When we custom design and build fire pits for customers we use a fire pit kit because we are in Florida where most of our clients use propane gas.  The fire pit kits we have been using are limited to 65K BTU’s because that is the limit to how fast a 20lb 5 gallon liquid propane tank is capable of vaporizing the liquid to gas.

However, when we install the same fire pit for a customer with natural gas or with an in-line large LP cylinder they do not love the flame patterns so we have started using a different fire pit kit.

double ring 24 inch burner on 30" fire pit

New Fire pit kit control box with safety valve and ignition module

fire pit pilot improvement

The new features that I love about this new fire pit kit is that the burner is very heavy American made 304 stainless.  Although we have always used 304 stainless materials the gauge of these materials are heavier.

The control valve is in a sealed box whereas the old kit we used was open in the back.  The front was sealed so it looked “finished” when we built the control panlel into a fire pit or a column but inside the structure it was open to the elements and the critters we try not to think about who live in these sealed damp, dank areas… who will sometimes chew through wires.

Also the burner sits low so we are able to pour  lava rock and fire glass on top of the burner.  On this new kit the pilot assembly sits higher so we can pour more media on the burner.  As gas leaves the burner we want it to have to push its way through the media so there is a better flame pattern and an accumulation of gas before ignition so there are not only better flame patterns but better flames.  Also the pilot is mounted easily to allow us to raise it higher if necessary.

Finally the orifice in the safety valve is set for 90K BTU’s and the module is a 9v battery module.  The sealed box protects these controls but the controls themselves are a lot stronger with higher settings so pragmatic day-t0-day use of the custom firepit is more enjoyable with less opportunity for failure.

Electric control valve for outdoor fire pit and fireplace

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giant infrared rotisserie burner

We get a lot of calls for this particular problem.  The barbecue grill rotisserie burner is the only infrared burner on a lot of barbecues and it is often the only burner that is not a part of the convection burners inside the fire box.  The rotisserie burner valve is not the same valve used on the regular barbecue burners inside the firebox.

Typically the barbecue valve is a simple ball valve with an orifice attached to determine BTU capacity.  The rotisserie burner will have what is called a safety valve because if the vertical position and ability for flames to be blown out.

There are a few different versions of the safety valve.  The most common safety valve is the valve used on gas fireplaces that burner liquid propane gas.  LP must have a pilot and the pilot is used to allow gas to keep flowing.  Most people know the pilot keeps the gas flow safe but we do not always understand how that works.  On a barbecue the same valve is used but the “pilot” flame is the entire rotisserie burner.

All barbecue grills that have a rotisserie will have similar instructions to tells us to push and hold the knob of the valve.  Because the gas flow has to move up and around to the rotisserie burner the instructions will ask is to hold this knob “in” for 10 to 30 seconds.  After that the burner will ignite if the gas has made its way around to come through the burner.

Once the burner is burning the instructions will advise up to continue holding the knob “in” for an additional 30 seconds before we allow the knob to release and use the knob to dial the heat high or low.

Solaire rotisserie control valve

viking bbq grill rotisserie valve

When a customer contacts us at Grill-Repair.com to complain about a problem with their barbeque rotisserie the problem is almost always that the burner is going out when they release the knob.  By holding the knob in the “in” position the gas is flowing but when the knob is released the gas no longer flows.  I have seen all kings of contraption people have created to keep the rotisserie knob depressed while they are barbecuing.  Recently a client suggested that Alfresco distribute a stainless steel 2×4 because he had been using a block of wood so long he needed to replace the 2×4 he left leaning against the grill to hold the knob “in” while using the rotisserie.

The safety valve — or pilot valve — is used as a safety precaution and using clamps, wood, bricks to hold the knob in so gas will flow is dangerous.  Aside from the obvious problem of a block of wood around open flames, aside from the problem of impediments lying around the barbecue to trip us up the original reason for the pilot valve is to turn the gas off if the flames are extinguished for any reason.

