What’s a Gas Grill Model Number?

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Grill Girl

And How to Find a Model Number

When you look online for replacement parts, or call the friendly sales rep at GrillPartsSearch.com, the first thing you’ll need is your gas grill model number. Having been that friendly rep, I can tell you that if you don’t know what a model number is or where to find it, that makes you and about a million other people.

In other words, you are not alone.

Let’s define “model number.”

It’s the number or letters, or combination of the two, given to the exact style of your grill. This means there may be hundreds or thousands of the same model grill made and sold. This is the reason replacement companies use model numbers to sell parts. All the grill of the same model will use the same parts. Usually, there is a certain way each manufacturer uses a model number. The manufacturer Nexgrill has seven digit numbers that start with a 7 and are written like this: 720-0061, while Brinkmann starts with an 8 and look like this: 810-2700. Charbroil also uses all numbers but always starts with a 4 and is nine digits long – 463240904.

Now, buckle up because it doesn’t get more simple from here. There are also a lot of manufacturers that use letters in their model numbers as well. A very common one is Member’s Mark. Their model numbers look like this: Y0202XC.

That’s basically how model numbers are structured. Every manufacturer uses a different system so they always know exactly which grills are theirs.

Do you see a LP or an NG hanging off the end of your model number? Nothing to worry about, that just denotes the kind of gas your grill uses. LP stands for Liquid Propane while NG means Natural Gas. Sometimes the LP or NG is a part of the model, sometimes not.

So, how do you find this model number? That’s a little trickier.

First, try looking on your original owner’s manual. Usually the model number will be listed on the bottom of each page.
(I know some of you are looking at the screen in disbelief at the idea you’d still have that old grill manual. Ok, read on)
Some grills have small metal plates or labels with certification information on them, including your model number. These plates are usually on the back of each grill.
Can’t find it on the back of the grill? Did you look down really low? Try inside the door, on the side of the control panel, under the control panel.

You found a serial number!? Yahoo!!! That’s not the same as a model number and no one lists parts using serial numbers. Sorry. Keep looking.

Still nothing? Or you found it but can’t read it? Well, that’s alright. You don’t have to dump your grill yet. Just measure the parts you need to replace and call 678-272-2451.

Someone will help you.

Stay tuned for tips to get accurate measurements and therefore, THE RIGHT PARTS!!

Toodles. -GG

Originally published Oct. 1, 2012.

Why Don’t Gas Grills Use Lava Rock Anymore?

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Grill Girl

If you’ve heard of lava rocks for gas grills or gas grill rocks, you may be wondering why don’t gas grills use lava rock anymore?

These naturally occurring volcanic rocks are perfect at withstanding and holding large amounts of heat. Because they’re porous and made of volcanic material, they also diffuse the heat evenly. Lava rock creates a perfect heat trap for the flame of a gas grill and radiates the heat as infrared energy to cook your food. So why don’t gas grills use lava rock anymore?

Why Don’t Gas Grills Use Lava Rock Anymore?

In every single gas grill there’s a gas burner. The burner produces a flame that produces heat to cook your food. However, heat rises and dissipates in the air too easily to cook your food if it isn’t trapped. An uncovered flame results in uneven or inadequate heat for effective cooking.

This is why grill manufacturers cover the burners in gas grills, but before they started using little metal plates, gas grills used to cover the burners with natural lava rock.

Original gas grills used lava rock with the gas supplying the combustion for heat beneath a layer of lava rocks. The lava rocks themselves sat on grates, called lava rock grates or briquette grates.

The Advantages of Lava Rocks for Gas Grills

Lava rock naturally radiates infrared heat into your food when heated by the flame from your gas grill burner. That radiated heat cooks your food more evenly and leaves it simmering delightfully in the even glow of the lava rock bed.

Lava rock also retains heat on cold and windy days. It stays warmer for longer than metal plates for your gas grill do, instead of losing heat each time the grill cabin is opened.

Grillers who use lava rock lay them out on a metal grate fitted to their grill for lava rock, placing all the largest rocks in neat rows over the burners first and around the outside of the grill, then filling in the spaces between them with an even scattering of the smaller lava rocks for gas grills. See this video for a visual!

