How to Clean a Grill Burner: The Complete Guide

Want to get your grill squeaky clean ready for a new season of cookouts and barbecues? Check out this guide on how to clean a grill burner.

The grill burners are the heartbeat of the grill. If they aren't functioning properly, your barbecue definitely won't go as planned and can be a total flop.

Without working burners, you cannot grill your food. This is why it's important to show your grill and especially the burners a bit of TLC.

A little maintenance goes a long way. It's a good idea to routinely clean your gas grill after every use and do a deeper cleaning at least once or twice each year.

Doing this can help keep your gas grill in great shape, operate safely and prevent some of the effects regular wear and tear can cause. And it's also important to know how to clean a grill burner correctly.

Let's take a look at the function of your grill burners and the steps you can take to keep them clean and grilling up tasty barbecue season after season.

The Function of Grill Burners

To keep it simple, stainless tube grill burners are comprised of hollow metal tubing with gas ports spaced throughout the burner. They are responsible for the disbursement of the gas flame in a grill. 

Some are manufactured using cast iron, cast brass or even cast stainless this tubing is much thicker (and heavier).

While you are enjoying grilling your favorite food, there's a lot that can happen to your grill and your grill burners. All the grease, marinades, sauces, and seasonings escape down into the cook box and flavorizer bars.

Although your grill burners get some protection during this process, grease and grime can build up, especially in the ports and will naturally begin to corrode over time. They may work great for a while if left uncleaned. But, without proper maintenance, they will fall apart.

Sooner or later you'll notice some sluggishness and uneven flame patterns. That translates to uneven heating which will affect your cooking.

For this reason, you don't want to wait until you have a problem before beginning regular maintenance.

How to Clean a Grill Burner: Supplies

Before you try to clean your grill burners, you want to make sure you have the right tools at hand. It can be a bit messy, so make sure you have a pair of gloves for the job.

You should also have a grill brush, a drill bit or toothpick (for cleaning the burner ports), putty knife and cleaning rags or paper towels.

Preparation for Cleaning Grill Burners

Your first step is to be sure the gas supply to your grill is off. It's a good idea to completely disconnect the gas tank from your grill. You should then remove the grill grates and spray degreaser on them, let it sit then use your grill brush or a stainless scrubbing pads (pretty much anything you can rub on your skin) to remove any grime.

Access the Grill Burners

Make sure you remove anything under the grates that are covering your gas burners. For instance, if your grill uses ceramic briquettes trays or lava rock grates, these should be removed.

Brush these off and put aside until you reassemble your grill. If your grill uses flame tamers (pieces of metal that are shaped like tents and cover your grill burners), brush these off and check for any holes or soft spots.

Remove the flame tamers and brush off the residue. Set these aside for reassembly later.

Cleaning the Gas Ports

One of the main things to consider when learning how to clean a grill burner is the functionality of the gas ports. The ports around the burner are manufactured in a uniform shape with same spacing around the burner. This allows an even flame pattern to spread throughout the burner. These hole patterns need to be free and clear of debris in order for the burner to function as designed.

Remove your burners from the grill and brush off any debris. Never use water to clean the burner. Only a brush or stainless scrub.

You want to examine the ports carefully to make sure the ports aren't clogged.If your burners are cast burners, tube, flat, or u-shaped, you can clean the ports using a drill bit or anything small enough to clear the ports.

This will release any built-up food or grease residue. Gas ports can become clogged easily and can be tricky to spot. When these ports remain clogged, more gas is forced out of the remaining holes and begin to cause stress cracks between the ports and eventually break into larger holes.

If your burners are ceramic infrared, you can simply turn the heat on high and let the residue burn away. Any left over dust or residue can be gently removed with a vacuum (first remove the burner screen).

Troubleshooting Burner Tubes

If you find a clog in a burner tube, you can reopen the holes by using a drill bit, paperclip or a toothpick. 

As you remove the tool used, shake out the debris from the burner. If the holes aren't clear, the gas cannot flow through easily. This can result in a lot of pressure on the other holes and cause them to break apart.

You may want to check out your owner's manual too. It may offer some specific instructions for burner maintenance  for your particular type of grill, especially if you have infrared (sear) burners.

Even after all of your hard work, your burners may damaged with cracks, holes or soft spots. If this is the case, they probably need to be replaced. 

If you are finding you still are not getting an even flame, you may also want to clear the orifice hole at the end of the gas valve. The gas jets can get clogged with spider webs or grease. 

If you do have to replace your burners, it's not difficult to do. Just make sure you have the correct measurement for the replacement part before purchasing what you need from a reputable authority on grills.

Finishing the Job

As you learn how to clean a grill burner, you want to be sure to follow through with a few finishing touches. Once you have cleaned your grill burners and before you reassemble, be sure to clean off any debris from the cooking grates or the heat distribution system that is in your grill as well as the outside and inside of the grill's lid.

It's a good idea to spray on a degreaser inside the hood of the grill and let this sit for around fifteen minutes. Then use your putty knife to scrape as needed and then wipe the lid clean.

Cleaning the grill burners may not be a favorite task, but in the long run, it's worth the effort.

Regular cleaning and knowing how to clean a grill burner will add years to the life of your grill. After all, the burners are the heartbeat of your gas grill.

When you take care of them, they will function well and provide many seasons of delicious grilling for your family and friends.

Before you re-assemble the cooking grates and heat plates, connect the gas line, turn the gas on and test fire your burners. If you have a nice even flame pattern, turn off the grill and replace the remaining parts.If you have too much yellow in your flame or no flame, try moving the air adjustment at the base of the grill burner. The burner needs the perfect mixture of oxygen and gas to produce a nice blue flame.

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