DCS rotisserie button and control valve

When we decide to use the rotisserie the first thing we do is turn on the gas to the barbecue.  When we turn on the gas the gas flow stops at the control valves because the control valves are in the Off position.  On a normal BBQ valve we simply turn the knob to open the control valve and allow gas through.  The safety valve also has a ball valve but the safety valve also has a solenoid that continues to keep gas from flowing even when the ball valve is all the way open.  When we hold in the knob we are pushing the solenoid pin to allow gas to flow through the ball valve.  Most barbeque grill safety valves incorporate the safety valve and the solenoid into one process.  DCS uses a ball valve like the other control valves in the barbecue but instead of the valve connecting the flow of gas to the rotisserie burner the DCS valve connects to a button that allows the cook to push the button and hold the solenoid open for gas to flow.

The solenoid inside the rotisserie valve is always going to be in the closed position so gas cannot flow unless something causes the solenoid to open.  When lighting the burner that something is us pushing the knob “in” so gas flows but after 30 seconds from ignition what happens?

Next to the infrared rotisserie burner is the electrode that arcs when lighting the burner.  Next to the rotisserie igniter electrode is another piece of metal that sticks out in the flames.  This is a thermocouple.  A thermocouple is a way of generating a small millivolt charge without using a battery or any conventional means of power.  When specific kinds of metals conduct heat against one another a millivolt charge is created.  The millivolt charge travels through a wire inside a copper sleeve from the tip in the flames all the way down to the solenoid — whether the solenoid is in the ball valve control or in a button that connects to the control valve the thermocouple ends with a piece of steel like a bolt attached to the copper tubing.

Just like in high school physics electrical charge plus copper plus steel equals an electro-magnet.  The threaded bolt that screws into the end of the safety valve magnetizes and pulls the safety valve open.  The flames at the rotisserie burner create a charge and the charge creates a magnet and the magnet pulls the valve open so gas can flow.  Now we can take our hand off the button, off the valve without the flames going out.

When this does not work there are a few things that may need attention.  Initially it is important to check the tip of the thermocouple because carbon deposits generated by burning gas could coat the tip and make it less able to create its millivolt charge.  Also check the copper line for kinks and breaks that stop the millivolt from creating a magnet at the steel tip.  Finally check the threading that screws into the safety valve.  Sometimes it is possible for the heating and cooling to cause expansion and contraction that can slowly unscrew the steel so the magnetic tip is less effective.

If something is damaged or broken and proper maintenance as mentioned above does not help it may be possible to exchange the thermocouple.  It is rare the thermocouple is damaged as the thermocouple has no moving parts.  Without moving parts there is nothing to get damaged or wear out.  However, kinks, bends, dirt and carbon can make the thermocouple less effective.  Also the solenoid can get stuck inside the control valve so that a weaker thermocouple cannot pull it free.  For these reasons sometimes replacing the thermocouple will repair the rotisserie burner.

If the thermocouple is not the problem the safety valve needs to be exchanged.  Like the control valves the safety valve has lubrication in the valve body.  Sometimes over-heating while grilling and grease firs cause the valves to over heat and the lubrication becomes fricive.  In this case the valve has to be replaced.  The safety valve can also slowly become less lubricated or get a little dirt in the body so the solenoid becomes stuck.  If a stronger thermocouple or new item can pull the solenoid free the rotisserie will function.  However, most of the time the rotisserie burner will not stay lit it is because the safety valve itself needs to be exchanged.

As you will see from the images above each barbecue is different and each valve connects differently.  As mentioned the DCS safety valve is a button that connects to the control valve connecting the the gas manifold.  The Viking barbeque grill bolts through the manifold and the Solaire safety valve includes the control valve that screws into threading in the manifold.

Always use high quality replacement parts when repairing your barbecue grill and use certified technical assistance.

http://www.grill-repair.com

954.247.4552

Service@Grill-Repair.com

dcs rotisserie button

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This is a video we just uploaded to Facebook.  We have not used Facebook in the past for disseminating gas grill replacement parts information but we are beginning to put some content on there now.

