Exploding Gas BBQ (Well kind of...)

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A tale of common sense, or therefor lack of. :D

Yesterday I was at my Grandparents 80th Birthday party over in Kent, where it was pouring it down all day.

So due to the bad weather and the fact we all wanted to use the gas BBQ and not simply cook the food in the oven, we decide to do it under the portable canopy that I had set up for my Audio/Mic gear of mine. One person had the idea of bringing the double-grill/single-side burner Propane BBQ into the kitchen. :rolleyes:

Anyway, BBQ is now under outside canopy out of the rain. (y)

Anyway, I connect the 13Kg propane Calor Patio gas bottle up to the BBQ and test it to make sure the igniters are not gunked up. All is well, BBQ works, turn BBQ off but leave bottle turned on. :)


Anyway, after doing that I head back inside while the rain is at it's worst and when I next go back out into the garden, I find my Cousin-in-laws have gone to get the bottle refiled as according to them and my uncle, it was empty and they could not get the BBQ to light.

Yes, the bottle was low on liquid propane gas when I tested the BBQ, but IIRC not that low. Must of been a small leak, or maybe they thought the requaltor was turned off and tried to turn it on with force - Only a guess.

Regardless, I tightened up the jubilee clips on the BBQ while they were getting the bottle refilled.

Anyway, my cousin-in-laws come back with a new full bottle of Calor Patio Gas and give it to me to connect up the the BBQ. (y);)

Connect the regulator/BBQ up to the now full tank, turn the regulator on; and as soon as I did that there is this loud sound coming from the BBQ by the flame controls what I can only describe as cross between a hammer drill and a loud hissing. o_O:cautious::eek:

Disconnect and reconnect the regulator, same result. (n) My cousin-in-laws who are quite a bit older than me, edge me on as if everything is ok.

One says it is "air" being flushed out the system :notworthy::rolleyes:, the other one thinks initially the flame control is turned on before realising that it is not on and coming the odd conclusion that the valve on the BBQ is broken of which my uncle also thinks.

Surely a busted valve on the BBQ at 0.037 Bar/0.53 PSI would not cause the highly aggressive hammering/hissing sound emanating from the BBQ when all the controls on the BBQ are supposed to be off. :ROFLMAO:

It is here that my cousin-in-laws (AKA: The Boys) go to light the BBQ :mad::eek::censored: despite me advising them that doing so is not a good idea and something is very wrong. Next thing I know, having retreated back from the BBQ a bit, is that there is a massive whoosh and a big ball of fire from around and in front of the BBQ controls.

They of course try it a second time, same result, maybe just a tad bit bigger this time. :mad::rolleyes:

I of course suspected the propane regulator is at fault right from the moment of when it started to make odd sounds, but of course my opinion got drowned out by everyone having their own idea that the BBQ its self was at fault.

Needless to say I then tested the regulator with the hose disconnected by putting my finger over the outlet of the regulator to simulate as if the BBQ was turned of. Needless to say, the propane rushed out heavily from under the regulator on doing so, telling me the regulator was busted and was putting way to much gas pressure on the BBQ.

luckily we got a new regulator for £13 in time just before all of the shops shut for the day, of which we then had a functioning BBQ back. New regulator was this type, old one was this type.

My uncle even though the regulator would cost the same as a new BBQ. :D

Just glad we did all of this outside and not in the kitchen indoors. :rolleyes::D


Regards: Elliott
 
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