How do I fix my barbecue?

Question

I have a 1.5 year old BBQ (patio Chef) and it worked fine until last week.

Suddenly the flames are very low and it won't heat up above 200-250 degrees.

I tried to replace the propane tank, detach the tank & open the flames to man in order to release air from the tubes etc but nothing works.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Answer 1

If not your regulator, check the burners to see if their clogged with burnt food grease, etc.

Answer 2

You tried to detach the tank & open the flames to man(?) in order to release air from the tubes???

Huh?

To man?

If the flame is low, and you have enough propane, could be your regulator. See if either your tank/regulator will work another BBQ or if someone elses tank will work yours. That will isolate your problem.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Three possibilities. Spiders love to build webs in burner tubes, push a stiff wire, or you can buy brushes from BBQ places, up the burner tubes. You might pull out a web. You see the propane flows through there at a very low pressure of about 1/2 psi so it doesn't take much to restrict it.

The regulator could be defective. It's not likely. Not on a BBQ that's only 1-1/2 yrs old but its possible.

The most likely cause of this  is actually a safety feature built into the cylinder and regulator connection. There is an excess flow valve in there that is designed to severely restrict the flow of propane if the hose ruptures or the regulator fails. It is very sensitive! If you open the service valve on the cylinder too quickly, it can sometimes falsely think there is a problem and close. If it does, you will have a very low flame at the burner.

If this happens, turn the BBQ off by closing the valve on the cylinder, disconnect the regulator and reattach it.Turn off the BBQ burner controls. Then open the cylinder valve very slowly and only open it a bit.Wait a few seconds and then fully open the cylinder valve and gently back-seat it. This ensures that propane doesn't leak out of the valve stem. Light the BBQ normally and you should be off and cooking!  Good Luck!