cold weather grilling questions


 
K

Kevin_K

New member
I have a Summit 470 and tried grilling last night when it was 22 degrees out. The grill's internal temperature initially rose high enough to start cooking the food, but after several minutes dropped below 200 degrees. The burners still had a very faint flame coming out of them, but the intensity of the flame would not increase even if I turned the burner knobs up all the way. The fuel indicator light was at the 2nd from the lowest position.

I grilled the prior night when it was also 22 degrees out and didn't have the issue described above. Obviously the propane tank would have had more fuel in it for this cook.

Is it expected that a Summit would not be able to effectively grill in these conditions, or is there something wrong with my grill?

Is there a way to effectively grill in temperatures this low? I did some searching and learned that low temperatures impair the rate at which the propane liquid vaporizes and creates the flame. Is the only option to switch to a full tank once the issue above occurs, even if that means wasting 2/5 of the tank's capacity? (i.e. having to swap propane tanks when the LED fuel indicator light is in the 2nd from bottom position)?
 
I think you have it figured out, just switch to a fuller tank. You certainly don't have to waste what's in the other tank, just use it up when it gets warmer out.
 
Steve Hoch said:
I think you have it figured out, just switch to a fuller tank. You certainly don't have to waste what's in the other tank, just use it up when it gets warmer out.
Click to expand...

I keep 2 tanks around so that when one is completely empty I can immediately swap to the full one and then exchange the empty one later.

The propane ends up wasted if I have to swap out a tank with 2/5 of the fuel left, and then end up using the other tank down to 2/5 before it gets warm enough to not have the problem described in my original post.
 
I've had regulators freeze up before. Did you see any frost around it? I'm also wondering if there is an safe and effective way to keep the tank warmer when not in use, and then bring it out to the cold when you want to grill.

For me that would mean storing the tank in my garage, but then there is a safety concern storing fuel in a a garage.
 
I am the same Steve, I’ve got extra tanks of gasoline, and a couple of propane tanks in there, right next to the charcoal
 
Good safety practice with a gas grill is to turn the tank off, then turn off the manifold valves. This will evacuate all of the lines back to the OPD valve. I've been told (and this may not be true,) that if your grill is stored in the garage, and you have a fire that consumes the garage, one of the first things the fire inspectors will do is to check whether or not the tank valve is closed.

One of the issues with using LP in cold temps is "heat of vaporization." As the liquid evaporates, the liquid begins chilling down as the heat necessary to vaporize the LP transfers into the gas. In more extreme cases, the LP will stop evaporating as the tank contents reach the point where liquid won't change phase anymore.
 
May have been a frozen valve, after a bit of "carburetor icing". Otherwise it is usually a case of the valve going into a "leak" condition.
Since the gril did get to temp origonally, I tend to say the first. Warm conditions it would be limp mode. Shut valves. Wait. Then slowly turm tank valve on, with burner valves off. Then slowly......
 
Not good to evacuate the line thanks to the new style tanks. As soon as you open the tank it will trip the valve. Order of closure is turn off grill first, then tank. Reverse procedure to start grill. But LP in cold weather really don't mix well.
 
LMichaels said:
Not good to evacuate the line thanks to the new style tanks. As soon as you open the tank it will trip the valve. Order of closure is turn off grill first, then tank. Reverse procedure to start grill. But LP in cold weather really don't mix well.
Click to expand...
This!
 
My gasser is under its cover and sharing a tarp with the cooler trolley until April! Plenty of charcoal in the bins and garage, if I feel brave! Maybe this evening…
 
I use my kettle because I could never get good flow from the propane tank in cold weather.
If you have a natural gas line you could always have a plumber run you a line. My pops did that and his gasser RIPS.
 
Steve Hoch said:
I keep my extra propane tank in the garage. I don't really see it as any more dangerous than the gas can I keep for the lawnmower and snowblower.
Click to expand...
Any malfunction or error with a propane tank will quickly fill the garage with a potentially explosive mixture, gas tank, not so quickly and it is much easier to see....
It is against the rules in my condo association to store propane indoors, and we allow automobiles inside the garage.
 
Sometimes the things people get worried about simply amaze me. Unless you somehow snap the valve off a tank, nothing will come out. Even if you turn the valve on nothing comes out of them.
 
A friend had a tank that popped the safety valve and it froze open and completely emptied the tank. We were camping but it was interesting to watch from a distance. No-one was going near it.

In CA many have hot water heaters in the garage that have a pilot light. Code requires these 18 inches above the garage floor and propane is heaver than air so it "should be OK" right?

Anyway, I store my full tanks outside.
 
My portable generator runs off gas or propane. Even though I would like to keep a propane bottle in the garage during the winter, I don't. I've seen a few years ago what a 20 pounder can do to a garage. I had a friend I worked with and he kept his gas BBQ propane tank hooked up to his grill in the garage in the winter. One winter night the tank froze up and emptied itself and the water heater kicked on and what was left of his garage door was 30 feet down his driveway. Along with another 40K of damage to his garage, cars and house. No one was hurt and no fire fortunately.
 
You are all citing cases of open flame near a tank. We don't have stuff like that here (unless someone has a pilot light type garage furnace). Almost always kept my "then" LP gas Q320 in the garage. Never bothered to remove the tank. Sometimes shut it off but not often. I would also like to understand how a tank "freezes" up.
 
LMichaels said:
You are all citing cases of open flame near a tank. We don't have stuff like that here (unless someone has a pilot light type garage furnace).
Click to expand...

in Cali, many hot water tanks are installed in garages. When I had a tank heater in the garage it had a pilot light.
 
DanHoo said:
in Cali, many hot water tanks are installed in garages. When I had a tank heater in the garage it had a pilot light.
Click to expand...
I realize that. Since basements are pretty much nowhere to be seen, also the milder weather. Also common in places like FLA, and other parts of the south.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top