The Big Box Retailers Import Cheap Mentality

So why don’t gas grills use lava rock anymore?

Many years back, the gas grill segment bought into big box retailer mentality of marketing. We saw the cheapest mass-produced assemblies imported from foreign manufacturers.

Shipping 3 to 5 pieces of bent sheet metal in neatly standardized packaging from an overseas assembly line for the grill saved the grill manufacturers time, hassle, and money over sourcing volcanic lava rock. Not all lava rock is the same. For gas grills you need suitable size and quality for cooking. Additionally, the manufacturers no longer needed to provide the grate where the lava rock sat. They exchanged a higher quality product and experience for a cheaper solution on their end.

So the metal burner covers won out in the industry, and slick ad copy campaigns touting the superiority of metal plates got the consumer to go along with the change.

But these are lower quality burner covers for gas grills. They’re not nearly as nice as lava rock. They don’t hold and distribute the heat from your gas burner as well as lava and the rocks look good and are more fun to barbecue over.

So why doesn’t your gas grill use lava rock?

You can get lava rock for your grill!

At this time, we have an exact-fit kit for some Weber Models. Check for availability for your grill! We are working to develop more exact fit solutions. In the meantime, browse our selection of grates that can hold up lava rock in your grill.

Questions? Let us know in the comments or send us an email [email protected]

What’s the Deal with Stainless Steel?

Posted on June 15, 2021 by Grill Girl

Original Publish Date 02-15-2013

There’s a lot of disappointment floating around when it comes to one material currently on the market: stainless steel.

The two main issues are:
1) Why does my “stainless steel” rust?
2) Why is my “stainless steel” magnetic?

I put stainless steel in quotation marks because that’s how most people would phrase the questions. If either of the two above things were accurate, our customers would believe their item must not be stainless steel…

Right?

No, actually that’s not correct. There are different grades of stainless steel and they all act differently when introduced to either heat or water. In our grilling cases, that would be BOTH!!!

To clear it up, the General Manager at GrillPartsSearch.com has written up a guest blog explanation.

Take it away Will!!!

There are two general series of stainless steel grades used in the gas grill industry: 300 series and 400 series.

The 300 series group of alloys are non-magnetic and the basic 300 alloy contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel.
The 400 Series group of alloys are magnetic and the basic 400 alloy contains 11% chromium and 1% manganese. This series offers a much lower cost option in stainless steel parts.
-The 300 series is subject to corrosion at crevice points, while the 400 series has a considerably lower resistance to corrosion in general.

Knowing that, we choose the parts we sell to our customers very carefully! We try to gain as much information as possible about the grades of stainless steel we offer our customers so we can help them know what to expect from the parts they purchase.

Here’s how that information translates in grilling terms:

Cooking grids are exposed to more liquids and less heat, compared to other parts in a grill. In the case of cooking grids, the extra expense of the 300 series can be worth it. 300 series stainless is less prone to rust but the less than ideal conditions inside a grill will definitely degrade even the highest quality stainless steel. 304 is the most common type of stainless steel in the world, while 316 is generally the highest grade stainless you will find in ordinary applications, and both will degrade in a grill. While we used to carry a limited few grids made from 316 series stainless steel, manufacturers of grill parts worldwide have slowly removed these offerings from their lines of parts. We no longer have any 316 series grids, but carry multiple 304 series grids. You can check them out here and view by material type.

As for burners and heat plates, they certainly are exposed to moisture but are exposed to much more heat.

Heat is just as much of an enemy to steel, if not more so, as moisture and oxygen. Heating and cooling are used in the production of metals to actually change the chemical/molecular bonds and subsequent performance of the metal. It is no different inside your grill. While 300 series stainless will technically last longer than a 400 series plate of equal thickness, the benefit is only marginal. That marginal benefit compared to the substantial increase in cost doesn’t really pay off. We have found by spending a little more to make the plate out of a thicker 400 series stainless, you gain close to the same amount of life you would get out of a 300 series product at a fraction of the cost.

If you ever have any other questions about stainless steel or the applications of such in your grill, we’d love to help!

Just give reach out via email [email protected], phone 678-272-2451, or this helpful form!!!

