BBQ Lifespan?

[supton]

Ours stopped working this past week; looked today and it's the "gas collector box with electrode" that has rotted out. Tons of rust in there too, elsewhere, and I swear, it's never been driven in winter.

We've had it for 8 years, and while we've kept it covered when not in use, it's the innards that have rusted badly.

I'm guessing for not too much I could buy much of the metal bits and replace ("flame tamer" are in bad shape, I drilled out the burners a few years ago and I suspect they are not in great shape either). I think, while looking up the part above I did see someone griping about how hard it was to replace.

But I'm wondering, what is a decent lifespan for one of these outdoor grills? Ours is 8 years old, and is stored outside.

 

[KenO]

I'd say thats pretty decent life for the burners & associated parts. If it's a nice grill and the shell is still in good shape, just give it a nice overhaul, and enjoy 8 more years of use

 

[Colt]

I've had a natural gas Webber Spirit 36K BTU for 11 years.
It's on my deck protected from rain and used often year round.
About four years ago I replaced the burner,went with better stainless steel cooking grates and Flavorizer bars.Cost about $200.The unit looks like new so the investment was worth it to me considering a new unit is around $600.
As far as the igniters,I didn't bother replacing one for a 3rd time years ago.They just don't seem to last.

 

[skyactiv]

Eight years seems about right. This should give you an excuse to look into buying a Kamado grill.

 

[supton]

At least one of the heat shields seem to be gone too. I tried to light it manually, but no go--get very weak flame. Was working just fine one day, next day no go.

Will talk to the wife and see what she wants to do. Ours gets used for grilling in the summer, of course, but also to boil water in the summer, so as to keep the heat out of the house, so a side burner is important. I guess at this point I have little to lose by taking it apart and messing with it.

 

[morepwr]

Look online to see if parts are available and cost. I just put new burners in my 5 year old Char-Broil this week. I didnt really want to buy another BBQ since I am happy with how this one works and I looked online and the parts were not that expensive so I just freshened up this one and should get a few more years out of it.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: supton
Ours stopped working this past week; looked today and it's the "gas collector box with electrode" that has rotted out. Tons of rust in there too, elsewhere, and I swear, it's never been driven in winter.

We've had it for 8 years, and while we've kept it covered when not in use, it's the innards that have rusted badly.

I'm guessing for not too much I could buy much of the metal bits and replace ("flame tamer" are in bad shape, I drilled out the burners a few years ago and I suspect they are not in great shape either). I think, while looking up the part above I did see someone griping about how hard it was to replace.

But I'm wondering, what is a decent lifespan for one of these outdoor grills? Ours is 8 years old, and is stored outside.


At my old boat club people would donate (dump) old BBQs and some would be used for another year or two on propane and some would be "converted" to charcoal use. The conversion process was not exacting, usually involved a lot of beer and some charcoal.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: supton
Ours stopped working this past week; looked today and it's the "gas collector box with electrode" that has rotted out. Tons of rust in there too, elsewhere, and I swear, it's never been driven in winter.

We've had it for 8 years, and while we've kept it covered when not in use, it's the innards that have rusted badly.

I'm guessing for not too much I could buy much of the metal bits and replace ("flame tamer" are in bad shape, I drilled out the burners a few years ago and I suspect they are not in great shape either). I think, while looking up the part above I did see someone griping about how hard it was to replace.

But I'm wondering, what is a decent lifespan for one of these outdoor grills? Ours is 8 years old, and is stored outside.


You didn't mention the brand of bbq. If it's a Webber than it would last about 12-15 years.
I've never changed the burners in my Webber Genesis gold that I bought in 2002. Only the flavourizer bars have been replaced. Also the paint started peeling no the sides last year, so I just repainted them with high heat paint.

Other brands that are cheaper won't last as long.


Regards, JC.

 

[supton]

It's a Kenmore.

On the burners, a few years ago I drilled out the holes, as they had been clogged with rust. I didn't think about it, not being on BITOG at the time, as to the downside of that... Most of the holes are still open, though, at the moment.

 

[supton]

Hmm. If I light one burner, I get lots of heat. Light a second and neither will work, let alone if I try to get all three to light.

 

[eljefino]

The regulator has a "short circuit protection" (not what it's called) that can trip and wreak havoc.

Maybe splice another one on if you can find one in a junk pile.

 

[JHZR2]

That seems abut right for our grill with cheaper steel burners and porcelain grates.

We went with a Weber (Q model because I wanted the sides to fold down and have a more compact footprint), and besides the coloration from cooking on the inside, it looks like new and should last a VERY long time.

Friends had to replace the grates (cast iron) on their grill (no name brand), but this was after 5+ years and theirs sat outside year-round, and Im not sure it was always covered. I dont know that they were proactive with seasoning and oiling them either for protection...

 

[DBMaster]

I have a Charbroil Patio Caddie that I got in 1997. I have replaced the cast iron heat plate a couple of times over the years. Last year I spent $30 on a hardware kit that allowed me to replace all the rusted hardware. The burner is either stainless or aluminum because it is still in great shape. I rarely use the grill so it just didn't make sense for me to spend money on a new one. The shell of the Patio Caddie is a baked on finish of some sort that seems likely to last forever. If a small grill will do the job for you these are wonderfully durable. Mine stays outside, always covered when not in use.

 

[Maximus1966]

Life is short. Buy yourself and new grill and enjoy it.

 

[Rand]

tis the season for clearance grills.

just be sure its a real clearance and not the sale price -10$

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
Life is short. Buy yourself and new grill and enjoy it.


If you use it a lot, yes. In that case, don't go cheap. Do your research and buy a good one. Mine performs flawlessly, maintains consistent temperature (it has a built-in thermometer), and is extremely efficient on gas use. I will keep it operational as long as practical.

Ever since I decided - for myself - that a steak cooked in a cast iron skillet with butter was my favorite means of preparation I haven't used the grill much. It still makes a mean salmon fillet and adds some nice smoke to sausage. Overall, I would probably go without a grill before buying a new one.

So, obviously, I am not a serious griller. LOL

 

[Lead Shoes]

My parents have on average been getting 2-3 years out of a BBQ before they rust to a point where my dad does the Tim Allen grunt and proposes for a new one...

 

[compaddict]

Weber Genises Gold. Eight hard years and nothing replaced. The Flavorizer bars are getting quite thin though! I wire brush the burners every year and some of the holes are getting a bit bigger.. Prolly should replace the two.

 

[andyd]

I have 2 seasons on the red top Weber I got for free. I keep it covered when not in use. The previous free Weber Silver lasted 4 or 5 yrs.

 

[racer12306]

I bought new porcelain coated grates for my 2011 CharBroil in May, they started rusting in a month. Warrantied them and after a big hassle and 3 months got new ones, they started rusting in a month.

Now I'm going to weld together my own out of 304. So your luck had been better than mine