Don't Skip These Steps When Installing A Gas Barbecue Grill
Having a natural gas barbecue grill permanently installed in your home can be really convenient. It's nice to not have to haul bags of charcoal or tanks of propane from the store regularly. Overall, installing a gas barbecue grill is pretty simple. You run a new gas line, connect it to the grill, and enjoy the fruits (or burgers) of your labor! As you go about installing your gas barbecue grill, however, there are a few steps you should always follow for safety and effectiveness.
Check whether you have enough gas supply for a grill
Before you start installing your gas grill, you need to make sure there's enough natural gas coming into your home to support it. The easiest way to do this is to simply call your gas company. They can look up the capacity of your gas pipes. Tell them what other gas appliances you have, and they'll tell you whether or not your home can also accommodate a gas grill.
Install a new gas shut-off valve on your new line
As you run the new gas line to the grill, make sure you include a gas shut-off valve. This way, you will be able to individually shut off the gas supply to the grill without shutting off the gas supply to the rest of your home, too. This will come in handy if you ever need to disconnect your grill for repairs.
Use pipe compound on the connection
When connecting your new gas line to the old gas line, make sure you apply a pipe joint compound, sometimes known as pipe dope, to the threaded end of the gas line. This will make sure the new connection is strong, safe, and leak-free. You want a strong, leak-free connection not only for safety, but also to ensure enough gas makes its way to your grill.
Test your connections with soapy water
After you've installed your new gas line and connected the grills' gas hose to the line, mix up some soapy water. Spray it on the two connections you just made. However, you should do one connection at a time. Watch to see whether any bubbles form in the soap. If you do see bubbles in the soap, that connection is leaky. You need to undo it, add more pipe joint compound, and form the connection again.
If you incorporate the steps above into your new gas grill installation process, you're on the right track. Contact a local gas barbecue installation service, such as Thompson's Gas Inc, to learn more.