How to Light a Gas Grill
No matter what season, the smell from a barbecue grill is sure to ignite a nostalgic feeling. Though many enjoy a charcoal grill, gas grills are becoming more popular because of the simpler cooking control and the ease in clean up. However, gas grills can be very dangerous if not lit properly.
There’s nothing better than the taste of some good barbecue. Although some barbecue connoisseurs prefer charcoal grills, gas grills are becoming more and more popular due mainly because of their simple usage without the tasks involved in charcoal grill clean up. Either way, the result is to enjoy some well-cooked barbecue. However, to get to that stage, you have to be aware of the dangers of lighting the grills; and no matter whether it’s a gas or charcoal grill, lighting them improperly can be very dangerous.
Here are the steps in lighting a gas grill:
Carefully read the instructions that come with your gas grill and make sure that the grill is in a well-ventilated area. Make sure the burner control knobs in the "off" position to ensure that they are closed.
Inspect the propane tank carefully. There are inspection guidelines on the tank to ensure that there are no leaks and that the tank is off completely before grill setup.
Open the grill lid to ensure that no gas vapors fill the closed space once the gas is turned on. Make sure the burner knobs are completely off. Do not open the burner knobs before opening the service valve on the propane bottle.
Slowly open the propane cylinder valve to start the flow of gas by turning the top knob on the tank counter-clockwise, as instructed. You may hear the gas flowing from the tank to the grill until it gets to the grill’s shutoff valve. However, if you continue to hear the flow even when the grill is off, turn the propane’s top knob back off and have your grill’s shutoff valve checked.
Turn the on the burner closest to the ignition source. Press the ignite button to spark the flame. If it takes more than 3-4 times to ignite, turn off the burners and propane tank and recheck the setup. However, if the flame ignites, open up the remaining burners beginning with the burners closest to the one that’s already lit.
Successful completion of the guidelines above will have you grilling with gas in no time.