Glow plugs are becoming popular again after going out of production 10 years ago.  As a previous blog post discussed Lynx just discontinued the glow plug repair kits in favor of forcing customers to buy hot-surface kits.  The technology os the same but the glow plugs are mounted differently so they do not get bumped around at all.  The glow plug monofilament is fragile when it is hot and can be easily damaged when in use or just following ignition.  Take a look:

glow plug video

The glow plug lights up like a light bulb without the glass bulb so the ignition is a constant instead of the momentary arcing of a traditional ignition electrode.  The Lynx glow plugs look like this:

Lynx Glow Plug ignition electrode

there is a bend just like the double prong arcing electrode Lynx used in 2006.  The mounting bracket is the same as the lynx electrodes sine their 1998 inception.  Instead of purchasing glow plugs — which are becoming more expensive now that Lynx discontinued them — many clients are using the battery powered module kit with the extra glow plugs and many Lynx users are also going back to the 2006 Lynx ignition system.  In 2006 Lynx used a double prong electrode without a collector box which is the same electrode used by Solaire, Alfresco, TEC and Viking.  These are perfect for infrared grills especially because the electrode is kept clean by the intense heat and there is no collector box to warp or rust.

Glow Plug module uses "D" batteries for extra strength.

Moving back to the older ignition system can be used with the 110v transformer and can be used with the “D” battery module or an all-in-one module that is one part that has the battery, button and module together.  These all-in-one modules have never been a stock grill part for Lynx but the same idea can work by mounting in the control panel like the pre2002 Lynx barbecue models that had rotary knob modules.

Many people believe the igniter is always the first thing to break in any barbecue grill.  Not true.  However, batteries have to be changed and it is possible to get some grease and dirt to the electrode because it must be inside the grilling area.  If we get inside the barbecue once or twice a year and clean off the steel posts of the igniter electrodes they will possibly last forever so long as we remember one well-placed drop of grease can foul the plug so it needs to be sprayed with a de-greaser.

Have fun!

http://www.grill-repair.com

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Glow Plug Igniter Electrode.

Lynx gas barbecue grills started using “glo-plug” ignition electrodes in 2007.  The DCS “E” models were the first gas BBQ grill I saw with glow plugs and that was over 10 years ago.  The Lynx design is part of a popular movement among high-end gas grill manufacturers with companies like Alfresco, FireMagic, Solaire also experimenting with glow plug igniters.  Unfortunately Lynx is moving on and we the customers are going to pay the price.

glow plug electrode repair kit

Glow plug ignition electrodes are popular in outdoor barbecue grills because a glow plug will light gas in a strong wind and rain.  The glow plug lights up like a light bulb and becomes extraordinarily hot very quickly.  The glow plug electrode acts like and looks like a light build without the glass bulb surrounding the mono-filament.  As long as the ignitor switch is depressed the glow plug will glow a bright white.

Originally Lynx has sparking electrodes that are the ubiquitous standard in modern barbecues.  From the rotary modules of 2002 through the battery powered modules used on modern barbecues everywhere Lynx has moved to an electrical outlet that plugs into the wall.  There is a battery powered module for the glow plugs but that is a back-up; the grill is designed to pull 120v from the

Lynx gas bbq grill ignition electrode and collector box.

normal electrical outlets.

The 2002 – 2005 Lynx electrodes used by Lynx were like miniature spark plugs.  These electrodes were over three inches long and surrounded by a heavy stainless steel collector box.

• Lynx Igniter Grill Parts
• Lynx Replacement Burners
• Lynx BBQ Briquette Tray
• Lynx Gas BBQ Grill Parts

In 2006 Lynx got rid of the collector box and started using a double prong electrode that is almost identical to the double prong electrodes used by TEC, Alfresco,  Solaire and Viking.  The Lynx electrode is not as heavy as the other versions of the double prong electrode but it also works well and is a lot less costly than other manufacturer’s electrode.

lynx gas barbecue grill electrode 2006

The glow plug electrodes that were being used in 2007 are like the original DCS glow plug electrodes but Lynx evolved to a slightly bend electrode that has been in use for about five years.  The down-side to the Lynx glow-plugs is that they are mounted to the inner firewall of the barbecue just like the 2002 electrodes instead of being installed in a static, solid  mounting tube like the R.H. Peterson FireMagic and the Alfresco glow plugs.  As a result the Lynx glow plugs are able to be bumped around as the grill is used and the filament is easy to pop free and break.

Lynx glow plug are easy to replace and cost effective to repair.  A Lynx glow plug replacement kit costs as much as a single DCS glow plug electrode but the Lynx kit  includes all the glow plugs, hardware, wiring and instructions for the entire barbecue grill.

However, last week Lynx sent all of us dealers a note that the glow plug ignition electrode replacement kits are being discontinued.  Lynx is changing their ignition assembly again in favor of a hot surface ignition assembly.

