Natural gas is the cleanest and most efficient way to cook at home. You can even use it for grilling.
If you need help connecting BBQ to natural gas outlets, this guide will explain, in detail, all the necessary steps.
We’ll cover the benefits of natural gas, safety, and even troubleshooting for the rare times that your gas grill doesn’t work as expected.
Weber is a manufacturer of some of the best natural gas grills available today.
We’ve developed these instructions with Weber grills in mind, but you can apply them to any natural gas grill on the market.
Learn the steps on how to connect a weber natural gas grill to your gas line, or just for any natural gas grill hookups, and enjoy cooking outdoors with the confidence of knowing that everything is safe and reliable.
The Benefits of a Natural Gas Grill
You might be wondering about the steps for connecting BBQ to natural gas outlets as you prepare to buy your first grill.
Even if you haven’t decided on the specific model, there are some helpful things you should know before purchasing.
- Natural gas is more affordable than propane, and the difference can be significant if you cook regularly. It’s also significantly more affordable than charcoal in the long term, giving you one of the best ways to cook outdoors at your home.
- If you’re concerned about emissions and your impact on the environment, you’ll be happy to learn that natural gas is cleaner than propane. It burns with fewer residues than propane and is significantly cleaner than charcoal.
- You’ll always have gas when you need it. Unlike propane where the tank can run empty, putting an end to your cooking sessions, natural gas will always be ready to go as long as you have a supply to your home. If you cook often or if you prefer low and slow cooking methods, natural gas is the obvious choice.
- It’s easy to get used to connecting BBQ to natural gas outlet You can roll your gas grill away from storage and hook it up any time that you’re ready to get cooking. Overall, your grill will be lighter, because you won’t have to worry about an extra gas tank hanging off it.
- Gas grilling is known as the most convenient way to grill at home, and natural gas is the best version of it.
If you’ve decided to invest in a natural gas grill then you’ve made the right choice.
If you’re still thinking about it, then learning how easy it is to perform a natural gas hookup could be the final piece of information that helps you to make your purchase.
Safety First – Follow These Steps for Safer Natural Gas Grilling
There are some important safety steps to follow before connecting BBQ to natural gas outlets, and some that need to be followed continuously while you are cooking.
Grilling outdoors is fun.
For many, it’s a relaxing activity.
Fresh ingredients and rich flavors go hand in hand with grilling.
With some simple safety steps, you’ll reduce the risk of accidents like burns and fires.
Here’s what you need to keep in mind when using your natural gas grill:
- Grills are designed to be used outdoors in open spaces. There should be at least three feet around all sides of the grill, and you should never use your grill indoors. Grilling under a high eave or awning is OK but keep an extinguisher on hand in case anything goes wrong. This affordable Aerosol Fire Extinguisher is ideal for use around a natural gas grill.
- Keep children away from the grilling area. If you have pets, make sure that they are also away from your cooking station. If it feels too busy and crowded around the grill, ask people to move away. You can even “suggest” this without even asking by arranging patio or lawn furniture away from the grill. The less commotion you have around your natural gas grill, the less chance there is of something going wrong.
- Don’t leave your grill unattended. Make sure that it’s supervised even for extended low and slow cooking sessions.
- Keep your grill clean. Excess grease increases the risk of flare-ups and fires.
- Always turn off the gas supply after you have finished using your grill. Don’t run gas lines in places where people typically pass through and don’t stretch the line out to move your grill around. There should always be some slack in the gas line.
These simple safety steps will ensure that you can enjoy your grill in any season.
Does Your Natural Gas Grill Need a Regulator?
Before you get to the natural gas grill hookup, you might be wondering if you need a regulator.
Propane grills have regulators integrated into the hose, keeping the pressure safe and consistent so that there aren’t any safety issues.
With natural gas, it’s a little different.
The gas is delivered to your home by a utility provider.
The gas pressure in your home is regulated by a valve on the meter.
This means that any gas flowing to your outlets is at the same low pressure.
Your stove, heating system, and your grill all rely on this relatively low pressure from the main valve, so you don’t need to add anything extra.
You’ll notice that natural gas lines (hoses) don’t have regulators on them.
This is intentional since the pressure is controlled before it gets to your grill.
How to Complete a Natural Gas Grill Hookup
You’ll need three major components for a natural gas grill hookup.
- An outdoor gas outlet that has been professionally installed by the utility company or an approved contractor.
- A gas line or hose.
- Your Weber natural gas grill.
To connect BBQ to the natural gas outlet, you’ll connect the hose to your grill first and connect the other end to the outlet.
