15
Annual Maintenance
After a period of nonuse or to keep your grill in top
operating condition, you should perform the following mainte-
nance procedures to keep the grill ready for instant use and for
your safety.
Do not obstruct the flow of combustion and ventilation air.
Clean inside the grill head. Remove the burner/venturi as-
sembly and cover the valve orifices with a piece of aluminum
foil to keep out dirt. Brush inside bottom and sides with a stiff
wire brush to remove built-up grease and debris.
Be careful
not to damage the Ignitor or Collector Box.
Test the Ignitor for a good spark. (See Rotary Spark Ignitor
System in the General Maintenance section.)
The stainless steel burner may be brushed lightly with a stiff
laundry brush. Any clogged flame holes may be opened us-
ing a thin wire. Use the supplied venturi cleaning brush or a
bottle brush, pipe cleaner to clean out the venturis. (See
Flashback in General Maintenance.)
Clean the Control Panel, Side Shelf Supports, Lid Handle
Spacers, Lower Cart Frame, Posts with a mild detergent
soap and warm water solution. For the Optimum Console
use a mild detergent soap and water, Windex or a quality
stainless steel cleaner such as MHP’s Stainless Steel
Cleaner (Part #SSC) to clean the column and grill lid facing.
Do Not Use cleaning agents such as bleach, powdered
cleansers, steel wool pads or caustic solutions like oven
cleaners because they will damage the surfaces.
Porcelain cooking grids should be cleaned by first pre-
heating the grill on high for ten minutes, lid closed. Then with
a brass bristled grill brush clean off the debris. Do Not wash
the porcelain grates in a sink or dishwasher. It may ultimately
cause the porcelain to chip.
Occasional white oxidation on the exterior of your grill head
and lid may be washed off with mild soap and warm water.
Severe weathering of the grill head and lid can be remedied
by lightly sanding or rubbing with steel wool. Then it can be
recoated with a high quality heat resistant paint similar to
MHP’s BF-1 Paint, available in spray cans from your dealer.
Inspect the hose and gas fittings. Remember to leak check
every time you disconnect and reconnect a gas fitting.
Keep the ventilation openings of the LP cylinder enclosure
free and clear from debris.
General Maintenance
Flashback
In some areas of the country, spiders and other insects
build nests, lay eggs and spin webs in the grill’s venturi
tube or valve orifice. This obstructs the full flow of gas to the
burner. Some gas backs up resulting in a “Flashback” - a
fire in the venturi behind the control panel which could
cause serious bodily injury or damage to your grill.
(Fig. 20)
To remove spider webs and/or other obstructions, you must clean
out the venturis. This should be done routinely if the grill has sat
idle for extended periods. Also, if you live in an area where spiders
are plentiful, you should clean the venturis often, especially in the
fall when there is an increase in egg sack production.
To clean, be sure the grill is cold. Open lid and remove the cook-
ing grids, the briquettes and the briquette grate.
Remove the burner clip holding the burner in place.
(See Fig. 21)
Lift burner and venturi assembly out. With supplied cleaning brush,
a pipe cleaner or a flexible wire, clean out the venturi tube.
Remove hex head orifice with a 3/8" wrench. Clean Orifice hole
and inner part of the valve with a toothpick. Be careful not to
enlarge the orifice hole.
Check orifice receptacle in valve body.
When finished cleaning reassemble the complete unit.
Warning:
Check the hose before each use of the grill for
nicks, cracking, abrasions or cuts. If the hose is found to
be damaged in any way, do not use the grill. Replace us-
ing only
MHP
authorized replacement hose.
Maintenance
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
