Prepare Gas BBQ for the Summer

Prepare Your Gas BBQ for the Summer

The summer season is the grilling season. You may not have stoked up the barbecue since Labor Day, so it’s time to get it ready for the cookouts to come.

Warning: Disconnect your propane tank from your grill before you begin cleaning.

Clean the Grate

Remove the grates. If they’re powder coated steel, clean them with dish soap, rinse them well, and allow them to dry completely.

If they’re cast iron, don’t use any soap or cleanser. Clean the racks with a wire brush and hot water. Allow them to dry completely and then wipe them down use a paper towel with an oil suitable for grilling temperatures such as vegetable oil.

Clean the Body

You should have a lot of ash, as you’re not burning any charcoal, but there could be burned bits of food and a winter’s worth of dust and grime built up in and on the body of the grill. Clean this all out with soap, water, and elbow grease.

Clean the Burners

Wire brush the burners and flush with water. Clean out the holes or slots in the burners with a wire from the brush, or a large pin or needle.

Check for debris inside the burners. Use a flashlight and peer down the tiny hole in the center of the orifice. This might seem tedious, but spider webs inside the burners are the number one cause of low burner flames. If you see a white blob or what appears to be tiny cotton obstructions in the orifice—it's spider webs.

To remove a web from an orifice, use a pipe cleaner. Twirl it around and pull it out. Done correctly, the web will come out with it, or it will be loosened enough to blow out from the gas pressure.

Fill Your Tank

Get your gas tank filled, or exchange your empty for a full one. Make sure all your couplings and seals are working properly.

Now you’re ready to bring on the burgers and dogs.