Prepare Your Gas Grill for Grilling Season
Check Your Hose for Gas Leaks Using Soapy Water
Give Your Gas Grill a Proper Cleaning
Check for Spiders, Rodents & Insects
Measure the Fuel Level in Your Liquid Propane Tank
Try a Test Run for Safety
Some Items You May Need
Sponge
Clean rags
Stainless-steel cleaner
Grill brush
Pipe cleaners
Paper clip
Spray bottle
See below for the extended instructions on how to prep your grill for grilling season.
1) Check Your Hose for Gas Leaks Using Soapy Water
Gas leaks are serious, but easy to detect.
It’s important to check for leaks regularly, especially after a period of letting the grill sit unused, but that’s easy enough if you have soap and water.
Before we start, turn your gas controls to the OFF position.
Then, mix a 50/50 solution of liquid dish soap and water in a bowl or spray bottle.
Next, pressurize your grill by turning your propane tank’s valve ON.
Don’t ignite the grill. Just turn the gas on.
Then, use the brush or spray bottle to apply the soapy solution to the gas valve, hose, and regulator. Bit by bit, paint the solution onto the gas line.
If you have a side burner, be sure to apply the solution to those valve connections as well.
Do you see any bubbles? If not, that means you don’t have any leaks, and you are good to grill.
If you do see a bubble, you have gas escaping where the bubble formed and will need to fix it immediately before firing up your grill.
2) Give Your Gas Grill a Proper Cleaning
Cleaning your grill grates: Grill grates are easy to clean when still warm.
Fire up your grill and let it heat the grates. Then turn the grill off, pop on your grill mitt, and dip a grill brush in water.
The steam will help you scrub, so keep the brush wet. Remember, it’s always harder to do this if you let the grill get cold.
Cleaning Stainless Steel: Gentle strokes and a mild cleaner are best for cleaning stainless steel.
Use soaps and brushes designed specifically for stainless steel and scrub with the direction of the grain to avoid scratching your surfaces.
Cleaning your grill burners: Make sure the grill is off and cool. Clean the exterior of the burner with a wire brush.
A metal scraper can be used for stubborn buildup.
You can clean blocked ports with a straightened paper clip.
(Never use anything that can break, like a wooden toothpick, as it could clog the port.)
Cleaning your grease tray: The grease tray should be emptied and wiped down periodically because greasy buildup can overflow.
You can get by doing multiple cookouts without cleaning the tray, but from time to time, you’ll still need to empty the tray and wash it off with a solution of mild detergent and warm water.
Pro Tip: It’s easy to make your cleaning solution: Just mix 1 part water with 1 part distilled white vinegar. Shake it up in a spray bottle, and spritz it generously inside your grill.
Let it soak for about an hour, dissolving leftover grime, and then wipe away with a sponge.
Nevertheless, spiders, insects, and mice love nesting in covered areas, and they can cause plenty of problems with your grill, like uneven/inadequate heat, a yellow flame accompanied by the smell of gas, and popping noises from the burners.
If you notice any of these, turn the grill off immediately and check for spiders and other pests.
Clogged tubes can cause a fire beneath the grill. After a period of nonuse, make sure to inspect all burner tubes and valves before grilling again.
It’s a good idea to clean these tubes once a month when spiders are more active in your area.
Here’s how…
Unscrew all the hoses, and swipe the openings with a pipe cleaner. Clean away any web or nesting material.
Compressed air is great for this.
You probably need no reminder, but make sure to clean up any rodent droppings before your next cookout.
If you do happen to find these in your grill, be sure to spray and wipe it thoroughly with disinfectant before even thinking about cooking food in it.
Keeping pests out is always easier than cleaning them away. Grill covers can reduce critter accessibility.
3) Measure the Fuel Level in Your Liquid Propane Tank
It’s known as one of the great tragedies of grilling with propane is the dreaded empty tank.
If your grill doesn’t have a gas-level gauge, it can be hard to judge how much fuel is left in your tank.
Here’s a trick for determining your fuel level:
Fill a glass with water and pour it down the side of the propane tank. Wait a minute, then pat the area where you poured water.
You can tell where the propane level is by where the tank feels cooler. The warmer part of the tank indicates how much of it is empty.
4) Try a Test Run for Safety
Before you prepare your first awesome meal of the spring, light the grill up and let it burn. Make sure the burners are all lit and operational.
Check the color of the flame. A blue flame with yellow tips isn’t just pretty, it’s ideal.
A pure yellow flame on a gas grill usually means there isn’t enough pressure coming in from your propane tank.
All you need to do to check your flame situation is turn the grill on and let it burn for a minute. Do you see any blue?
If not, shut it off. Off. Turn off the tank and the control valves and disconnect the tank and the opening/closing valves.
You’re now ready for Grilling Season
Now you’re equipped to grill consistently juicy, consistently tasty cuts of meat at whatever doneness you prefer!
