How Far Does a Grill Need To Be Away From a House? (Read First)

The pleasure of grilling shouldn’t make you undermine the risk involved. Keeping your grill some distance away from your house is the sure way to mitigate fire hazard.

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According to research by the National Fire Protection Association, they found that fire departments respond to an estimated average of 10,600 home structures and outdoor fire involving grills per year.

Grill (Charcoal and gas) should be 10 – 15 feet away from the house. The distance is enough to protect the house or any other flammable materials from getting ignite if there is any fire occurrence from the grill.

To prevent this fire hazard you have to keep your grill far distance away from your house. The easiest way to mitigate the risk of fire at home is placing your grill away from your home.

You have to give your house enough space when using a grill in your compound. Grills are liable to cause fire, which is dangerous to the house.

In this article, I want to show you a grilling safety tip and how to prevent grilling from igniting a home and other flammable objects.

Why It’s Necessary To Grill at Safe Distance From Your House

When there is a fire outbreak the rate at which fire travels is sometimes beyond imagination.

That’s why you need to keep the grill in a safe place. Place you can grill successfully without any cause for fire outbreak.

One of the most safe place is where there is proper ventilation. Lack of ventilation makes you to run the risk of expose your building or property to gas and carbon monoxide or smoke dangerous. 

But when there is a proper amount of ventilation gas and carbon monoxide or smoke will go out safely without any buildup that could damage the build. Because ventilation helps to make the smoke flow into the air.

Lack of ventilation makes the natural amount of heat that comes from the grill while cooking can damage any side of the building that is directly opposite the building.

Ventilation and distance is very when you are fire hazard conscious while grilling. Because the distance will prevent heat from catching up your house and damage it.

Likewise, ventilation will reduce the impact of the heat even before it comes in contact with the building.

You need to place your grill some distance away from your house if you want the house paint to shine for long.

Smoke from the grill has the capacity to destroy your house paint if the grill is close to your house. To prevent this paint destruction you need to place your grill some distance away from your house. 

Sometimes, you may not see the smoke but there is smoke coming out so long you grill. The invisible smoke from the grill will damage the build with time. But when you place your grill some distance away from your house, the smoke will not have the capacity to damage your building.

Grilling safety tips

Gas or liquid petroleum (LP) and charcoal grills fire risk because the LP gas or propane is extremely flammable. The major cause of the explosion in the grill is the liquid petroleum and charcoal.

The explosion is bound to occur mostly when you use a grill that has not been used for a while. Also when you grill immediately after refilling and reattaching the gas container on the grill.

Here Are Grill Tips By CPSC 

Always check for leaks every time you disconnect or reconnect the regulator to the LP tank. If you find a leak, immediately turn off the gas at the tank and don’t attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed. Until it is repaired, keep lighted cigarettes, matches or open flames away from it.

Check the valve connections and hoses to be sure they are in good working order. The hoses should have no cracks, holes, or leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.

Check the tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to clear blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.

Replace scratched or nicked connectors, which can eventually leak gas.

Never attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself. See an LP gas dealer or a qualified appliance repair person.

Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from any building. Don’t use the grill in a garage, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire.

Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease. If you can’t move the hoses, install a heat shield to protect them.

Never start a gas grill with the cover closed.

If the burner doesn’t light, turn off the gas and try it again in about five minutes.

When not in use, the LP tank valve must be turned to OFF. The tanks should always be stored in an upright position and in a place where the temperature will never reach 125° Fahrenheit or 52° Celsius.

When the LP tank is connected, the grill must be stored outdoors in a well-ventilated area.

Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill. Never store a full container indoors. Never store or use flammable liquids, such as gasoline, near the grill.

Never keep a filled fuel container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, causing the relief valve to open and allowing gas to escape.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions that accompany the grill.

A strict adherence to these grill tips offered by CPSC will help you to avoid any fire hazard that could be caused through the process grilling.

Can I Leave a Lit Grill Unattended To?

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It’s highly risking to leave the lit grill unattended because of the vulnerability to cause a fire outbreak.

Irrespective of the weather conditions ensure you don’t put on a grill without not attending to it because pets and kids may come close or the grill might ignite some flammable materials around.

Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away from the lit grill. The same distance should be observed after you finish grilling.

Keeping Your Grill Clean Immediately After Grilling

Avoid skipping cleaning your grill after you are done grilling. Lack of not keeping your grill clean as soon as you’re done with grilling, will make you not know if your grill is faulty.

Cleaning after grill will help you to know the exact state of your grill. Therefore it’s important that you keep your grill neat after your finish grilling.

Ensure every part of the grill is properly clean for next time uses. Cleaning your grill after use will save your fire hazard occurrence as result of any faulty parts.

Don’t Grilling Indoors

Don’t grill at any enclosure where there is no ventilation. Irrespective of grill size, don’t grill in your garage or any enclosed place of your house.

Grill brings out carbon monoxide or smoke while grilling that’s dangerous to health when you inhale it. 

It also bring out odorless gas that can be deadly. For you and your property to be on safer side, avoid grilling indoors or any enclosed place like a garage in your house.

The lack of ventilation indoors makes the grill not safe and a highly fire hazard that you need not to do if you really want to be safe.

How To Lighting up Charcoal Grill That Offer Safety

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Pour the charcoal into the bottom of the grill especially when the grill is cool and pile it up. You can make pit it into a pyramid shape. This will make smoke and the health go up.

Get commercially prepared starter fluid and pour it over the coals. The measurement is One-half to one cup. This measurement is usually enough to grill.

Don’t lit your grill immediately pour starter but let it soak for 2 minutes before you lit up.

When the coals are ready use tongs to disperse them into one layer. After lighting up your grill, it takes 30 minutes to get the coating heat up into gray ash. Once you see gray ash just know the coal is ready for the grill.

Conclusion 

Placing your grill away from your house will help to prevent fire hazards. Your building and other property of the house will be safe when you keep your grill away from the house.

Don’t grill in an enclosed place of your house like the garage. Keep the grill in a well vent place that could keep your house safe.