INDIANAPOLIS — Days are getting warmer in central Indiana and the patio is calling.
That means it's time to uncover and fire up the outdoor grill for another season.
Pat from Sullivan Hardware and Garden shows you how to get ready for outdoor cooking with some basic cleaning and maintenance tips for your grill, regardless of what type you use.
If you have the classic Weber kettle, the legs can start to rust over time if the grill is left exposed to the elements. If you load up and light a big load of charcoal, and the legs decide to give way, you could have a fire on your hands. So test the legs at the beginning of every season.
All non-gas grills accumulate ash and debris, so make sure you dump, vacuum or brush out any of last year's residue so the grill can circulate air to help its coal, pellets or wood burn cleanly.
For gas grills, the grease tray underneath the burners fills up over time and can start a grease fire if it gets full. So clean and scrape them at the beginning of the season and as-needed depending on how much fatty food you grill.
When you fill your propane tank, it will hold 20 pounds of fuel. A typical tank weighs 18 pounds when empty and 38 pounds when it's full. Be careful transporting the tank and always make sure it's sitting upright, not on its side. You don't want it rolling or, worse, leaking when you're driving.
Pat's pro tip is to keep two tanks filled so you never run out of fuel with raw meat on your grill.
Watch Pat's full 13Sunrise segment in the video player.