After five months sitting still, a grill comes back with last season's grease in it, rust on the burners, and very often something nesting in the housing. Grilling is one of the leading causes of home fires in the warmer months, and almost all of it comes from the three things nobody checks before the first cookout. When did you last clean the grease trap, honestly?
What winter leaves in the grill
Grease buildup left from the end of last season. Rusted or worn parts, gaskets and ignition probes included. Blocked burners and gas lines. Debris: leaves, and the occasional nest.
1. Inspect before you ignite
Gas lines for cracks and leaks, burners for blockages, grates for rust and caked grease, and the ignition system. If you smell gas, or anything about it feels off, do not light it. Find the problem first, with the supply off and the connections checked properly.
2. Clean it properly
Grates scrubbed back to bare metal, drip trays and grease traps emptied and washed, burners and heat shields cleared, vents and the body wiped down. Built-up grease is one of the leading causes of grill fires, and a wipe of the lid does not touch the part that burns.
3. Put it in the right place
At least 10 feet from the house, deck railings and overhanging branches. Never under a deck, porch or roof overhang. On a stable, flat surface where it cannot be knocked over.
4. Stay with it while it burns
Never leave a lit grill unattended, keep children and pets at a distance, and keep an extinguisher within reach. During cooking, watch for a strong gas odour, weak or uneven flame, excessive smoke, or sudden flare-ups: turn it off and look before you carry on.
Before the first cookout, in order
Inspect the gas lines, burners, grates and ignition. Empty and wash the grease trap and drip tray. Move the grill clear of the house, decks and overhangs. Set an extinguisher and long-handled tools within reach.
When to call someone
Persistent gas smells, an ignition or burners that will not behave, or significant rust and damage is repair or replacement, not a job for a match. For the fire that does get away, JP Maguire handles fire and smoke damage across Connecticut 24 hours a day on 877-576-2484.
Where to go from here
If this is happening in your house right now, these are the pages Connecticut homeowners reach for, each one saying what the work involves and how to get a crew rolling: water damage restoration. Water extraction, drying, then the rebuild. fire damage restoration. Soot, smoke odour, and putting the rooms back. mold remediation. Finding it, containing it, and removing it properly. storm damage restoration. Wind damage, fallen trees, emergency tarping. burst pipe repair. Stopping the leak, then repairing what it reached. 24/7 emergency restoration. A person on the phone, any hour of the night.
Also from the blog: Candles, Not Just Trees, the Overlooked Cause of December House Fires, Fire Safety After a House Fire, What to Do in the First 24 Hours and More on fire damage restoration.