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tii If) fTime to get your barbecue in shape SD . CWIRENKO 342-7000 _ - ' J ...........o..o..6oe.o.otoooqo.oo. If you do it yourself you can save a lot of money and the help you get from the local gas company and the local plumber's supply will assure your success even though you will be reminded of the potential danger of livery neighborhood has at least one fanatic who barbecues the year round. If you are like me, you may admire his stamina but lack his dedication. For most of us, the first irresistible urge to barbecue comes with warm spring breezes and lengthening daylight hours that follow the vernal equinox. It is a wise idea to focus that first urge on the annual ritual of spring barbecue mainte- nance. It is probably in no condition to pro- duce its best ribs after hibernating in what are probably less than ideal conditions. The gas supply comes from a propane tank or a line directly from the household gas service. My preference is natural gas from the local utility because once you have it hooked up you never run out of gas at a critical time and you have no more bother with lugging tanks around. The time it took me to hook up my own outlet to the back porch was equivalent to about two summer's worth of trips to pick up tanks at the local store. A white paste called pipe dope is applied to each male thread as you join up the vari- ous lengths but never to the female threads. This keeps the dope out of the interior of the You will get a shut off valve for the out- side outlet and a drip nipple that extends down from the lowest point in the run. It col- lects any moisture in the pipe so it does not interfere with gas movement or efficiency. They will sell you all the elbows and fit- tings needed to make the various turns and connections to the existing gas line in the basement. being careless. Always let the gas company know what you are planning to do. Listen to their advice and call them to inspect your finished work beforetesting the new outlet. The work itself is not demanding or dim- cult. You will be using black iron pipe that you get cut to length and threaded at your local do-it-yourself Plumber's supply. Bring them an accurate diagram of the layout you plan to follow with the pipe installation showing exact measurements. Also show the distances you have to go in a vertical direction in order to get the pipe up through the basement floor and out through the wall. Next remove the lava rock (if you use it) and place it in a bag for convenience. Lift out the burner assembly and lay a rag over the venturi on which the burner was resting. Tap any loose material from the burner and wipe it down with a varsol rag but don't get any in the orifices through which the gas Now, back to readying the barbecue for use. First remove all wooden handles and shelves. Clean off all grease with varsol, sand if necessary and apply a couple of coats of marine varnish or varethane. You will have to wait for them to dry for a few days; that is why we do them first. Next remove the metal grills and clean off all carbon deposits with steel wool and if necessary soak them in a tub with a few tablespoons of tri sodium phosphate in water. p1p< MORRISON ROADH HOLYROOD!! REYNOLDS AVE!! SUBURBAN LIVING AT ITS BEST DEER RUM! BENNINGTON GATE” SHIPWRIGHH! PRIME EAST LOCATION DO YOU NEED? Around Re/MAX Aboutowne Realty Corp. Call BRENDA CLARK TOWNE , COUNTRY SPECIAUST 842- DISTINCTIVE HOMES AT REALISTIC PRICES Replace the burners, lava rock and grills and light up the unit and bring it to operating temperature for a short while with the lid down to burn off any varsol residue. If any gas jets are plugged, take thin wire and ream out the obstruction. Brush veg- etable oil on the grill for easy cleaning with the plastic scrub brush after each use. Editor's note: The telephone number for ECO-CHECK in San Francisco, given in a recent column about carbon monoxide and radon gas detection, was incorrect. The cor- rect number is 1-800-862-4325. In reassembling the wooden handles be certain to place asbestos washers between the wood and metal. Without them the han- dles will become charred from the heat and fall off. escape With a putty knife scr mulated grease and cart bed of the barbecue and varsol. Wipe down all the supporting metal structure and sand any spots that show bare metal. Spot prime bare metal with a primer and when dry spray paint all the outside metal surfaces with high-heat enamel, usual- ly flat. y w, "r ts,it',fr m w 34%! scrape all of the accu- arbon from inside the nd wipe it down with