Charcoal Grill Maintenance Tips
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All outdoor park equipment requires periodic maintenance and repairs as the exposure to weather conditions and the human element takes a toll. We have compiled a list of maintenance tips for various pieces of park equipment. These tips are provided to advise you about what needs to be done, when and how to do it. These tips may not cover all situations under all conditions, but are general best-practice tips on charcoal grills.
Firebox Rust
The most common maintenance issue with park grills is rust out at the bottom of the firebox. This occurs where the charcoal fire burns the paint off. Of course, this is directly on top of the support post and swivel mechanism, so when the center of the firebox is compromised by rust, the entire grill can become unusable. This will take a long time to happen, but the problem can be easily minimized to add years to the life of the grill.
All steel exposed to air and moisture will eventually rust. The rusting process is accelerated where the used coals and ash are left sitting on the bottom of the firebox. A little rain, or water from a lawn sprinkler, added to these ashes will create an alkaline mixture that is highly corrosive to steel. The solution is simple – regularly clean out the used coals and ash from the grills. Use our Model GGS/B-1 Grill and Grate Scraper tool and a metal bucket, or other similar tools. At the end of each park and camp season, you should consider wire brushing and repainting the bottom of the firebox to protect against rusting through the winter months.
Cooking Grate Rust
The cooking grate bars will also rust over time. This is not usually a problem on grills that are used often because the grease and oils from grilled foods coat the grate bars. The grate bars on Pilot Rock charcoal grills are solid steel, so it will take decades for them to rust through. Periodic cleaning is still a good idea. Simply scrape the bars clean with the Model GGS/B-1 Grill and Grate Scraper. Any rusted spots can be cleaned with a wire brush.
A used grate should be cleaned and prepared before the next use. Clean it with the Grill and Grate Scraper and a wire brush to remove any rust. Then thoroughly heat the grate by keeping it low and close to the coals. Finally, raise the grate and scrape it clean again. Alternatively, the grate can be covered with aluminum foil before cooking on it again, or use a pot or skillet to cook food.
On a new grill, the cooking grate should be seasoned before grilling directly on the steel grate. You can season the grate by gradually burning the high heat non-toxic paint off the grate bars as you use the grill. Before you heat the grate each time, you can use a wire brush to clean the grate and remove any paint chips. Until the grate is seasoned, you can use aluminum foil to cover the grate bars, or cook in a metal pan or pot.
Swivel Post Connection Rust
All Pilot Rock charcoal grills include a swivel post connection to the firebox. This allows you to turn the firebox 360 degrees in either direction to compensate for wind. On all brands of grills that include this feature, it is a steel to steel connection. Even in this location underneath the firebox, rusting will eventually occur. If the grills are used and turned regularly, there should be minimal problems. If the grill sits idle during the off-season, then consider occasionally rotating each firebox on its post to break any rust bond that might be forming. This connection can’t really be lubricated because of the heat from the coals and firebox.
Steel Warp
Extremely hot, large or extended fires maintained in the firebox can overheat the box and may cause the steel to warp. Pilot Rock grills include bracing and flanges that are designed to help resist this warping. However, fires that are too large and hot for the grill’s intended purpose, and kept burning for extended periods of time, are outside of the design parameters and can result in steel warping. When this happens, it usually results in the cooking grate being out of alignment, making the grill unusable. The only fix is to replace the entire firebox and grate – and sometimes the base post.