BEFORE the shrimp, corn, steak, vege burgers or chicken skewers go on the barbeque this summer, make sure you carry out a safety check to avoid barbeque gas fires.
Attach your LPG gas bottle to the mounting hook or set it in its holder or shelf.
Gas bottles should always be kept upright and your bottle must never hang by the gas hose.
Remove any dust cover or plug that may be inside or over the female valve opening, where the gas regulator screws in.
Inspect the gas regulator and hose for any damage – some gas regulators have rubber o–rings on the connector and these should also be undamaged.
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The connector should be clean and dirt free prior to insertion.
Screw the gas regulator into the valve opening by turning the hand wheel anti–clockwise (reverse thread) and tighten well by hand.
Make sure the gas hose is not kinked.
Perform a soapy water barbeque leak test every time you attach a fresh full gas bottle, as well as each time you are going to use your barbeque.
Start by putting some soapy water in a spray bottle – valve and fittings are made from brass so do not use anything that contains ammonia as it can cause brass to become brittle and crack;
Turn on the gas bottle without turning on the barbeque;
Spray the entire valve, gas regulator and hose assembly with the soapy water;
Bubbles will form if there is a gas leak and you may also smell the gas.
If you find a leak, immediately turn the gas off again and make sure you know how to remove, tighten or replace the affected item/s.
The gas regulator controls the gas pressure of the gas going from the gas bottle to the barbeque and to remove it from the gas bottle, close the valve and unscrew it. It is a reverse (or left–handed) thread so unscrew it clockwise.
Be aware that a small amount of gas remaining in the gas regulator and hose may be released when you remove the regulator from the gas cylinder valve.
The gas hose is attached to the gas regulator on one end with a POL fitting, and the barbeque on the other end.
These can become damaged or deteriorate with age and you should replace it if it shows any signs of being faulty.
It is good practice to replace the gas regulator and hose assembly at the same time as gas regulators wear with age just like the hose deteriorates.
Caution: Never open the valve on an unattached gas bottle even if you think it is empty.
Remove the gas cylinder from barbeque by lifting the empty gas bottle off of the mounting hook or out of its holder/shelf.
When done, rinse with clean water to remove the soap solution.
Happy barbequing.