Hot Surface Gas Grill Ignition.

The hot surface has been a high-priced feature on gas log fireplaces for years that has become more common because of the federal government discussions about the safety and ecology of standing pilot fireplace control valves.  Gas log manufacturers are scrambling to make the hot surface ignition valve more affordable just in case the standing pilot becomes unusable.  Typically the standing pilot ignites the gas as the gas valve opens and gas exits the burner.  The pilot is always burning so the gas will always ignite.  The customer experiences an “on — off” remote control but the remote is only turning the gas on and off.

A hot surface ignition has a sensor opposite the igniter electrode with the pilot flame in-between so the electricity from the battery travels to the electrode to ground against the pilot, spark and ignite the gas.  With the sensor the electricity travels through the pilot flame and the charge returns through the sensor to tell the module to stop sparking.  If the pilot blows out the circuit is interrupted so the module is automatically sparking against the pilot flame bracket until the pilot flame re-ignites and allows the electric milli-volt to return through the sensor.

Lynx is installing a hot-surface ignition on all their new barbecue grills.  That is fantastic; new technology is always exciting (when it works).  The problem with the latest advancement is that Lynx is getting complaints about the glow-plugs and has decided not to manufacture replacement parts any longer.

As of April 2012 Lynx will not manufacture replacement glow plug electrode kits or the battery back-up modules for any of the Lynx gas grill models that were designed for these parts.  Any Lynx grill owners hoping to replace their igniters with an inexpensive $38. glow plug kit are going to have to purchase a hot surface retro-fi kit from Lynx.  These new hot surface igniter kits range from $257. to $318.  Do not be fooled by those prices because the 12v requires a 110v GFI electrical outlet added and the new wiring that has to be installed as all the old wiring is removed will take anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours depending on the experience of a technician.

Typically a gas grill technician is not a licensed electrician and will hesitate to work on electrical components.  Fortunately the Alfresco and FireMagic hot-surface kits are so well made a service call to repair these igniters is very rare — and I expect the Lynx igniters to be just as reliable.

The problem is that retro-fitting these kits on a 2009 Lynx glow-plug system can mean spending several hundred dollars for the new kit and another $180. – $475. in service fees to have the igniters installed.

All of us here at Grill-Repair.com have chosen this field of work because we love to grill, to smoke, to barbecue and to eat the food we cook outdoors (i did not gain all this weight swimming in the ocean!).  As avid barbecuers we would be reticent to spend $500. and more on an igniter when a long candle lighter costs $1.

We have ordered as many glow plug replacement kits as were available at Lynx so we can continue to repair the Lynx ignition assembly for less than $50. but at some point we will have to face this poor decision by Lynx.

ignition glow plug for gas barbecue grill

We have had clients choose to retro-fit different igniters into their Lynx grills before and I think that idea is going to return.  However, retro-fitting the , reelable igniters is going to cost a fraction of the new costs — and will actually light the gas grill effectively and reliably.

Although Lynx is not going to make or sell the glow plugs they made from 2007 to 2009 they will continue to make available to igniter assemblies fro 1999 to 2006 and those igniters worked.

lynx module

Using the original Lynx module with a button mounted in the control panel or allowing the switch on the control valves to continue activating the ignition circuit the electrodes can be switched to any of the electrodes shown above — and many more.  Without spending several hundreds of dollars in parts and labor the new Lynx gas barbecue grills can be retro fitted with the original Lynx ignition assemblies that worked just fine.

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hood style gas bbq grill conversion orifices with different openings

When a gas barbecue grill is being converted from natural gas to liquid propane or from liquid propane to natural gas there are 2 changes to the barbecue that have to be made.  The regulators have to be changed.

Natural gas can be pressurized differently due to altitude, length of the gas line run and depending on how many appliances are on the same gas line.  However, once the gas is coming into the barbecue grill the appliance regulator is usually going to regulate natural gas at two to four inches of water column.  Because we are working with pressures less than one pound per square inch measuring the inches of water column displacement allows denominations of pressure.

Liquid propane can also be under different pressures but as LP gas comes into the barbecue grill it will always be pressurized to eleven inches of water column displacement.

