How to barbecue safely with gas
Spend a few minutes checking and maintaining your barbecue before you light it. This will help to prevent accidents and injuries.
Check for leaks
Inspect hoses and gaskets. In particular, look for cracks and damage in places where the hose is connected or bent, because this is where cracks tend to form first. Direct sunlight can make gas hoses brittle and liable to crack more readily. Make it part of your routine to replace hoses after two to five years.
How to check for leaks in a gas hose.
Avoid fire
Remember to clean the barbecue. Grease that accumulates at the bottom of the grill and in the grease tray, can catch fire. Remember to place the barbecue at a safe distance from the house, so that the cladding does not catch fire.
Never put the gas bottle under the barbecue
While you are barbecuing, you should place the gas bottle to the side of the barbecue and a short distance away from it. That makes it easier to get to if you have to shut off the gas supply.
Even though the barbecue has a cabinet designed to store the gas bottle, you should never leave the gas bottle in there while you're using the barbecue. This is partly because it would be difficult to reach it if you suddenly had to turn off the gas, and partly because it can get so hot under the barbecue that it makes the hose dry and brittle.
Replace the gas bottle
If you've run out of gas, you can hand in the empty bottle at petrol stations, hardware stores, gas suppliers and many other places. When you fit the hose onto the new bottle, make sure that the regulator is seated correctly. If it is fitted incorrectly, this can result in leaks and the risk of explosion.
How to fit the regulator correctly.
There are also regulators on the market that do not allow any gas through unless they are correctly fitted to the bottle. If you buy a new regulator, DSB recommends that you choose this type.
Keep the bottle upright during transport
During transport, the gas bottle must be kept in an upright position. All gas bottles have an emergency valve that allows gas out if the pressure in the bottle becomes too great for any reason. This safety valve and any leak in the top valve would allow large quantities of gas to escape if the bottle were lying down.