What Is An Lp Gas Regulator
An LP gas regulator is the part of your grill that controls the flow of gasfrom the propane tank to the heating appliance. It also serves as a safetybarrier between the heating element and the high-pressure propane tank.
Purposes:
- Regulates pressure
- Safety feature between propane tank and grill
In other words, the main purpose of the gas grill regulator is tofunnel the propane down to a safe pressure level. Too low and your grill maynot heat up. Too high and there may be a flare up .
Grill Buying Guide: How To Buy A Grill To Fit Your Needs
Nothing says outdoor get-together like grilled meats and vegetables. But if your grilling experience is filled with more flare-ups, rust and frustration than fun, you should invest in a new grill.
Instead of purchasing strictly on price or recommendations, select a grill that matches your style. Are you into convenience and speed? Or do you grill leisurely and try to maximize the smoky flavor? Selecting a grill goes beyond choosing gas or charcoal. Our grill buying guide will point out key features that can help influence your purchasing decision and fit your needs.
To begin, use the following questions to help navigate through the key components of buying a grill. Find in-depth information on the topics listed below by simply clicking on any of the following links:
What is the difference between gas grilling & charcoal grilling?
When it comes to the epic battle of gas grilling versus charcoal grilling, the bottom line is: grilling is grilling no matter what fuel source you use. Both involve the radiant transfer of heat from the fuel source to the cooking grid. Drippings come off of the food, land on the heat source and sizzle and smoke. The smoke rising into your food creates barbecue flavor.
What types of cooking grates are available & how do they differ?
What size grill do I need?
Which fuel type is best: natural gas or liquid propane?
What color & design options are available?
How does grill design impact cooking performance?
What Is Thepurpose Of A Gas Regulator
A gas regulator regulatesthe flow of gas from your propane tank to the heating mechanism in your grill.It is an essential part of your grill, as it adjusts the gas pressure andserves as a safety mechanism between the tank and the flame.
Do I need a gasregulator?
Every gas grill has a gasregulator to regulate the flow of gas to the appliance. If your gas grill isntworking as in not getting hot enough or not heating up at all this may bedue to a regulator issue. In which case, you will need to replace your gas grill regulator.
What is aBTU?
A BTU, or British ThermalUnit, is a measure of the total heat output of the burners on your gas grill.The BTU rating determines the type of regulator system your grill needs.
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Things You Need To Know About Your Natural Gas Grill
After youve taken the grill out of the box, assembled it and are ready to start impressing people with your grilling skills there are a couple of things to keep in mind. These tips will get your natural gas grill ready to go from day one!
1) Water column pressure – Natural gas grills are designed to run off certain water column pressures . The WCP for your grill is listed in your owners guide. This should to be tested at the supply line by a gas professional.
2) Natural gas fittings – If fittings are needed on your gas line it is important to use straight pipe nipples as opposed to flare fittings. Flare fittings can damage the end of your natural gas hose and reduce the gas flow going to your grill. For example, if your grill connection is 1/2″ and your gas line is 3/8″ you would need a 1/2″ straight pipe nipple, a bell reducer and a 3/8″ straight pipe nipple to complete the setup.
3) Shut off valves For safety reasons we recommend you have both an inside and outside shut off valve. When using the grill you need to be sure these are both in the full open position and when not using the grill we recommend they be closed stopping the flow of gas.
For more information about your natural gas grill, please check out the “gas” section of your owner’s guide.
How To Start A Gas Grill
Many people prefer cooking on a gas grill because its easier to start than a charcoal grill. However, there are steps to follow.
Here’s how to start a gas grill:
- Always begin by opening the lid to prevent gas from building up in the cooking chamber.
- If using a grill fueled by liquid propane, completely open the valve on the top of the propane tank by turning the knob counter-clockwise until it stops.
- If your grill has an igniter button, simply turn the first burner knob all the way up and push the button.
- For grills that dont have an ignition button, use a long fireplace match or a lighter wand to light the initial burner after turning it on.
- Once the first burner is lit, turn the other burners on high.
- Close the lid and allow the temperature to heat up for 10- to 15-minutes.
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Do I Need A 2 Or 3 Burner Grill
The choice between two and three burner grills has proven to be one of the hardest for many people. Here are the two main things you will need to consider when deciding between these two options.
