Wondering how to turn on one of our gas grills? Are you burners barely working or not at all?
Whether you are using one our 3’X2′ barbecues, 4’X’2′ barbecues, or 6’X2′ barbecues, this guide will have you cooking with fire in no time!
BBQ Accessories
When you receive your grill from us, it will come shrink-wrapped and ready to go with a barbecue lighter and wire brush for cleaning.
You will also notice a “Ready to Rent” tag, which indicates that the BBQ has been tested prior to your rental and is in working order.
Our barbecues require a 20lb propane tank—other sizes will not work. If you rented a propane tank from us, it will also have a “Ready to Rent” tag to indicate the unit is full.
Lastly, you should always ensure you have a fire extinguisher on hand before cooking. If you don’t, you can always rent a fire extinguisher from us as well!
Burner Valves
After removing the shrink wrap from your BBQ, you will notice that your burner valves are either one of two styles:
BBQ Style 1: Vertical / Horizontal Valves
With this style of BBQ:
- Horizontal valve = closed / no heat
- Vertical valve = open / max heat
Anywhere in between horizontal and vertical means that the valve is partially open, allowing you to adjust the level of heat.
BBQ Style 2: Inward / Outward Valves
With this style of BBQ:
- Inward valve = closed / no heat
- Outward valve = open / max heat
Again, anywhere in between inward and outward means that the valve is partially open, allowing you to adjust the level of heat.
Inspecting Your BBQ
Before ignition, it is essential to:
- Make sure grates are fitted nicely on top and aren’t sliding around
- Turn burner valves all the way into their closed positions
- Ensure drip trays are in place
Transportation
Remember, if you choose to transport your barbecue yourself, it must always be in an upright position. Never tip the barbecue on its side.
Additionally, you must secure or wrap the BBQ components so nothing bounces around and causes any damage.
Connecting Propane
To start, unwrap the propane hose hanging from the metal bar attached to the side of the barbecue. Then, connect the hose to the 20lb propane tank by pressing the fitting into place and tightening the plastic knob until it will no longer turn.
Igniting the BBQ
It is important to note this is not your home barbecue!
As a high-output commercial unit, our BBQs may work slightly different than your are used to, especially when igniting it for the first time. If you’re having issues getting your barbecue working, this point of the process is typically where it goes wrong.
Once again ensure all your valves are in closed position. Your propane may not flow or will flow at a greatly reduced rate if the valves are partially open when you turn your BBQ on.
To ignite the BBQ:
- Twist open the propane tank as slowly as possible until the valve can no longer turn. Note that twisting the valve too fast may trigger a safety feature that prevents or reduces propane flow.
- Ignite your BBQ lighter and poke it towards the burner tube past the grate and rocks.
- While holding the lit lighter against the burner tube, open the burner’s valve to the fully open position
- You should notice that your burner ignites; however, it may not do so immediately. The propane hose is full of air, and it may take a moment to replace that oxygen with propane.
- Each section of your grill will have two burners. After you’ve lit the first burner, you can easily turn the second burner on by moving it’s valve into the fully open position.
Repeat this process on each section of your grill.
Now you’re ready to cook!
Turning Off & Cleaning BBQ
Once you’re all done cooking, move all your burner valves into the completely closed position and turn off your propane tank until it is firmly seated in the off position.
While your grill is still warm, it is a good idea to give the grates a clean with the wire brush. It’s much easier to clean the grates while the grill is still warm and can be more difficult if allowed to cool.
After the grill has cooled down, pull the drip trays out, dispose of waste that has accumulated on the tray, and then push them back fully into their receptacle.
Lastly, unhook the hose from propane tank by unfastening the plastic knob. Then, hang the hose from the metal bar extending from the side of the grill.
Your BBQ is now ready for our team to come and pick it up.
Troubleshooting
If you’ve followed the steps above meticulously, your BBQ should have run flawlessly.
However, if you notice your burners aren’t turning on or are barely working. This issue may occur if the propane isn’t flowing properly from your propane tank to your BBQ. If that happens, trying following the steps below:
Loose Coupling of Tank & Hose
Make sure that your hose fitting is coupled tightly onto the propane tank. The coupling shouldn’t just be snug—the plastic knob should be threaded on until it can no longer be tightened and stops completely.
If the fitting is not all the way on the tank, propane won’t flow into the hose.
To solve this issue, turn off the valve on the tank and tighten the coupling until it stops turning (as tight as you can without using tools).
Lastly, make sure all the burner valves are closed on the BBQ, then slowly open the propane tank. Your BBQ should be ready to go!
Turning on the Propane Tank Too Quickly
As we noted above, if you turn on the propane tank too quickly, it can activate the device in the hose designed to protect the user in the event of a broken hose. You may hear a “click” as the check valve engages.
If that happens, close the tank completely, wait about 30 seconds, and then twist the propane valve open as slowly as you possibly can.
Burner Valves Partially Open Before Ignition
If any of the burner valves are even partly open as you ignite your BBQ, it can activate the hose safety feature and prevent or reduce propane flow. You might get some flame when you ignite your BBQ, but probably not very much.
To solve this issue, close your propane tank completely, move all your burner valves into the completely closed position, and then turn on the propane tank as slowly as you possibly can.
Contact Us
We hope this article helps make your barbecue a big success!
Have questions? Is something not clear?
We’d to love to chat!
Call us at 780-424-6001 between 9 am to 5pm on Monday to Friday, or 10 am to 4pm on Saturdays, or leave us a message. If the message is urgent, you may reach out to the same number after hours.