How To Clean Gas Grill Burners
Clean Gas Grill Burners
Have you noticed that your grill’s performance has dropped a bit? Well, the reason can be that your grill burners are dirty. In this case, all you need to know is, how to clean gas grill burners properly.
But hey, don’t fret if you do not know the proper ways of cleaning your grill burners. In this article, we are going to walk you through 6 easy steps you will find super effective.
Also, we’ve kept an FAQ section and some additional maintenance tips at the end as you left no confusion regarding this topic. So, let’s start without wasting another second.
When to Clean Gas Grill Burners?
Regular cleaning and maintenance play a great role to last things longer. But shit happens.
Things can be like- your grill used to 500 to 550 degrees during preheating for a while, but now you’re seeing that your grill is no longer reaching that temperature. Well, my friend, it’s high time you cleaned your burners.
The gas ports of your burners can be clogged easily. Unfortunately, it’s a bit tricky to spot early. And, when the gas ports are clogged, a larger amount of gas will be forced out of the holes. Unexpected stress cracks between the ports can happen as a result.
For cooking over time, your burners will become greasy and dirty. Also, moisture, oxidation, and carbon will stick to the burners. For this, the pores and holes on the burners get jammed and become smaller. What it means is, the holes provide lesser flames.
It’s okay to clean the burners thoroughly once a month, but if you find grime anytime, you need to clean them again.
6 Easy Steps to Clean Gas Grill Burners
If you feel this job is a hard nut to crack, trust me, once you read the following steps, you’ll call this job a piece of cake. So, let’s see what things you’re going to need and what steps to follow.
Things You’ll Need
- A grill brush/a bottle brush/a cleaning rod
- A drill bit toothpick
- Putty knife
- Cleaning rags or paper towels
- A pair of gloves
Once you manage or purchase these things, go for the steps below.
Step 1: Shut Off the Gas Supply to Your Grill
You will not want to clean the burners while the gas supply is on. Because if you work with open gases, it may create a hazardous situation that you can easily prevent.
So, make sure you shut that off. It is a good option to disconnect the gas tank (that normally flows gas to your grill) completely from your grill.
Once you close all tank valves as well as disconnect the gas tank, let’s move on to the next step.
Step 2: Remove the Grill Grates
Now, you are going to remove the grill grates. If you find the grates dirty or greasy, you can spray a degreaser on them.
Then, leave it alone for a few moments to let the spray sit. Remove any dirt using a grill brush or a scrubbing pad.
Step 3: Access the Grill Burners
To access the grill burners, you need to remove everything under the grates that may cover the gas burners. More specifically, your grill may have lava rock grates or ceramic briquettes trays, or whatever else, you need to get rid of them.
Now, you should brush these off and set them aside until you put the grill again. And, you will find some pieces of metal covering your grill burners (shaped like tents) called flame tamers. Remove and brush them off. Also, check if there’s any hole or soft spot. Put these aside too until you reassemble the grill.
Step 4: Remove the Burners
Once you access the grill burners, remove them carefully to clean them.
It’s a good idea to check your grill manual for tips on correctly removing the burners as different kinds of grills come with different procedures for these parts.
Once you’re done removing the burners, you can go for the cleaning process.
Step 5: Clean the Burner Tubes
Brush off the dirt and debris to clean the burners. Avoid using water to clean your burner. All you need is a stainless scrub or a brush. You can use a bottle brush or a cleaning rod to clean the inside of your burners, it works great. Make sure you clean both inside and outside of the burners properly.
This is not the end, you need to take care of the gas ports of your burners. You’ll find them on your burner’s side parts. These gas ports are manufactured in a constant shape that maintains the same spacing around the burner. And, what it does is to maintain an even flame pattern for spreading throughout the burner.
Now, you think what will happen if the holes are clogged? ‘Your grill will not be getting even heat supply’ is the answer. So, it’s crucial to clear the debris from the gas ports so that the burner functions properly.
No matter if your burners are tube, u-shaped, flat, or cast burners, you can easily unclog the gas ports with a drill bit, or a toothpick, or anything small enough to clean the ports.
In case, you use ceramic infrared burners, all you have to do is to turn the heat on high, and then, it will burn the residue away. Then, you need to remove the burner screen and use a vacuum to remove any leftover dust/debris or residue.
Step 6: Reattach the Burners
Now, your burners are clean from ins and outs. Get them back to the grill assembly. To properly connect the things, you can consult the grill’s manual again. Make sure you reconnect the gas tank as you can use the grill for 
your next barbeque party without any interruption.
