| I grill.
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| | Remember the flame that is sucking the
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| I mean, I grill - often. I grill about 3
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| | gas out of the burner? Now shut that gas
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| or 4 days a week, every week of the year,
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| | off. What happens? The gas is still
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| every year. Living 100 yards from Lake
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| | burning. When there is no more fuel, the
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| Erie, this is no small feat: it gets cold
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| | vacuum inside the burner actually sucks
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| in Cleveland in the winter, and we get
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| | whatever is right outside the burner,
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| our fair share of snow - most of which is
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| | resulting in an audible "pop" when the
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| lake effect, sometimes measured in feet
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| | flame goes out.
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| rather than inches.
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| | Here it is in a nutshell: you've been
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| I have often found myself outside after
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| | cooking food, right? You've been using
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| dark on a late December evening, in
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| | spices, sauces and rubs -- and the food
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| 20-degree weather with an icy wind
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| | itself has its own juices. These are in
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| blowing in off the lake, snow half-way up
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| | the air surrounding the food and the
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| my shins, basting a roast on the
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| | burners, mostly as partially-burned
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| rotisserie.
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| | carbon particles. These carbon particles
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| Naturally, my wife thinks I am nuts. She
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| | get sucked into the burner when the flame
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| also thinks I am a great cook, which is
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| | is extinguished. These particles remain
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| neither here nor there. But, I digress...
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| | in the burner until the next time you
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| A couple of months ago, I noticed that
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| | fire up the grill. When you fire up the
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| the grill was heating unevenly. The left
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| | grill, these particles create chaos in
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| side was noticeably hotter than the
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| | the flow of the gas. The pressure of the
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| right. The flame was higher on the left,
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| | gas will hold these particles against the
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| and I had more problems with flare-up on
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| | sides of the burner. Reaching ignition
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| that side. Meanwhile, the right side was
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| | temperature, they eventually burn through
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| not cooking very well at all. The grill
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| | the metal from the inside out. Now you
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| is a 3-year-old Fiesta that my wife
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| | know why I had to replace my burner - and
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| bought at K-Mart shortly before we met.
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| | why you'll have to do the same if you
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| It sports a stainless steel sheet metal
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| | purchase a grill with a sheet metal
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| burner which is adequate for occasional
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| | burner.
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| use. I suspected that the burner was
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| | My story points out another issue: what
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| burned through since I use the grill much
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| | type of burner will your new grill have?
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| more than the manufacturer intended; I
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| | This is a major decision that many
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| wanted to replace it much earlier than
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| | overlook when they purchase a high-end
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| this, but since we were buying a house, I
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| | grill. Most grills, even well-known
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| placed the project on the back burner, so
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| | $3,000 to $5,000 units, have the same
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| to speak.
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| | stainless steel sheet metal burners that
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| The house threw us a couple of major
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| | I just replaced, and many have a
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| curveballs, the worst of which was a
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| | thickness in the 20- to 24-gauge range!
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| total replacement of our kitchen. At the
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| | Let's face it: buying a $3,000 grill is
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| time, we were waiting on our new
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| | like buying a Mercedes or a Lexus; you
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| countertops: we did not have a working
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| | shouldn't have to replace the engine in a
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| kitchen; the microwave and the grill were
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| | 3-year-old Lexus!
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| our only working kitchen appliances.
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| | If you purchase a grill with a stainless
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| Nice time for the grill to fail, huh?
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| | steel sheet metal (or cast iron/cast iron
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| One night during the remodel, I wanted to
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| | composite) burner, you will replace the
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| grill some chicken. I fired up the grill,
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| | burners at some point. The more often you
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| and noticed that the flame on the left
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| | grill, the more often you will replace
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| side of the grill reached the cooking
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| | the burner. The more expensive the grill,
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| grate, and the flame on the right was
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| | the more difficult the replacement.
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| barely noticeable. Our chicken browned
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| | "What?" you say! Stainless steel will
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| noticeably toward the left side, and
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| | rust? Well, yes, it *will* rust. It just
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| barely cooked on the right. These photos
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| | takes a lot longer. The idea that
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| show the old burner.
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| | stainless steel will neither stain or
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| I muddled my way through the meal,
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| | rust is a myth. The "stainless" in the
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| deciding to take action. The next day I
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| | term "stainless steel" refers to the fact
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| ordered a new burner/venturi set over the
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| | that there are no impurities in the metal
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| Internet. Since spiders love our new
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| | itself, and that nickel has been
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| house, I splurged on spider guards. The
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| | introduced into the alloy to produce a
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| only tools I needed for the job were a
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| | more acceptable finish. A lower grade of
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| pair of pliers and a screwdriver. I
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| | stainless steel with a lower nickel
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| assembled the burner/venturi assembly,
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| | content will attract a magnet, also
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| connected the ignitor to the burner, and
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| | contrary to popular myth.
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| went out to the grill. I disconnected the
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| | What, then, is the alternative to a
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| securing pins for the burner underneath
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| | stainless steel sheet metal burner? Cast
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| the grill and the old burner lifted out
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| | iron? Well, yes, but many grill
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| easily. The new burner settled gently
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| | manufacturers also use cast brass or cast
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| into place, and I connected the ignitor
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| | stainless steel, which will not rust or
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| and installed the spider screens. I
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| | burn through. Lynx and Fire Magic are two
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| tested the ignitor, and, satisfied that
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| | such grills, and they're even warranted
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| it worked properly, fired up the grill.
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| | against rust and burn-through. A
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| Even blue flame, about one and a half
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| | less-expensive alternative with cast
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| inches high, with yellow tips. Perfect.
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| | brass burners would be the Coleman 6000,
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| Nice, even heat again. Project completed,
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| | retailing for under $1,000 (photo right).
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| and in about a half-hour.
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| | This is not to disparage stainless steel
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| So why did this happen? Why did my burner
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| | sheet metal burners: Napoleon uses
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| rot from the inside out? The answer is
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| | 16-gauge stainless steel in their
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| simple physics. When your burner burns
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| | burners, much thicker than just about any
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| gas, the flame outside the burner creates
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| | other brand, and they tend to last longer
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| a vacuum inside the burner. An open valve
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| | than other manufacturer's burners. They
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| allows gas under high pressure to flow
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| | are still prone to rot and burn-through,
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| from its source into the burner, where
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| | however: it just takes a little longer,
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| the pressure is lower, and then continue
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| | that's all.
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| out to the outside to be burned.
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| | So, if you're shopping for a new grill,
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| So how does this cause burn-through?
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| | check the burner construction first.
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