- Cooking Area: There is no denying that 3-burner grills will often assure you of more cooking space. Thanks to the additional burner, if you have a big family or you need a bigger cooking space, the three-burner grill will be ideal for you.
- Fuel Consumption: Three burner grills will consume more fuel, thanks to producing significant BTUs. If you are looking forward to saving on fuel, you might want to consider a grill with no more than two burners.
Choosingthe Right Grill Size
As mentioned above, the ideal size for each buyer may vary depending on his specific needs. Now that you know what the standard grill size is, consider the number of people whom you frequently plan to cook food for . This will help you determine how much grilling space is ideal.
If you are unsure about the perfect size for you, heres a quick guide to help:
- 200 square inches of cooking area is perfect for 1-2 people
- 450 to 500 square inches of cooking area is adequate for a family of 4-5 members and can cook up to 20 hamburgers at once.
- 550 to 650 square inches works best if you have a large family or you like to entertain often.
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How Do Gas Grills Work
Gas grills are fueled by either propane stored in tanks or natural gas thats piped into the home by a utility company. Keep in mind that only certified professionals should ever work on gas lines, especially when converting a grill from one fuel to another . The differences between natural gas grills and propane gas grills are minor, but in each fuel type gas is placed under a specific pressure and sent to the burners for combustion. Once combustion of fuel has produced heat for grilling, that heat is spread throughout the firebox and grill head to cook your food. Gas grills manipulate heat using 3 components burners, flame tamers, and cooking grates.
Dont Overcrowd The Grill
One important element is never to overcrowd the grill with food. If you happen to do so in order to serve the people quickly, you could end up with less-tasting food. Simply put, you must leave extra space on the grill to come up with best tasting recipes. My preference is to allow at least about 20% of grill clear all the time, and it has never disappointed me.
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Can Gas Grills Explode
It is possible, but a properly maintained gas line or propane tank correctly connected to its fuel source and operated as recommended by the manufacturer shouldnt explode. Be sure to follow your owners manual along with proper gas grill lighting procedures, including keeping the lid open.
Calculate Grill Surface Area
When deciding what size grill you need, its better to pay attention to the grill surface area rather than any abstract measuring factors.
Measuring by other factors, such as the number of burgers that can fit on a grill, is very dependent on external factors and should be avoided.
Instead, you would want to pay attention to the cooking surface area.
Cooking surface area
The cooking surface area is equal to the width of the grilling area multiplied by the length. This gives you the measurement in square inches.
Most gas grills will measure in between 400 and 500 square inches. This is a common size for the average household.
For those with a large family or want to host guests, choosing a larger grill up to at least 600 square inches is a good idea.
What about half shelves?
When calculating or reading grill surface areas, make sure to check if the number includes any half or top shelves in the calculation.
These shelves add extra cooking space, but they grill much differently than the lower shelf. In short, they are incredibly useful for two-heat cooking or indirect cooking.
Since most people will use each area of the grill for different things, you should know how much space is devoted to each section.
Without this knowledge, you might accidentally plan to cook too much at once on direct heat even though the space is unavailable.
If you need a grill with 400 square inches of active, hot grilling space, models with a top-shelf might not be ideal unless you go bigger.
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Determine Your Gas Type
Gas grills run on either natural gas or propane, which create virtually identical results and are often similarly priced despite minor differences in composition. Its important to be completely confident about this decision before you purchase a grill converting from one fuel type to another should be performed only by a licensed professional, and doing so can void the warranty from certain grill brands. Because both fuels cook similarly, your decision should come down to availability and convenience.
How Important Is Btu In Barbecuing
One thing you need to be aware of is that bigger doesnt always mean better. The higher the BTU is, the more gas you grill will use. If you buy a grill that has one giant burner or multiple burners that cant be individually controlled, it will use up gas ridiculously fast, and theres absolutely nothing you can do about it.
Unless youre buying a gas grill for a commercial kitchen that needs high-level BTUs to cook for hundreds of people every day, home-use grills dont require that level of cooking power.
Buy a grill that has just the right number of BTUs you need to get the job done. Additionally, todays grills are more energy-efficient than older models. A high BTU rating is great and all, but not necessary if all you intend to use your grill for is barbecuing meat for your family of five.
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What Size Grill Do I Need A Beginners Guide To Grill Sizes
Having a BBQ is a lot of fun, but its even better if you have the right size grill that lets you cook everything quickly and efficiently.
