I have a Weber Genesis Silver propane grill that?s about 15 years old. It?s kept outside, but with a fabric cover when not in use.
Over the last year or two, it started running hotter and hotter, building gradual, slowly enough that I was just pulled along. Things would come out overcooked, and I would adjust the time and flame setting to compensate. It recently got to the point that turning flame control knobs had little effect
- it was always way hotter than set. At which point I realized that something had to be wrong.
Well, grills are pretty simple:
Propane? Tank 3/4 full, and running out doesn?t usually cause it to run hot anyway.
Flame height valves? All three do the same thing, they are made of solid brass, and they all feel the same, and feel OK. Unlikely.
Burners? Nah.
Hmm. Only the gas pressure regulator is left, and this gradual rise in temperature despite the valve settings could be explained if the output pressure were to rise gradually as the regulator wore out.
Well, I had bought a new regulator a few years ago while I was having spider-mite problems, and that regulator had been in inventory ever since. Installed the new regulator.
Bingo! Temperatures returned to normal, flame controls now control the flame height, and my cooking improved overnight.
The moral of the story is that regulators can wear out, giving trouble long before they just fail. I?m guessing that regulators should be replaced at ten years.
Joe Gwinn