to make cleaning easier.

How to clean the burner?

You will need to clean the burner from time to time to keep the burner ports clean. The flame coming from the burner should be blue and if the flame is orange or red the burner may need to be replaced or cleaned. At this time you should also check the gas supply tubes (venturi) to make sure there are no obstructions. If you use a lot of barbecue, you can spray it with an organic food-safe cleaner or degreaser and let it sit for a while and hose the entire barbecue. For safety reasons on your barbecue, you should only open the propane tank valve when it is half-turned. It works well and you can turn off the gas in a flash in case of any emergency!

How do I clean the inside of my grill?

Remove cooking grates. Using a soft brass brush, clean the loose debris from the sides er.

How do I clean the outside of my grill?

Do not use abrasive cleaners to clean any painted, porcelain or stainless steel parts. Porcelain enamel components must be handled with additional care. The baked on enamel finish is glass like, and will chip if struck. Touch-up enamel is available from your dealer. Exterior grill surfaces should be cleaned while warm to the touch, with warm soapy water.

How do I clean the stainless steel parts of my grill?

According to the Specialty Steel Industry of North America, stainless steel needs to be cleaned for aesthetic considerations and to preserve corrosion resistance. Stainless steel is protected from corrosion by a thin layer of chromium oxide. Oxygen from the atmosphere combines with the chromium in the stainless steel to form this passive chromium oxide film that protects from further corrosion. Any contamination of the surface by dirt, or other material, hinders this passivation process and traps corrosive agents, reducing corrosion protection. Thus, some form of routine cleaning is necessary to preserve the appearance and integrity of the surface.

Like any surface that is exposed to the environment, stainless steel can get dirty. Dirt and soil can consist of accumulated dust and a variety of contaminates that come from many sources, ranging from the wind to everyday use. These contaminates will greatly greatly in their effect on appearance and corrosivity and ease of removal. Frequently, warm water with or without gentle detergent is sufficient. Next in order are mild non-scratching abrasive powders such as typical household cleaners. These can be used with warm water, bristle brushes, sponges, or clean cloths.

Ordinary carbon steel brushes or steel wool should be avoided as they may leave particles embedded on the surface which can lead to RUSTING. For more aggressive cleaning, a small amount of vinegar can be added to the scouring powder. Cleaning should always be followed by rinsing in clean hot water. When water contains mineral soldis, which leave water spots, it is advisable to wipe the surface completely with dry towels.

Fingerprints and Stains - Fingerprints and mild stains resulting from normal use are the most common surface contaminates. Fortunately, these usually affect only appearance and seldom have an effect on corrosion resistance. They are easy to remove by a variety of simple cleaning methods. Fingerprints are probably the most troublesome marks to remove from the surface of smooth polished or bright finished stainless steel. Fortunately, they can be removed with a glass cleaner or by gentle rubbing with a paste of soda ash (sodium carbonate) and water applied with a soft rag. Once again, this should be followed by a thorough warm water rinse.

For more stubborn stains see the Specialty Steel Industry of North America’s web site.

How do I clean the aluminum parts of my grill?

This is the beauty of cast aluminum… all you have to do is hose it down. About once a year, take some detergent soap that you would use to wash your automobile, and wash your aluminum grill. With die cast grills, you can leave it outdoors all year round, regardless of the climate. (taken from outdoor-patio-fashion.info)

How do I clean spider webs out of my venturi tubes?

If you notice that your grill is getting hard to light or that the flame isn’t as strong as it should be, take the time to check and clean the venturis. See our pictures at  

In some areas of the country, spiders or small insects have been known to create "flashback" problems. The spiders spin webs, build nests, and lay eggs in the grill’s venturi tube (s), obstructing the flow of gas to the burner. The backed-up gas can ignite in the venturi behind the control panel. This is known as a flashback, and it can damage your grill and even cause personal injury.

Shut off, then disconnect the gas supply to your grill. Disconnect then tilt the burner down below your control panel. Run a long handled pipe cleaning brush back and forth in the venturi tubes as pictured below. Reconnect the venturi tubes and gas supply.