Thanks so much Will!!!

That’s all for now,

Happy Friday!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

What is a Drip/Grease Tray/Pan? Where can I get one?

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Grill Girl

What is the bottom part of the grill called?

The bottom of the grill is called a grease tray / drip pan. It is a separate part in some grills that catches the grease and drippings from the delicious food you cook on your gas grill. If you have a little cup that catches all the grease, that is called a grease cup and count yourself lucky. They are easier to empty, clean and replace than an entire grease tray.

Example of a Grease Tray / Drip Pan

After a few years of use, a lot of grill owners find the grease tray / drip pan is rusting and failing to do its job. This results in greasy gas tanks and become a fire hazard. So, what to do? Easy – replace it. Right?

HOW CAN I REPLACE THE GREASE TRAY / DRIP PAN?

To see if we have a grease tray / drip pan for your gas grill, visit GrillPartsSearch.com, 1. Enter in the brand and model of your grill. 2. Press GO.

We now have a number of styles available. This is because you called us and let us know what you needed! Our response was to inform our suppliers and get the parts made.

We sell a variety of drip trays for Dyna-Glo, Member’s Mark, Vermont Castings and more!

Dyna-Glo Drip Pans:

We have nine different Dyna-Glo grease trays. Find which size works for your gas grill.

SIZE	SKU
15-1/4″ x 28-5/8″	GPDP70011
15-13/16″ x 26-7/8″	GPDP70012
15-3/8″ x 20″	GPDP10404
15-3/8″ x 33-1/2″	GPDP70013
16″ x 26-1/8″	GPDP10604
16″ x 28-1/8″	GPDP10504
7-1/8″ x 19-1/4″	GPDP10204
7-1/8″ x 26-3/8″	GPDP11304
7-1/8″ x 30-3/8″	GPDP15304

Member’s Mark Drip Pans:

We have two different member’s mark grease trays:

Vermont Vastings Drip Pans:

We have four different vermont castings grease trays:

If you need a different part than the ones listed above or are in a jam, here’s our best suggestion: You MAY be able to line your original rusty grease tray with one of those aluminum baking pans from a local grocery store. The cost is low and they are easy to find and manipulate into place.

Good luck, and remember, if you need any burners, heat plate, cooking grids, accessories….contact us!

PHONE: We’re open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Mon-Fri EST. Call (678) 272-2451
CHAT: On the bottom right window, chat with us online 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Mon-Fri EST
EMAIL: We’ll get back to you same or next business day.

Happy Grilling!!!

-GG

Is That a Set?

Quote

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Grill Girl

One of our most frequently asked questions is whether we sell products in sets or individually. Most of our products we sell individually. You can always look at the picture though, if you’re not sure. If there’s one in the picture, they are sold individually. If there’s more than one in the picture, it’s a set.

Here’s one of our sales reps, Cadarius, on the how he explains it to customers:

Customer: I’m looking to buy some heat plates for my grill. Is the price on your website for a package of 3?
Cadarius: The price on our website is per piece, we sell those heat plates individually.
Customer: Well that’s a little much for one.
Cadarius: The price of our products might be a little higher than the prices you see from competitors or on Amazon. The reason is because the majority of our heat plates are stainless steel and made is the USA. This means they will last longer and perform better than the porcelain coated heat plates or lower quality steel plates you might find elsewhere.

The main take-away here? You get what you pay for – and also, you get what’s pictured.

As always, if you have any questions, just call!!

-GG

What is a Flashback?

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Grill Girl

A flashback is a literary term used to describe a vision of something that has previously occurred.

Or is it?

Yes, it actually is. However, in the grilling industry it’s something that can be scary and even dangerous. Grilling Fire Flashback

A flashback is what happens when you turn on your grill and light it and a ball of flame comes up toward the front of the grill.

Thankfully, flashbacks are easy to fix and avoid completely. They are caused from a build up of grease, debris or even spider webs! What happens is the blocked gas builds up in one place and when you light the grill, all that accumulated gas lights at once.

To avoid them, clean your grill once or twice each year. Check around the gas valve – especially the orifice – for any kind of build up. Look for grease and char from grilling.

