The unfortunate part about owning an outdoor gas grill is that you can’t use your appliance all year round – most of the time, you have no choice but to put it away for the winter. And here lies the problem – when you’re ready to pull it out for a nice barbeque, you realize something isn’t quite right.
One of the most common problems people have is their Viking grill won’t light up. Maybe it requires additional cleaning, it could be that the propane tank is empty or maybe one of the lines are clogged. In this blog post, we’ll give you some simple tips that can help diagnose the problem and get your grill working again.
There are many ways of determining the amount of gas left in the tank. A professional technician would likely use a pressure gauge or weight the gas tank on special scales to determine the amount of gas left inside, however, there’s an easy way to find out. You can check how much gas left yourself with a simple screwdriver. The gas is stored in a pressurized liquid form, that is condensed at the bottom of the tank. Simply knock at the top side of the tank with a screwdriver. If you can hear a ringing echo, it means that no liquid propane is where you tapped the tank. Next, knock at another spot on the tank – below, in the middle, and then near the bottom. If the part of the tank is filled with the propane, the sound will be quieter, with barely any echo.
Make sure the gas flow in the hose is not obstructed. Visually examine the hose and make sure it has no leaks – there should be no cracks, and the hose should be properly attached on both ends. One of the most common ways of testing the hose for leaks is simple – prepare a solution of water and soap and cover both connections of the hose, as well as other spots where you could suspect a gas leak. Open the valves. If there is indeed a leak, one or more bubbles will appear in the soap-covered areas and start growing. Turn off the valve immediately and try tightening the connections. If this doesn’t help, you probably need a new hose.
Once you’ve made sure there is gas in the gas tank, the hose doesn’t have any leaks and is attached properly we recommend testing the gas flow inside the burners. Simply turn on the burner and try to light it up either with a match or a lighter. If you do manage to light up all grill burners, the problem is most likely related to a malfunctioning igniter. If none of the burners ignite, you should check a gas pressure regulator. If some of the burners ignite, the problem is likely related to a damaged or clogged gas burner.
Make sure the hose is not leaking gas – we have described how to do it above. If you are sure that the propane tank has gas, but the pressure regulator fails to release it, you should install a new gas pressure regulator. This procedure is simple. Unscrew the hose from both the tank and the manifold and install a new pressure regulator. They usually come with a new hose. Cover the connections with soapy water after the installation, make sure the connections are tight enough and do not leak gas.
Always keep in mind that gas supply problems are often caused by clogged or dirty burners. Clean your burner if the flame is uneven or if it’s lower than in other burners. Shut down the gas supply and remove the flame tamer (protective cover) from the top of the burner. The burner is normally held in place by a single screw – unscrew it and carefully remove the burner from the manifold. Clean it with a brush – make sure the holes for gas are not clogged – and put the clean burner back. You may replace it with another burner if necessary.
Does your grill still fail to light up? In this case, you might have a problem with an igniter electrode, spark module, or depleted battery. Remove the flame tamer over the malfunctioning igniter and examine the electrode. You may try adjusting the height – sometimes, the electrode doesn’t work if the igniter is damaged and dislocated. Otherwise, remove the mounting screw and the igniting electrode. Examine the wire that connected the electrode to the spark module. If the wire is damaged or burnt, try swapping the electrode with another electrode from a burner nearby. If the issue persists, you might have to make sure the battery is not depleted. Otherwise, the problem most likely lies in a malfunctioning spark module.
We hope that these tips will help you with the DIY repair of your Viking grill! However, if you do live in Denver, Aurora, Littleton, or other areas nearby you are always welcome to call us at (844) 930-2782 and one of our skilled Viking grill technicians will come out and get you grilling in no time.
