At Koopman Lumber we’ve been selling Weber grills for over 20 years for one reason: endurance. Our customers always tell us about how long their Weber grill lasts. It feels like they just keep working forever!
So we decided today to pull out an old grill and give it a refresh.
The Grill
Take a look at this 14-year old Weber grill. Back in 2003, this baby was in the prime of its life, but the years are starting to show. Just like any good piece of hardware, you can replace things that are looking tired for much cheaper than buying a new one. Here we’re replacing the flavorizer bars, igniter, burners, and grates. The flavorizers didn’t need to be replaced, but while we were in there it seemed like the right thing to do. In fact, most of these replacements could probably have been avoided with a little wire brush TLC every year.
Just take a look at what we were working with! The great thing about a Weber is that you can easily bring this back from the edge and have a fully functional grill for a fraction of the price of a new one!
Giving That Grill a Refresh
All the parts shown above were replaced, and it was easy! In this section, we’re going to go over how to replace all of these parts easily.
Ignition
Grill-Repair has a great video on how to easily replace the ignition in your Spirit and Genesis model grills. It’s super easy, and they make it look even easier!
See? Easy! If you have any problems here, don’t be afraid to contact your local Koopman Lumber over at Koopmanlumber.com. Our grilling experts are ready to help and know these grill inside and out. Take a look at how slick our grill looks once we installed the new ignitors. You know that grill is ready to cook a mean steak!
Burners
Replacing the burners on a Weber grill is easy, and can help with any cross-ignition difficulties you’ve been having.
- Turn off the propane tank valve and disconnect the cylinder. Remove it from the grill.
- Remove the cooking grates and flavorizer bars.
- Remove the control panel by taking out the screws holding it in place.
- Loosen the burners by turning the nut underneath with a pair of pliers.
- Pull the burner up at an angle to remove the burner and tube assembly.
- Insert new burners in the same position. Make sure the burner tubes fit inside the venturi tubes behind the control panel. The burner tubes don’t actually attach to the venturi tubes but should be at least 1/2″ inside so they don’t become disconnected if the grill is bumped.
- Reattach the locking nut under the grill to secure the burners in place.
- Reattach the control panel and put the cooking grate, flavorizer bars, and propane tank back in place.
- Reattach the propane gas regulator to the valve and turn it back on.
Flavorizer Bars and Grates
The flavorizer bars and grates are “plug ‘n’ play” components that need only be removed and replaced, but while we’re in there we’re going to do a little TLC. Remove the old grate and flavorizer bars with a gloved hand and, if they can’t simply be cleaned with a grill brush, toss them out. While you have the grill open take a grill brush to the sides of the grill and the burners (if not being replaced), as well as a shop vac to clean out the years worth of food and gunk that is probably lining the inside of your grill. Pop on your new flavorizer bars and grates and you’re done! We recommend “seasoning” your bars, by cooking something delicious on the grill (brats, burgers, oily vegetables) and use a grill pad to rub the grease/oils into the grates.
Just take a look at the new bars compared to the old ones. We have a clear winner here!
Cleaning the Knob Panels
For the last step, we’re simply going to clean all of its knob panels with some glass cleaner. This might not be a “critical” fix, but you would be surprised by how much better it feels using your grill with a nice clean work station! Just grab your favorite glass cleaner and give all of the surfaces a nice cleaning. This will make your grill look as new as it’s going to feel after all the work you’ve put into it!
Wrap Up
Weber grills are built to last, and we hear stories all the time about how these grills just refuse to die. In fact, we hear our customers say “I want something new, but my old Weber is still going strong!” If you want a grill that will last, get a Weber, and if you want a Weber, get it from your local Koopman Lumber! We offer free grill delivery, installation, and removal of your old grill making this the easiest grill purchase you’ve ever made. Have questions? Reach out to your local Koopman Lumber at Koopmanlumber.com. Thanks for reading!