Keeping the inside of your grill clean will not only avoid flashbacks, it will also help your grill last longer AND make your food taste better. Happy late summer grilling!

-GG

Why Do I Have Flare-Ups?

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Grill Girl

Flare-ups in your grill are not always a sign something bad is happening.

Sometimes a bit of grease hits a flame and – poof – you see the flame because it was fueled for a moment and jumped up into your line of sight.
However, if you have a lot of flare-ups, or one spot that seems to flare a lot, that’s probably going to be a problem you can easily fix.
The first thing to check if your “heat dispersal.” What’s covering your burner? Is it protected properly from the drippings of your food? If there are large holes, your plate is falling apart, or missing entirely, that’s why you have the flare-ups!

Here’s a little video to show how easy it is to fix that problem:

Easily find your heat dispersal replacement now!
If you have brand-new heat plates, heat tents, vapor bars, flavor bars (or whatever you call them!), and you still have flare-ups, give us a call. We’re always happy to help! 877-244-0737
-GG

Why Isn’t My Grill Getting as Hot as it Used to Get!?

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Grill Girl

Why isn’t my grill getting as hot as it used to get?

This is one of our most frequently asked questions.

For starters – is there gas in your tank? Check that first. 🙂

Once you know you’re cooking with gas, if you use propane (aka LP), the answer is almost always one of the easiest and cheapest things to fix : your gas regulator. Regulators go bad over time, slowly shutting down the amount of gas getting to your grill. That’s why it might not seem like something “broke” all of a sudden, but there’s still an issue with the heat in your grill.

Gas grill liquid propane regulators (they fit on those 20lb tanks you buy/trade at grocery stores or gas stations) are a standard part. That means, in almost every case, you can use the regulator we sell for the grill you have. (If you’re not sure, contact us)

View our selection of gas grill regulators.

When you order this part and it arrives, you can simply unscrew the old regulator from your tank and your grill. Then screw on the new regulator to your grill and your tank.

See? I told you it was easy to fix.

Why not just go get a new one at a big box store? Well, not all parts are created equal, and we strive to supply the best quality available. We stock regulators in high quantities, so they should always be ready to ship out as soon as you place your order. If they aren’t, you’ll see that listed directly on the website.

We’ll save you a trip now by sending this part directly to your front door, and a trip in a year, because our parts outlast the generic ones sold at big box stores. (More questions about regulators? Read this post)

Still having issues with the heat in your grill? Check out this page for valve information.

It might be your grill burner.

And as always, if you have ANY questions, contact us!

-GG

Do you Ship to Canada?

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Grill Girl

It’s Easier Than Ever to Grill in Canada!

It’s pretty warm down in Georgia today and we think – we HOPE – that the warm weather is here to stay.

Every now and then, we get a call from a grilling devotee from our northern neighbors across the border – hello Canada!!

Well, we think everyone everywhere should repair their grill instead of buying new, so we’ve done a lot of work to save our Canadian customers more money and make it easier to get parts for their grills.

The North American Free Trade Agreement ensures that grillers across North America can buy, sell, and ship parts to each other without fees and duties that can really rack up a bill.

There’s only one caveat – the parts have to be made in North America to qualify. That’s why it’s great a majority of our most popular parts are indeed manufactured here in the USA.

Doesn’t it look like a lovely day to grill?

So, in a word, yes. We DO ship to Canada!!

-GG

How to Find the Model Number on Your Gas Grill – w/ Video

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Grill Girl

Hey Y’all! Grill Girl Here to Help You Find Your Gas Grill Model Number!

Today we’re going to be finding the model number on a Charbroil 463268606.

You can use these tips to find the model number on most types of grills. And don’t worry – if you can’t find the model number or the number is illegible, we can still help you fix your grill.

On grills with front doors, the best place to check first is inside the doors. If the model number isn’t there, try going around the back of the grill.

You’ll be looking for a label or sticker that has tiny print. Usually the model number will be listed along with certification information and maybe even a serial number.

We’ve also written post about how different manufacturer’s format their model numbers so you know what to look for. You can find that post here: What’s a Model Number?

Thanks for watching!!

-GG

Thanks to RutgerMuller for our beats!