By SCOT MAGNISH
Paid $399 for a fancy-schmancy barbecue two years ago that’s already belching flames where it isn’t supposed to? Is that what’s bothering you, friend?
Buck up, buddy. You don’t have to shell out for another brand-new Broil King yet. Although most people toss their old barbecue the moment it starts misbehaving, the problem is usually a $20 part that can be purchased at most major hardware stores and replaced with nothing more than a screwdriver and a pair of pliers.
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I oughta know: As pathetic as it sounds, I’ve never bought a new barbecue in my life. I take other people’s discarded barbecues and rebuild them – and nine times out of ten, all they need is a new burner and a clean-up.
Here’s a step-by-step list of how to breathe new life into your old barbecue for less than $50.
With the barbecue cold and the gas disconnected, remove your grill, your lava rock and your bottom grill to expose the rusty-old burner. Bang it with your screwdriver - if rust falls out of it, it needs to be replaced.
Rip it out. If it’s really rusty, chances are it will just fall out, but don’t be afraid to coax it a little with your screwdriver – and don’t be worried if two flexible tinfoil tubes come with it. You’ll be replacing these, too.
Take the old burner to your local hardware store to see if you can match it up with a replacement unit. Don’t be worried if you can’t find an exact match; just about anything will do and universal replacements typically work just fine.
Pick up a spray can of barbecue paint and a package of medium sandpaper while you’re there.
Upon returning home, read the instructions carefully. Take a long, hard look at your new burner to decide where you should mount those two new flexible tinfoil tubes that came in the package. You want them to extend through the holes at the bottom of your barbecue.
Once you’ve got them installed on the burner, cap the remaining holes using the gaskets the manufacturer provided and install the little feet that came in the package to keep the whole unit a 1/4 of an inch off the bottom.
We’re in the homestretch now. Place your new burner in the bottom of the barbecue so that the flexible tinfoil tubes extend through the holes.
Now sit down beside the barbecue and stretch those tubes until they’re within 1/4 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch of the little brass spouts that extend horizontally from behind your temperature knobs. Use the wire that came in the package to tie them in place - needle-nose pliers can make this job easier.
Fasten the new burner to the bottom of the barbecue using the screw and bracket that the manufacturer provided. If for some reason it doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to jerry-rig something with the leftover wire you’re sure to have.
Sand down the grill body to remove the corrosion. Mask off the window if it has one, the wood handles and trays and cover your propane tank to prevent it from getting hit with overspray.
Shake up your spray can and start painting using long, even strokes.
Once the grill body is dry enough to touch, re-connect your gas tank and with the barbecue in a safe location, light it.
Flame should be visible around the burner only, and they should appear even, short and blue. If they aren’t or if there are flames anywhere other than where they are supposed to be, turn the barbecue off immediately.
With the barbecue off, replace your lava rock tray, your lava rock and your grill and voila – you’ve just saved yourself $399!
It really is as easy as that. From start to finish, the entire job – including a trip to the hardware store - will take you about two hours, and your old barbecue will look almost as good as new.
