Kitchen Gas Appliances - DIY gas grill project! lots of questions.

greetings.

i've been doing the first bout of research about building my own propane grill. i'm planning an expansion of my patio, and figure it would be the best time to build a grilling island all in one swoop.

after some internet footwork i gathered that it is nearly impossible to find a reasonably priced built-in-style gas grill. and the ones that where anywhere near my price range were of laughable quality. so i decided what every man does in this situation : to tackle making my OWN grill to my OWN specs!

the burner elements are an easy enough solution, there are endless replacement burners to choose from.

the gas valves were the next step... originally i was a bit daunted by the $30 price range on most grilling websites. but then i found these (DISCOVERVALVE: 1/4" Brass Ball Valve FxF Threaded Ends (http://www.discovervalve.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=D&Product_Code=100467&Category_Code=brassbv)) little gems for a bargain. now my questions begin : the website lists these as compatible with liquid or gas... but is there something i should know about why gas valves marketed for grills are so much more expensive than normal gas-rated ball-valves???

the plumbing is the next step. again the internet suggested i use black iron pipe, but i've seen some mention here of simply using 1/2" copper line. is there any reason the copper piping sold for plumbing wouldn't work to supply propane to my grill? if the standard copper pipe works, am i able to do the standard soldering connections?

more questions to follow as these first are answered :)

any advice would be appreciated!

Hello ijason. Welcome to Gas Appliances topic and our Do-It-Yourself Web Site.

I must be confused....:confused:

The valve shown on that web page is an isolation valve. Only need one, on and at the supply line. @ $3.31 each, not even worth buying on line and paying shipping & handling costs, etc. Buy an isolation valve locally and save $$$. IMO you're not getting any "bargain" or lower price savings buying on line.

Unless the above isn't what you're referring to? Most likely not. Suspect you're referring to top burner valves. One each for each burner.

If that is correct, outdoor BBQ gas burner valves will cost slightly more then indoor gas appliance valves. WHY? Because they are exposed to excessive and the elements of the outdoors, etc. However, worth the price in the long run, in my opinion.

Overall, if you're building an outdoor BBQ yourself, in my opinion, cutting costs using cheaper parts and most likely parts not intended for the purpose, will cost more in the long term then buying a completed built outdoor appliance and building the center island around it.

Or you're attempting to due a DIY project on to low a budget...:rolleyes:

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@ Sharp Advice, thanks for your reply :)

my question, is whether there is something specifically different about replacement grill valves that would require me to use them? verses grabbing a nice solid-brass gas rated ball valve at a local hardware store, for half the price.

i would actually prefer to use a ball-valve style controller for each burner, as the "push in to turn" requirement for the knobs is always the first thing to go when the grill has some age. and a solid-brass valve will last for 30 years even if it's exposed to the elements (the grill will be inside a screened in porch). the "vertical is all on, 90 degrees to the left is all off" is a lot more intuitive than having to turn the knob to one direction for lighting then back the other way, for me.

the valve i linked to was just the first i found, there are others - perhaps better - valves for still much much less than the ~$35 the grill supply houses want to charge. for example (Gas Ball Valves (http://www.fastfittings.com/valve-ball-gas)), at $11 is less than half the cost of a valve sold specifically for a grill.

i agree about the risk of trying to pinch pennies on parts when doing a project. but so far research has seemed to show that i can buy parts of very high quality if they're not labeled "grilling", and save about 75% the cost!

my question, is whether there is something specifically different about replacement grill valves that would require me to use them?

My Reply: "...outdoor BBQ gas burner valves will cost slightly more then indoor gas appliance valves. WHY? Because they are exposed to excessive (outdoor weather) exposure and the elements of the outdoors, etc."

If you're going to use ball valves, in place of rotating typical and standard gas control core burner valves, those you have been looking at are okay. Providing they are gas valves. Any type will due.

Ball type gas control valves, commonly found in local hardware stores, can be used without much difficultly. They will and/or should provide trouble free service for many years under the semi out door environment described....:thumbup:

Now hurry up and complete the project. When it's done advise. I'll be right over for the initial celebration and first BBQ'ed dinner.....:D

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Instead of being involved with a lot of piping and hassle, go to a BBQ cooker store, propane store, or a good hardware or home center and look at the replacement burners. There are lots of different shapes and varieties of hole patterns and they are all tested for gas and air flow.

Just a few things to keep in mind:

Make sure the supply line to the grill will be large enough to provide enough gas.

Make sure you have the proper regulators in the gas system.

Make sure you have the proper orifices on the burner valves to coincide with the burner sizes.

Make sure your home owners insurance is payed up.

Wait... never mind the last one. The one person I know of that did what you are trying to do wasn't covered because the fire was caused by an appliance manufactured and installed by a DIYer. After it was deemed the damaged would not be covered, the insurance company then dropped all coverage on the undamaged part of the house. Luckily the fire damage was limited to the outdoor wood deck and the siding on the exterior wall of the house. Could have been much worse. I think the worst part was the gentleman trying to find a new insurance company.