Take your cooking grills out of the unit, place them on a Garbage Bag so that they won’t get dirt or sand on them.

Remove your cooking medium, (lava rock, ceramic briquettes, heat plates, or sear plates) again place them beside the cooking grills on the garbage bag.

Inspect the burner first. Loosen any screws or clips that are holding it in place. N Note: Most higher end BBQ's likely will not require removal of the burner as the spider guards are usually substantial enough to prevent any insects from clogging them.

Remove the burner making sure not to damage the venturi tubes or the valves as it comes out.

Check around the surface of the burner and brush off any loose rust or corrosion. Make sure all of the flame holes are open and haven’t rusted out making long slit holes or gaps in the side of the burner. Note: If the burner has holes or gaps that have developed from corrosion the burner will likely need to be replaced. Check your warranties before spending the money on a new burner. Burners are generally one of the most expensive parts on a BBQ, if the BBQ is old and has other problems it might be time to consider upgrading to a new grill.

Take a venturi tube brush and insert it into the ends of the venturi tubes and push it through as far as it will go and then pull it back out. Clean off any spider webs or other foreign material that may have gathered in the tubes. Note: Blocked tubes will cause gas to flow back out the mouth of the tube and gather around the control panel. IF IGNITED IT WILL BURN THE FRONT OF THE BBQ AND YOU IF YOU ARE TOO CLOSE.

Brush out any build up of loose carbon and burnt food matter piling up in the bottom of the casting, this will help keep your flame holes from getting obstructed.

Once burner has been brushed off and deemed acceptable replace it in the reverse order you followed when removing it. Make sure to get the ends of the valves lined up inside the ends of the Venturi Tubes. These must be aligned properly!

If you are using Ceramic Briquettes and Lava Rock, any pieces that are small enough to fall through the rock grill should be discarded and replaced. With the Heat and Sear plates, check for rust through, replace if necessary, otherwise brush off and re-install.

Inspect your cooking grills for rust and loose or flaking porcelain coat finish. If your coating is coming off in several areas and rusting it is time to replace them. See our Grilling Tips section for ways to extend the life of your cooking grills.

Inspect your gas hose leading to the valves for cracks or critter chew marks that might be a potential place for gas to leak from. If your not sure about an area, spray soapy water on it and if bubbles form when the gas is on, it is leaking. Shut the gas off and replace the hose.

Once you’ve reassembled the unit, test it to make sure everything is operating properly. If you are not sure about the safety of your unit, consult your local CERTIFIED BBQ EXPERTS for advice to help solve your concerns.