What size grill do I need if I want to host a large gathering and still be able to cook things properly?
Many people choose a smaller grill than they need. This results in foods taking too long to cook.
On the other hand, those who have a bigger grill than needed find it challenging to maintain. Also, it doesnt cook as efficiently.
With that in mind, how do you know what grill size to choose? Lets find out.
Where Tobuy A New Lp Gas Regulator
Remember, if your LP gasregulator is broken or just isnt working, it cannot be repaired, onlyreplaced. That means you will need to buy a new regulator kit or regulator system thats appropriate for your grill .
At The BBQ Depot, we helpgrill owners find the grill parts they need at a price they can afford. Ifyoure on the hunt for a new regular, visit our website to search for the parts you need or contactus for direct assistance.
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Natural Gas Pipe Line Sizing Chart
Example of a pipe system for a residential home
Make sure the gas line can handle your generator
To add a generator to a gas system you have to make sure you do not “starve” the other appliances. Often, the sizes can be modified for emergency use. In other words, a gas line that you would normally not connect a generator to you just may decide to you can because in the event of an emergency, you will not be using the gas grill or the gas dryer so the BTU loads of those appliances can be eliminated from your calculations.
Normally, correct pipe size is important so that each gas appliance has enough natural gas to function correctly. To verify that you have a correctly sized system you should first read each data plate on the equipment that is connected to the system. Each is rated in maximum BTU required.
If the plates are not available or you just want a good estimate use the appliance chart at the bottom of this page to estimate average appliance BTU load.
There is a more exact formula but you can round off the conversion of CF to BTU by using 1=1000 . This will give a more conservative total estimate. Also use 10 CFH per horsepower of engine at full load. So a 10 hp engine would be 100 CFH at full load. Even if used at 1/2 load on average the pipe must be sized to handle the full speed of the engine.
What size hook-up hose at the generator is needed?
What size Pipe can your generator connect to in the drawing above?
For example let’s use the pipe layout above:
85 feet.
Number Of Heads To Serve
Yes, this is the first thing you must think of. The rule of thumb is to allocate at least an area of about 70 square inches per head. This is just a number according to my perspective, but I know there are people getting confused thinking about the grill size for family of 4, grill size for family of 6, etc. If you are one of them, the following information will help you determine the grill surface area.
Please note that these are approximate numbers.
- Per three heads: 210 square inches
- Per four heads: 280 square inches
- Per five heads: 350 square inches
- Per six heads: 420 square inches
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Are All Gas Grill Regulators The Same
Every propane gas grill usesan LP regulator, but not all regulators are created equal. Though the purposeis the same, different types of setups require different types of regulators.The type of regulator a grill needs is based on the specific propaneapplication requirements.
In summary, the saying”a regulator is a regulator” is FALSE.
Questions To Ask Yourself When Choosing A Propane Tank Size
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when choosing the size of propane tank you need for your grill.
- How often do you grill?
- How much food do you typically grill at one time?
- What type of food do you grill most often?
- Do you take a propane grill with you camping or picnicking?
- What type and size grill do you currently have?
Most grills come with a storage area suitable for a 20 lb. tank, so if you go with a larger tank size, consider how you will set this up and store it. Update the connection to accept larger or smaller tanks, and always follow the grill manufacturers recommendations.
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Side Burners Not Included In The Btu Calculation
Several brands offer gas grill supplements in the form of side burners.
These should contribute to proper heat distribution and to quality food cooking in every section of the grilling area.
However, side burners require additional space that may come at the expense of the grilling area, so space considerations should be conducted to suit your outdoor kitchen, backyard and garden.
If we have decided to select a gas grill that includes side burners, it should be noted that the gas consumption of these burners should not be included in the gas consumption calculations explained above.
The desired BTU measurement which was obtained from calculating the grilling area is the gas consumption of the central burners only and the gas consumption of the side burners should be added to them and not come at their expense.
Select The Best Gas Grill For You
The gas grill is an item that will accompany you for a long time so it is important to choose it wisely.
Considerations that include proper selection of materials and adjusting the gas grill measurements and features to your needs will ensure an efficient and easy-to-use grill that maintains durability and intactness.
We invite you to contact us at Outopia for advice from our best experts in order for you to make all the right decisions.
This will ensure a high-quality family-friendly grill experience that will accompany you throughout the years.
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