In addition to changing the regulator when converting a barbeque grill from one gas type to another gas type the orifice on each control valve on the BBQ has to be changed.  That means the side burner controls, rotisserie controls, the main BBQ valve controls, smoker controls, every control valve will have an orifice on it and every orifice has to be changed.  LP gas is a solid liquid that vaporizes (boils) into a gas when it is being used in low-pressure appliances like gas fireplaces, fire pits and barbecue grills.  A orifice for LP gas will be drilled with an opening determined by the BTU rating of the BBQ burner.

The image above shows hood-style orifices that screw onto a control valve.  When installed into the barbecue the orifice will be inserted into the venturi tube of the gas grill burner and will spit gas into the burner to ignite.  The hole in the orifice will determine how much gas flows into the burner and how hot the barbecue grill can become.

control valve to orifice to burner demonstration

In the image showing above the far left hood orifice shows a starter hole which is how a orifice comes when it is brand new.  The center image shows the hole in the orifice drilled for 25,000 BTU gas grill.  Most barbecues have a burner rating of 11,000 to 13,000 BTU but these orifices were taken from a barbecue that uses a “U” burner which is like having 2 straight pipe burners.  The far right image is an orifice made for natural gas.  Notice the opening in the natural gas orifice is twice the size of the LP orifice.

spud style orifices will screw into the control valve.

The spud-style orifice showing in this image screws IN to the control valve instead of ON to the control valve like the hood-style orifices showing above.  Different manufacturers will use different sizes and styles or spud orifices.  Either type of orifice works the same way.  All the orifices in this image are new and have starter holes in them.  The starter hole, if used would allow approximately 7,ooo BTU of LP gas and if installed in a NG grill no gas would pass through this hole.

The two orifices showing on the left side of this image are both used in different versions of the Turbo STS model gas barbecues.  On our site where these Turbo bbq grill repair parts are available the far left orifice is item 31500 and the smaller orifice to the right of the far left orifice is item 31300.  The smaller spud orifice is approximately 5 mm at the hex head and the 31500 is 9 mm.

Some gas barbecues will have different orifices in the control valves and other orifices in the rotisserie, side burner or smoker burner so always check to be sure of what is needed.  An orifice is basically like the jet in an old carburetor.  The gas flow is affected by the opening in the orifice.

viking bbq grill control valves with orifice

As an example this is a picture of a Viking control valve with a hood orifice on it.  If this was in a natural gas barbecue and the barbeque needed to be converted to use LP gas this orifice just unscrews and the new one screws onto the control valve.  The orifices are not usually visible in the bbq.  Remove the cooking grates, the heat plates and lift the burners out of the barbecue.  In the front fire wall inside the cooking area is the hole where the venturi tube of the bbq burner goes into the control panel.  Using a 7/16 inch ratchet socket the orifice can be unscrewed and the new orifice screwed onto the valve.

Majestic Grill Parts

4 Feburary 2012.

Service@Grill-Repair.com

954.247.4552.

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If you are on this page you know we build custom outdoor kitchens on-site, for perfectly fabricated backyard grill islands and bars in South Florida.  This is our latest backyard and we did a lot of work here.  This custom outdoor kitchen is built for a beautiful Firemagic gas grill with infrared burners, cast stainless convection burners, glow-plug ignition electrodes and all the solid features that make R.H. Peterson one of the best backyard accessory fabricators in the world.

custom firemagic outdoor kitchen with blue granite

The Firemagic OCBE is an insert that can be used to install a gas fire pit burner in to any custom designed fire pit structure.  This fire pit structure was designed by the homeowner and it was finished using the same granite and stone work to match the house and columns and the outdoor kitchen we built.  The gas firepit is controlled with a on/off remote transmitter.  The fire pit has natural lava rock stones in the center to radiate heat and allow the flames to move and shift naturally.  We also install a stainless ring in our gas fire pits so the heat is shielded from the edge of the custom fabricated granite.

When any gas flame touches a solid object carbon is created and the flame carbon will leave marks on this beautiful blue and gold granite slab.  Carbon is usually very easy to wipe-off but most people are not cleaning their built in barbeque grill and gas fire pit every day.  We use a stainless ring to push the flame a little bit higher and this saves the granite color.  If they choose to hide the ring it can be made slightly smaller and lava rock will rest on the outside of the ring to camouflage the stainless inside the lava rocks.

