Propane Safety Tips To Prepare For Barbecue Season

Don’t Let An Accident Ruin Your Summer Fun

Grilling season is upon us, meaning many of us are planning our Memorial Day weekend cookouts.

While we decide between ribs or chicken or burgers and hot dogs (or all of them!), this is also a good time to brush up on propane safety best practices. Nothing ruins a cookout like a trip to the emergency room.

Here are some important things to know.

Transport And Store Propane Cylinders Safely

When you need more propane for your grill, Parker Gas is here for you! You can get your propane cylinder safely and expertly refilled during regular business hours at all six of our locations.

There are some things you need to know about how to get cylinders to and from your home, as well as storing them. The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) has an informative video to help with that. Here are some other safety tips.

• Whether your propane cylinder is empty or full, always keep it upright when transporting. When a cylinder is on its side, there is a risk of a liquid propane leak.
• Keep at least two windows partially open in the car when transporting cylinders
• Plan your trip to exchange your cylinder so that it’s the last thing you do before you go home. Don’t leave your cylinder in the car for long periods, especially when it’s hot outside.
• Store propane cylinders upright, outdoors, and away from propane outdoor appliances and other flammable materials.

Get Your Grill Ready

While giving a spring cleaning to your grill, don’t forget to thoroughly inspect it and make sure it’s safe to operate.

The first thing to do is to run a leak test. Coat the hoses, valves, and regulator with soapy water, then turn on the propane cylinder. Any bubbles are a sign of a propane leak. Tighten connections and run the test again. Replace the hoses or tank if bubbles still appear.

During winter, spiders enjoy the warm refuge of your grill’s venturi tubes, which provide the gas to the burners. The spiders’ homes there can cause blockages in the tubes. Use a bottle brush to clean out the tubes. Reconnect everything, but leave the grates off, and turn on the grill and look for uneven flames or spots where there is no flame. Let the grill cool and use a paper clip to remove blockages in those areas.

Play It Safe When Grilling

Once you’re ready to grill, don’t leave propane safety best practices behind! We have some tips to help keep your cookout from ending in disaster.

• Clean your propane grill, not just the grates, regularly. One in five grill fires are caused by leftover grease.
• Light the grill with the lid open, and make sure it is fully lit before closing the lid.
• NEVER use your propane BBQ grill indoors or in an enclosed or covered area like a garage or carport. Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, a potentially lethal odorless and colorless gas, can build up.
• Keep the grill on a flat, level surface with at least five feet clearance from the house, outdoor furniture, trees, bushes, and anything else that is combustible.
• Keep kids and pets away from the grill.
• NEVER leave a lit grill unattended. Make sure you have everything you need on hand like tongs, mitts, brushes, sauces, food, and platters before you start the grill.
• Don’t use your grill if the igniter is broken. Look into buying a grill with an automatic igniter. We have an outstanding selection of top-quality propane grills!

Come to any of our locations for a safe propane cylinder refill!