How to Use and Maintain your Built-In Grill

Protect the investment you’ve put into your outdoor kitchen and built-in grill.

Keeping the grill, other appliances and stainless steel cabinets clean and well maintained is going to help preserve your investment for many years to come. There are some minor issues that can occur when you own a gas grill – no matter how much you spend on it, things can go wrong and malfunction once in awhile. Here is a checklist of things to watch for and to include in your regular maintenance of the grill. Some of these tips are specific to the Summerset brand of grills, and some are more general and may apply to other brands as well.

TURNING THE GRILL BURNERS ON:

• Push in and turn the burner knob slowly to LITE position, a clicking will occur. Hold for 5 seconds, until the burner lights.
• If the burner does not ignite within 5 seconds, turn the gas off. Wait for 5 minutes for any escaped gas to dissipate and then try again.

TURNING THE ROTISSERIE BURNER ON:

• Remove the warmer rack from in front of the infrared rotisserie panel. It will melt with the heat of the burner.
• Push in and turn the burner knob slowly to LITE position, a clicking will occur. Hold for 5 seconds, or until the entire infrared panel is lit.
• If the burner does not ignite within 5 seconds, turn the gas off. Wait for 5 minutes for any escaped gas to dissipate and then try again.
• It is normal and expected for the infrared panel to discolor after it is lit the first time.

GENERAL MAINTENANCE FOR BUILT-IN GRILLS:

• Keep the grill covered. The cover helps to keep water from getting into the vents and drip tray.
• Wipe all exterior surfaces of the grill down at least once a month with a stainless steel cleaner. Most cleaners have a protective oil in them that will stay on the surface for a time. [A great product to use is Affresh Stainless Steel Cleaning Wipes.]
• The Ceramic Briquettes do not need to be cleaned other than seasonally – most people like to keep them “seasoned” for additional flavor to the food. At the beginning of the grilling season they can be washed with warm, soapy water and a soft brush. The whole tray of briquettes lifts out for easier access – carefully lift the tray straight up and out of the grill. Unscrew the top metal piece to access the individual briquettes.
• During prolonged non-use of the grill, spiders and insects can nest in areas that will adversely affect the functioning of the grill.
  • Check the burner inlets, orifice hood (the gas inlet to the burner), igniter, sparkers, etc. and clean thoroughly. A thin wire can be used to carefully clean out the orifices and burner inlets.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

• The burner will not light.
  • Check the gas supply to the burner by manually lighting the burners.
  • Check pilot side of the valve for spark while the gas is off.
  • Make sure the spark area is clean from debris, cobwebs, etc.
  • Make sure you now have a spark.
  • If no spark, check valve and gas supply line for defects such as breaks or punctures.
• Improper burner flame.
  • Make sure that you have the proper gas type (liquid propane or natural gas) hooked up to the correct grill type. These types of fuel require different burner parts in order to operate properly.
  • Check burner gas inlet area for any blockage and clear it out.
  • Check orifice tops for any clogging and clean.
  • Check pressure if flame is too low or too high.
  • Check to see if the gas supply tank (Liquid Propane) is running low.
  • Make sure that all knobs are in the OFF position when turning the tank valve on!
• Uneven burner flame.
  • Make sure that nothing has shifted and that the grill is still level and seated properly in the counter and stonework.
  • Make sure the burner is installed properly and sitting level.