Custom fire pit with blue granite and natural stone bricks

This gas fire pit is also remote controlled.  Instead of natural lava rocks this fire pit has crushed fireglass.  The fire glass is crushed black but we also used orange and green fire glass to put a logo for the University of Miami in the fireglass.  When the gas fire pit is burning the flames will move across and around the crushed fire glass for a sparkling and colorful effect.

custom fire pit with crushed fire glass university of Miami

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This New Years weekend I received a telephone call from a customer who purchased an alternative ventless glass gas fireplace from us a little over a year ago.  Her pilot light was burning but she could not get the fireplace to light.  She called her installer and he also could not get the fireplace to light.  This gas fireplace has an on-off remote controlled valve made by Rasmussen.

Some older gas fireplaces used to have a toggle switch attached to the control valve inside the fireplace.  Some more recent fireplaces by R.H. Peterson and Vanguard, Majestic and Superior fireplaces also had toggle switches.  The on-off remote control combination of a receiver-transmitter use the same idea as a toggle switch and it is common to replace an old style toggle switch with a receiver box in order to convert a gas log fireplace to a remote controlled unit.

A receiver box acts like the toggle switch turning the fireplace on or off and the hand held transmitter or any other kind of transmitter flips the toggle switch to the “on” or “off” position.  The receiver is hard-wired to the fireplace burner control valve and most people leave their receiver inside the fireplace.  There is a real danger to overheating a receiver box because the receiver box holds batteries that can be damaged by heat.  Often if a fireplace with a remote control will not be controlled by a remote the problem is either low batteries or batteries damaged by heat.  If the batteries are damaged by heat while inside the receiver box, inside the fireplace the receiver box is usually irreparably damaged.

The other problem with unvented gas fireplace has to do with the safety features that must be used in every vent-free gas log.  The ODS (oxygen depletion sensor) is a very simple function that leaves a thermocouple in the pilot light so the thermocouple will cool and turn off the control valve if the pilot light begins to raise up looking for oxygen to keep it burning.  On the sides of any pilot tube are small holes in the pilot light tube that allow oxygen to be sucked into the tube to mix with gas and allow the pilot to burn.  Ventless gas fireplaces should be cleaned as part of typical maintenance but when they are not properly cleaned these tiny holes are small enough to be severly clogged by tiny bits of dust, pet hair and pollen in the air.

ventless gas fireplace oxygen depletion sensor

Usually when our service technicians are called to a home because a vent-free gas fireplace will not properly light this maintenance issue is the problem.  We bring a small but powerful vacuum and leave it lying against the pilot assembly to cause flowing air to pull anything from these small air holes.  Once it has been vacuumed we may also use a can of compressed air.   We do not go to the compressed air can first because we do not want to blow the foreign substance into the pilot assembly.

If the batteries are fully charged or new and the receiver box is not damaged by overheating but the fireplace will not light the next thing to check is the receiver codes.  A receiver box will have a “Learn” button on it and sometimes when the batteries are changed or if the power is interrupted by heat the code for the transmitter will need to be relearned.  Most received boxes are very versatile and will learn tens of thousands of varying transmitting codes.  Hold the Learn button for about 5 seconds until a series of beeps indicates the box is wiped clean and “listening.  Then press any button on the transmitter for the receiver to remember the proper code for that transmitting controller.

Finally, this specific fireplace valve uses a solenoid control.

This control valve with solenoid is used with remote controlled receiver and transmitter.

Sometimes it is possible the solenoid has become too strongly attached inside the control valve.  This could be caused by over tightening at the original factory, by constant heating an expanding and by a combination of these two causes.  The solenoid can be removed with a flat head screwdriver.  Reinstall the solenoid “hand-tight” so it is not over tightened in the valve.

The solenoid triggers the switch like an internal toggle switch.

Vent free gas fireplaces have always been a popular commodity but with the alternative gas fireplace that display crushed reflective glass colors, stones, shapes and fireballs ventless gas fireplaces are more popular than ever.  The limited BTU’s, control options like the ODS and flame patterns are as important as properly maintaining the fireplace with clean materials and fully charged batteries.

