Maintenance

Yes, you paid a lot of money for your grill, but even an expensive grill doesn’t clean and maintain itself, and you want it to look good and function properly. That’s why this section of your manual is so important. This section gives you the information necessary to help you keep your grill looking new and working properly. Reading and following the instructions in this section will make your grill investment pay off for many years.

90-Day Grill Maintenance Schedule

It is recommended that every 90 days the following maintenance procedure is followed, but it is absolutely necessary to perform this maintenance at least once a year. By doing so you will extend the life of your gas grill.

IMPORTANT

•Keep appliance area clear and free from combustible materials, gasoline and other ﬂ ammable vapors and liquids at all times.

•Do not locate your grill in such a manner or otherwise obstruct the ﬂ ow of combustion and ventilation air around the grill.

•As part of the normal maintenance schedule, check to be sure that all ventilation openings are free and clear from debris.

Cleaning the Hood

The exterior of the hood should be maintained with a stainless steel cleaner. The inside of the hood may be cleaned with a solution of warm water and liquid detergent to remove any grease build-up.

Cleaning the Stainless Steel Cook Grate

To keep your grill operating properly, the stainless steel cook grate should be cleaned regularly.

1.The stainless steel cook grate can be easily cleaned after the post-heating period. As soon as the 10 minutes post-heating is completed, turn the gas off. Open the lid with a covered hand and with the use of a brass brush, rub the grid surface.

The Ducane® stainless steel cook grate has been constructed of strong, sturdy stainless steel. You will ﬁnd this cooking surface to be extremely durable while providing more heat directly to your cooking surface for faster, more economical cooking.

Cleaning the Heat Distribution Plates

Your porcelain enameled heat distribution plates should also be brushed down with the use of a brass long-handled brush.

Cleaning the Burner Box

Clean when cook grate and heat distribution plates are removed from burner box. Clean out any ash or deposits from burner box using warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Allow to dry before replacing all parts.

A small amount of grease may accumulate on the bottom of the burner box. It can be scraped up and discarded with a ﬂat-blade putty knife. Use a soap and water solution to clean after you have scraped.

Prolonged grilling with the hood in the down position may cause a grease build up inside the hood that will begin to ﬂake (this is not paint). If this develops, clean the inside of the hood with a warm water and soap solution. Be careful not to get the burner wet.

Grease Fires

The recommendations in the Maintenance section, concerning cleaning your grill, and in the Normal Operation section concerning preheating and post-heating your grill are extremely important for two reasons:

1.Keep your grill cooking at its best by keeping the cooking surfaces and heat trans- mitting components clean. Keeping your grill clean is the best way of keeping your grill cooking properly.

2.For safety reasons. A dirty grill is susceptible to grease ﬁres.

Depending on the amount of cooking, the types of food cooked, the amount of pre- heating and post-heating and the amount of cleaning performed on a grill, any grill can be susceptible to a grease ﬁre. A build up of meat fats, cooking marinades, basting sauces, salts, etc. can ignite and cause a severe grease ﬁre.

If a grease ﬁre were to occur on a Ducane® grill, ﬂames would probably be seen under the burner box. A severe grease ﬁre could lead to a burned hose or regulator which would allow gas to feed the ﬁre and, obviously, make the ﬁre worse.

Any type of ﬁre requires that the grill components (hose, regulators, LP tanks, etc...) involved be checked for continued safe operation. If a leak is suspected, the gas supply system (hose, manifold, tank, ﬁttings, etc...) must be leak tested, using a soapy water solution, to verify the source of the leak. If no leak is found, then the problem was most likely a grease ﬁre.

A grease ﬁre can be severe enough to damage your grill and/or cause property damage and/or cause bodily harm. Ducane does not want this to happen and neither do you. Follow our cleaning recommendations to avoid grease ﬁres.

Preserve Your Lid, Doors and Control Panel

Your lid, doors and control panel are made from stainless steel. To keep the stainless steel looking its best is a simple matter. Clean it with soap and water, rinse with clear water and wipe dry. It’s that easy. We recommend the use of a diluted liquid dish washing detergent and water solution. For stubborn particles, the use of a non-metallic brush can be used. Do not use a wire brush on your cooking shelf.

WARNING: Check the grease tray for grease build-up before each use. Remove excess grease to avoid a grease fire.

CAUTION: Do not use a wire brush or abrasive cleaners on the lid, cabinet and shelves of your grill as this will scratch the surface.

CAUTION: When cleaning surfaces be sure to rub in the direction of the grain to preserve the look of your stainless steel.

26	www.ducane.com