Barbecue: Two Common Issues and How to Fix Them

Even when buying a quality grill, you are not immune to small issues. Most of them often occur at the beginning of the season, and they are relatively easy to fix. Here are the most common ones with their solution.

One observation, two causes

When the warmer weather returns and people start using their grill again, they often make a recurring observation that can be explained by two different reasons. “Customers will tell us that for some unknown reason, their barbecue does not heat up as much as before,” says François St-Martin, Director of Maçonnex BBQ and Fireplaces Division. If your barbecue is in good condition, this issue is probably due to the presence of insects inside the burner tube or to a faulty regulator.

Unwanted insects

If, like most people, you only use your grill in the summer, the remaining months leave enough time for ants and other small creatures to move in.”We have to understand that spiders are fond of the propane smell and, therefore, tend to form webs inside the burner tube,” says St-Martin. When propane will try to enter the tube and burner, it will be blocked.

To fix this problem, St-Martin suggests removing the burner, then to clean the inside with a venturi tube brush designed with a flexible rod.

A regulator can be both useful and problematic

A regulator is what connect the hose that goes from the barbecue to the propane tank.

In the spring, after connecting the hose, make sure the grill knobs are turned off andbe careful to open the tank valve slowly. Otherwise, the regulator may trigger a mechanism in a specific context. “If there is a propane leak, and the gas escapes too quickly, a ball inside the regulator will cut off 80% of the gas capacity to enter into the barbecue,” says St-Martin.

If this happens, disconnect the regulator from the propane tank, tap gently on it with a screwdriver head which should make the ball go down. If this tip does not work, replace the regulator.

Very few grills issues

You should not have other issues with a well-maintained barbecue whose parts and structures are not damaged by rust.

As for kamado-style ceramic charcoal grills, since they are not designed with any mechanical elements, you only need to empty the ashes after each use.