The process for lighting a vent-free gas log fireplace involves holding the control valve open manually until the thermocouple is transferring enough of a charge to pull the control valve magnet into the open position.  Soon we will explain the process of the thermocouple to help understand the safety features in your vent free gas fireplace.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNrUXdJjFR8

Some unvented gas fireplaces: Chillbuster models.

In order to make a gas log fireplace a legally vent-free gas log fireplace there are some very specific rules to be followed.  Unvented gas fireplaces have to have a maximum BTU output of 40,000 BTU.  This limit will lower the amount of flames and the amount of dangerous carbon emitted into the room because of the flames.  The ceramic logs stack specifically to match the flames of the burner so there is little or no contact between the fireplace flames and the logs.

ODS.

Oxygen Depletion Sensors are alway installed on vent-free gas log fireplaces to ensure safe use in the home.  ODS usually consists of a thermocouple and a pilot.  A thermocouple is a complex, simple tool for generating energy from heat.  With no moving parts it is very rare a thermocouple fails.  The tip of the thermocouple has different types of metals that create a small electric charge when heat conducts and transfers across each metal.  This small millivolt charge runs through a electric wire in a copper sleeve to a threaded metal bolt that becomes magnetized from the millivolt charge.  The threaded bolt screws into the control valve where another magnet is mounted with the reverse magnetic pole meeting the electro-magnet on the end of the thermocouple.  When the thermocouple transfers heat to create a millivolt that runs through copper to magnetize the steel the magnets push one another apart to allow gas to flow through the valve.  Should the pilot flame go out the tip of the thermocouple cools and within seconds the steel bolt demagnetizes, attracts the inner magnet and snaps closed so gas cannot flow through the valve.

When there is a draft, ceiling fan or when an unvented gas fireplace is installed outdoors there can be some problems with the pilot but the role of this system is to gauge oxygen in the fireplace.  Because the pilot os a single weak flame surrounded by large strong flames the pilot is not the first place or the easiest location to reach and burn oxygen.  If oxygen is low the first place that will be effected is this small pilot flame.  As the pilot flame reaches higher and higher seeking oxygen the flame will lift higher and higher off the tip of the thermocouple and usually the thermocouple will cool and stop all gas flow before the pilot even dies.

Oxygen depletion sensor pilot assembly for gas log fireplace

This is a very simple but very effective way to make the fireplace safe with no moving parts that can break down or get damaged.  When a customer calls to complain about the fireplace going out the problem is usually that they have forgotten the process for lighting the pilot.  Rarely we will have to clean the fireplace if it has not been maintained.  The metal tube that the pilot lights from has a sensor at its base.  Depending on the geographical location and depending on the installation there can be dust, dander, pet fur, or pollen build up inside this sensor.  A can of air or a vacuum cleaner can usually clear the area within a few minutes.

oxygen depletion sensor for vent free gas log fireplace

This video should show the realistic flame patterns and the realistic logs of the chillbuster brands.  These gas fireplaces are made to be safe indoors without the costly work of cutting through the roof or building a chimney.

Each of these burners has several different gas log sets that can be used on this burner.  The ceramic logs on a vent-free burner are always designed specifically for that burner and unvented logs from a different set cannot be used with another unvented burner because the logs stack to avoid the flames of each burner configuration.

For more information about chillbuster gas fireplaces or any information about vented or vent free gas fireplace please contact us at Service@Grill-Repair.com and at 954.2.GRILL.2.

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Most barbecues are controlled by the control knob that is attached the the control valve.  The control valve has an orifice at the tip and the orifice slides into the burner to spit the gas into the burner.  However, some control valves are not installed close enough to the barbeque burners to attach in this way.

The orifice is attached to the control valve with compression fittings that seal a gas hose extension.