So, that’s it. You’re done effectively cleaning the gas grill burners. But hey, after all of your labor for the cleaning purpose, if you find that your burners are damaged with soft spots, holes, or cracks, you may need to replace the burners.
If you think that the replacing method is an uphill battle, no, that’s not. You just need the appropriate measurement for the replacement parts before you purchase them. So, a reputable and authentic authority on grills.
And, in case, you’re not getting enough flame after replacing the burners, you should clean the orifice hole. You will find the orifice hole at your gas valve’s end. Clean it properly because sometimes, the gas jet gets jammed with grease or spider webs.
How to Deal with Rusty Grill Burners?
Rust is one of the main culprits that limits the lifespan of your burners and shortens their effectiveness. During and after your cooking, the remaining moisture on the burners can lead them to become rusty. So, you should give a proper cleaning to the burners after every use.
However, if you face the sticky rusts on the burners, it’s fixable. Simply go through these steps below.
- To burn off any remaining food or anything unwelcomed, set the burners on high heat after using them. Wait for 10 minutes. After that, allow your burners to cool down.
- Disconnect the gas flowing to your grill and get rid of the burners (you’ll find the instruction in the ‘s manual). Now, use a soft nylon brush to gently clean the burners, make sure you don’t damage their protective finish.
- Use a pipe cleaner for cleaning the holes of your burners. This is to protect the holes from the food particles, grease, and insects. Otherwise, the holes may get clogged and corrode.
- Clean the burner using a cloth. And, if you find the rusts too sticky to eliminate, using a non-abrasive cleaner will work.
- Now, wipe your burners using vegetable oil. What’s it for? Well, this will seal out moisture while you put it away until the next use. When you’re not going to use your grill for a while, use a cloth cover to wrap the burner unit.
- It’s a good idea to use a tailored grill cover in order to cover the entire grill until its next use.
When Should You Replace the Gas Grill Burners?
It’s crucial to know when cleaning is not enough for the well-being of your grill burners and it needs a replacement. Here are the cases you’ll need to replace your gas grill burners:
- When the holes surrounding your burner get too much clogged and blend into larger holes. In this case, a huge amount of gas flows forcefully through the fewer holes. And, guess what? This situation will put too much pressure on the rest of the holes.
- When there’s a break in your burner, you will notice large flames coming from the burner’s top or side parts.
- Generally, grill burners have a long time of warranty (up to 10 years). So, these actually do last a long period. If you notice any signs of unusual flaring or uneven flames, it’s important to repair while the burners are still under warranty. If it doesn’t work at all and your burners get corroded, too much grease on them, then it’s better to replace them.
Maintenance Tips of Grill Burners
Proper maintenance adds years to the life of appliances. So, be careful it. The following tips may help you maintain the grill burners.
- It’s a good idea to cover the gas valves using aluminum foil while you deal with the things here. It will protect the connections from corrosion.
- Clean the grill grates, lid of your grill, and other things while you clean the burners. Each piece of equipment needs regular cleaning.
- If you find rusted or corroded tanks during cleaning, do not forget to recycle those tanks.
- When you’re going to store the grill outside, use a vinyl cover to protect the exterior of your grill. Also, keep the propane tank attached here. But if you store it indoors, detach the tank and leave it outside. Yes, keep the tank standing upright in a shady place away from furnace vents. Finally, do not forget to cover the connections of your gas line in order to keep off insects.
- If you notice too much yellowish flame, move the air adjustment at the grill burner’s base. Because your burner requires the ideal mixture of gas and oxygen for producing nice, blue flames.
- Check often the burner protectors if they are okay. If you find them crumbling or corroded, try to troubleshoot or replace them if needed.
- Before you use the grill each season, check if your gas line gets a leak. It’s a simple prevention from an unexpected hazardous situation.
- Regularly check the gas hose and regulator whether they are cracked or not. You may find it a bit difficult to locate the cracks. Here’s a tip- mix water and a dishwashing liquid together. Then, spray the mixture on the gas hose. Are you seeing any bubbles in the area? If you see, the bubbles indicate there’s a gas leak and it’s high time you replaced the gas hose.
Frequently Asked Questions of Grill Burners
Conclusion
Hopefully, by reading this article, how to clean gas grill burgers is not greek to you. It’s pretty easy to keep things neat and clean when maintaining regularity.
Be very careful while using a wire brush to clean the burners as they are sharp enough to puncture your fingers. And, always keep the gas supply shut off when it is not used.
Happy cleaning!