Let’s look at the steps in more detail.
- Make sure you have a natural gas line running to your outdoor cooking area with an outlet installed on a wall or any other dedicated surface. If you don’t have a hookup point, you won’t be able to connect your grill. You can call your utility provider to learn the process of having a new hookup added. They will either do this in-house with their technicians or provide you with contact details for an approved contractor in your area.
- Turn off the main gas valve before connecting your grill. This is an additional step for your safety. The valve can be found next to your gas meter. You can use a wrench to easily open and close the valve. Remember to turn it back on once everything is connected and checked.
- Install the hose to both the outlet and the grill. Check that the connections feel secure. Make sure that you are using the hose provided by Weber, or any other natural gas hose designed for use with a grill. The quality of the hose matters. Avoid using any hose that has signs of wear, cracking, or any other visible damage or defect. Low-quality or old hoses can leak and increase the risk of fire.
- Check your system for leaks. This is a critical step and it’s easy to do. Turn on the gas at the main valve and apply some soapy water around all connection points and adaptors. You can use any household detergent or washing-up liquid. Observe the different points and watch for bubbling. Bubbles indicate that there’s a leak. Turn off the gas main and check all the connections for tightness. If everything seems good but you still have a leak, you will need to replace your gas hose or adaptors.
- When you’re done, you can start cooking. Always remember to turn on the gas at the outlet coupling and turn it off again when you’re done cooking. The coupling will typically have a rotating dial with indicators to turn it off or on.
Components can wear out over time, so you should perform a leak test regularly.
Because it only takes a couple of minutes, it’s recommended that you do this every session.
You should also check for leaks after long periods of not using your grill.
Troubleshooting When Connecting BBQ to Natural Gas Outlets
Now you know how to connect natural gas line to grill connectors, but what happens if something goes wrong?
If you don’t get the expected result, you can follow these troubleshooting steps.
- No gas? If your grill isn’t getting gas, make sure that your main gas valve is on, and that the valve at the coupling outlet is set to the on position.
- Next, check that your burners are set to low before igniting the grill.
- Does your grill have low heat? Natural gas grills can exceed temperatures of 500°F.
- If your grill has low heat and if the flame is yellow, there could be a problem with the gas flow.
- If your other gas appliances are working fine, then we can assume that your Weber natural gas grill has a problem.
- The safety regulator in the grill can get stuck on rare occasions.
- To clear it, turn off the gas at the outlet coupling, disconnect the hose from the grill, and turn all the burners to the highest setting.
- Leave the grill off for five minutes before turning the controls down and reconnecting everything.
- Turn on the gas at the outlet coupling and test your grill again.
You can also follow all of the specific troubleshooting instructions in your Weber natural gas grill manual.
In addition to knowing how to connect natural gas line to grill connectors, you should familiarize yourself with all of the operating instructions and guidelines in the manual.
If you are having problems that can’t be remedied with troubleshooting steps, you can have your grill serviced.
One of the best things about buying a Weber is the incredible customer support and warranty coverage.
Popular model lines like Spirit II and Genesis II are covered for 10 years on all parts, excluding normal wear and tear.
What are the Best Extension Hoses for Natural Gas Grills?
When you’re confident in knowing how to connect natural gas line to grill connectors, you might want to reposition your grill.
If the Weber hose isn’t long enough, you can choose a quality third-party hose.
This Gaspro Natural Gas Hose is a popular option suitable for Weber 3/8 Inch connections.
It has a braided and rubberized cable with brass fittings to ensure the safest connection.
Weber Makes Some of the Best Natural Gas Grills
With a gas line to your home and a Weber natural gas grill, you’ll enjoy the most convenient outdoor cooking experience.
Weber is known for quality.
The company makes some of the best natural gas grills that are available today.
If you’re yet to buy your first natural gas grill, you can start by looking at these two impressive models.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 is a three-burner grill with a sturdy cart, side shelves, and a beautiful enamel, powder coat, and stainless-steel finish. This durable grill provides plenty of cooking versatility for everyday meals or when entertaining guests on holidays and special occasions.
For a grill approaching the higher end of the market, consider the Weber Genesis II S-335. Also a three-burner model, this grill is made from stainless steel, has shelves and a side burner, a searing station for the perfect crust on steaks and other ingredients, and a port for the popular iGrill 3 thermometer system.
You know how to connect natural gas line to grill connectors.
All that’s left to do is prepare your favorite ingredients and enjoy outdoor cooking on a Weber grill.