This barbecue grill from bbq galore stores is such an example.  The tip of the control valve does not have an orifice that slides into the barbeque burner.  Instead there is an aluminum gas line that extends from the tip of the valve and the orifice is attached to the other end of the gas line.

gas bbq grill control valve for turbo and charbroil grill repair

The control valves we sell at Grill-Repair.com for barbecues like this are manufactured to have an orifice attached at the end of the valve to control the amount of liquid propane or natural gas going into the burner.  If this control valve was going to be used in a turbo, kalamazoo, cook on or any other barbecue grill that has an extension gas line connecting the control valve to the burner we can add a compression fitting to convert the tip of the valve into a gas line extension. The instructions for using a compression fitting to add an extented gas line connecting the control valve to the burner follows.

this is the control valve, the compression conversion fitting and the aluminum gas line to be used

The same control valve as the one on the black and white drawing is in the picture above.  This control valve can be used on Cook-On barbecues, Turbo models like the Grand Turbo and the Turbo Select and many others.  The compression fitting and the aluminum gas line is also shown in this image.

how to attach the compression fitting to the gas grill valve

One half of this compression fitting is female pipe thread to attach to the barbecue grill control valve.  The other half unscrews to expose the flared piece.  This flare slides onto the tip of the aluminum gas line.  When the top is screwed back onto the other side of the fitting the brass flare is soft enough to flare out and seal the connection.  Once sealed this flare cannot be re-used but the gas line is now sealed to the control valve.  The gas line can be unscrewed at the valve for maintenance later if it becomes necessary to replace the valve.  Do not push the aluminum (or copper) tube too far into the control valve.

the gas grill valve now as an extended gas lin attached and sealed.

Compression fittings are available in a wide array of sizes on both sizes.  The size of the gas line does affect the amount of gas travelling through but with a low pressure appliance like a gas log fireplace or an outdoor barbecue grill an eighth of an inch to a quarter inch is acceptable unless there is a lot of gas line added for some uncommon reason.

The male side compression fitting used to attach the barbecue orifice.

The compression fitting for the other end of the aluminum gas line has a 1/8 male pipe thread side just like the control valve.  This threaded side screws into the hood style orifice just like the control valve would have.  This aluminum gas line is a 3/16 line so the other side of the fitting is a 3/16 compression fit.

the compression side of the fitting also comes apart to seal to the gas line.

Again the compression side of the brass gas fitting comes apart to reveal the soft brass flare.  The soft brass flare fits onto the aluminum gas line.  The flare should fit snug.  Like with the female side compression conversion fitting slide the flare about a quarter inch onto the aluminum (or copper) gas line and then tighten the nut back to the fitting.  The soft brass flare will spread with the tension and seal the gas line to the fitting.

gas barbeque grill compression conversion to extend a control valve.

The hood style orifice is now attached and sealed safely to the aluminum gas hose that is also attached to the control valve.  If the orifice has to be converted at some future time the fitting is still able to be unscrewed from inside the orifice but if the fitting is separated at the center where the flare piece is compressed it is no longer useful. The orifice on any gas barbecue grill has a hole in the tip that is sized to allow a specified amount of gas through to the barbecue grill burners.  Liquid propane vaporizes and feeds through the valve in a compressed form so the hole in the orifice is very small.  Natural gas is a true gas in its natural state and has more mass so the orifice opening is much larger.  When a gas barbeque grill needs to be converted from one gas type to another the orifices can be removed and changed to the proper size for propane or natural gas.  When converting from propane to natural gas the orifice can be removed and drilled to the larger size since the natural gas orifice has a larger opening than the hole in the propane orifice. Because liquid propane is always pulled from a reservoir propane is always regulated at the same pressure for low pressure appliances like gas barbecues and gas log fireplaces.  Natural gas can be regulated anywhere from 2 or 10 inches of water column displacement but the environmental temperature and the altitude can affect this. Recently we have had a lot of customers repairing gas grills with extensions attached to their control valves.  This is actually very rare today but a lot of older barbecues utilized this technique of attaching the control valve to the gas BBQ burners. For additional information about control valves, orifices, gas lines, regulation or any other barbecue grill repairs contact Grill-Repair.comat 954-2-Grill-2.

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Right now we are still in summer but the end of summer is on the horizon.  We are beginning to consider our gas log business and talking about what we will be bringing on and what we will be doing for the new years fireplaces.

We have a few outdated gas logs that are in our warehouse and still in the original box that we are thinking about using as a raffle prize.  If anyone has an opinion about this, please email me at:

service@grill-repair.com

and let me know your idea.  Maybe something like a raffle for anyone who sends a comment to the feedback page on our blog or a raffle among anyone who become a fan on facebook.  Let me know what you think.

I think it will be fun to give a couple gas log fireplaces away for free so let’s come up with a good reason that brings people to the blog or the facebook page or something.

954.2.Grill.2

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