Maybe you’re not much of a backyard person. Maybe you’ve had some personal events that have kept you from enjoying your backyard to it’s fullest. Maybe you inherited a used gas BBQ grill from a parent or grandparent and you want to know how to bring it back to life and enjoy cooking and eating outdoors. I think it’s a common problem, so let’s take a look at what you can do.
Before we start, play with explosive gas at your own risk. If you are concerned at all about bringing your grill back to life, get a new one or call a professional to clean are restore your grill.
To prep an unused gas grill for use again you need to make sure you have fuel, make sure it’s safe to use, make sure that all the parts are in working order, and give it a good clean. When that’s done, fire up the grill and get to cooking!
It has to be said again. If you’re concerned about the process at all, there are lots of professionals in your area that will come and clean or rebuild your BBQ. If it’s an inexpensive grill in bad shape, consider replacing it instead. If you’re still with me, let’s take a look at each step in order.
Make Sure You Have Fuel
If your gas grill is hooked to a natural gas supply in the house all you’ll have to do is make sure you can turn the gas on. Don’t start yet, as there are some safety checks you should do before you turn it on. If your grill is powered by propane make sure that the tank still has fuel. If the tank was left open while the grill was not in use (the wheel on the top of the tank) it will likely have emptied through small leaks in the fuel lines or in the grill.
Detach the current tank and take a look for a date stamped on the collar. That date is the expiration date of the tank, and if it’s in the past a gas station or Costco shouldn’t refill the tank. If the tank is still valid, take a look for any rust damage to the tank itself or the valves (not the base or the collar) and if it looks unsafe it probably is – replace the tank with a new one. If the tank looks good and hasn’t passed it’s expiry date you can get it refilled at a location that offers that service, or swap the tank at a gas station or hardware store that offers pre-filled tank swaps.
Once you have a safe tank with fuel on had, let’s check to see if it’s safe.
Make Sure The Gas BBQ Grill is Safe to Use
The last thing you want to do is have your gas grill explode in your face (figuratively or literally). First make sure that the components of the BBQ are all in good working order. Remove the grills and heat spreaders and examine the burners. Make sure the burners haven’t corroded where they have broken metal between the holes in the burners. Make sure there are no obstructions in the lines or burners that could be caused by spiders or other insects nesting in the pipes. Take a good look at the fuel feed lines to make sure there are no obvious breaks in the line.
Next it’s time to do a soapy water leak test. Follow the link for detailed instructions on how to mix the soapy water and the best way to apply it to the tank and hose. They also link to this 60 second video which gives a good overview
Make Sure All the Parts are in Working Order
When you’re sure that the BBQ is safe to use, make sure all the parts are in working order. Examine the hose, valves, burners, firebox, heat spreaders, and grills. Anything that looks sketchy (heavily rusted, holes, decayed, etc… should be removed and replaced.
- Make sure there are no holes or gaps in the hose and valves
- Make sure all the knobs turn and you can hear/smell gas when they are turned
- Make sure the burners have no holes (other than placed by the manufacturer, you know, for cooking)
- Make sure the heat spreaders are not falling apart
- Make sure the grills are not heavily rusted. Surface rust can be removed through cleaning
- Make sure the Firebox has no extra holes. If the firebox is rusted and in poor condition, it’s probably time to hit up the hardware store and get a new BBQ
- Make sure there are no nests in your firebox. If there are – be careful! Mouse droppings can carry bacteria that can cause significant illness. Make sure you’re wearing gloves, a mask, and goggles before removing any nests.
If everything looks good visually, it’s time to fire up the grill and make sure that you get flame from all the appropriate burners. Reassemble the heat spreaders and grill and start the BBQ. Make sure you can feel heat coming from each burner/zone. If you can’t get it to light quickly there could be a clog in the burner that needs to be cleaned out which you need to do before continuing to heat your grill. Which take use to….
Give the BBQ a Good Cleaning
First: Wait until your BBQ is cool before you start cleaning.
Barbecue cleaning is covered widely on YouTube. You can find good start to finish tutorials here, here, here, or here.
Cleaning the grill will make sure that you’ve removed any of the bacteria that could cause food poisoning, gotten rid of any mouse droppings if a family of rodents has made a nest in your BBQ that could cause serious illness, and brought your grill to a point where food can be cooked and taste good again.
If you’ve gotten this far, your old gas grill should be ready to go. Grab some burgers or hot dogs, light your grill, and take it for a test run. Think about if you need a cover for the grill (you can check out our article here), if you don’t have one.
Happy Grilling!