Important Tips For Safe Gas Grill Operation

17 August 2010      

In this blog post  we will share some safety tips on using your gas grill. Even if you do not own a gas grill it is still a good idea to read on as you or your family inevitably will find yourself in close contact with a “griller”.   You would be surprised at the dangerous things people do around flammable gas.  

• When you are barbecuing, only open the propane tank valve half-a-turn. This supplies enough gas to the burners, and makes emergency shut off very fast, should you ever need to close the valve.
• The proper sequence for starting a grill is (1) Open the grill lid, (2) turn on the gas supply, (3) turn the ignition burner to high, (4) light the ignition, (5) turn on the second burner if needed. By following this sequence, excess gas will not accumulate inside the grill before it is ignited, preventing an explosion that could damage your grill and even cause personal injury.
• Never fuel lawn mowers or any other tool or motorized toy anywhere near a burning grill.  
• Perform routine maintenance such as inspection and cleaning of venture tubes for insects or grease.
• Check gas hoses for wear such as cracking, brittleness or leaks. Be sure there are no sharp bends.
• Keep gas hoses away from hot surfaces or install a heat shield to protect them.
• Replace scratched or damaged connectors which could leak gas.
• Following your manufacturer's instructions, check for gas leaks. You should not smell gas. If you do, immediately turn off the gas until the leak is fixed.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, candles or any open flame away from a leaking grill.
• Never use a grill indoors. It must be at least 10 feet away from any building. It should not be used in the garage, breezeway, carport, porch or under any surface that could catch fire.
• Never try to repair the tank valve or the grill by yourself. See a qualified LP gas dealer or repair person.
• Always follow your manufacturer's instructions that came with your grill.

If you have a propane tank  then a couple of Propane tank tips are mentioned below:

• Always keep containers upright
• Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors
• Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline near the grill
• Always transport LP gas containers in a secure, upright position
• Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat causes the gas pressure to rise, which could open the relief valve and allow gas to escape.
• Always use extreme caution and carefully follow your manufacturer's instructions when connecting or disconnecting your LP container.

Your friends at The Fireplace Showcase sincerely care for you and your families.  Product safety education and training is fundamentally important to all of us here.  When you purchase industry-leading quality gas grills from The Fireplace Showcase, you can rest assured we will be there for you to discuss the safe operation of the same.  Our final point is this.  While you might find most (if not all) of these tips to be "common knowledge", the fact is that grill mishaps cause injury to Americans on a daily basis. We will do our part to ensure this never happens to you.   Please be smart, be safe, and enjoy your grilling.