On Thu, 01 Sep 2016 21:44:30 -0400, Joseph Gwinn
wrote:

I have a Weber Genesis Silver propane grill that’s about 15 years old.
It’s kept outside, but with a fabric cover when not in use.

Over the last year or two, it started running hotter and hotter, building
gradual, slowly enough that I was just pulled along. Things would come out
overcooked, and I would adjust the time and flame setting to compensate. It
recently got to the point that turning flame control knobs had little effect
- it was always way hotter than set. At which point I realized that something
had to be wrong.

Well, grills are pretty simple:

Propane? Tank 3/4 full, and running out doesn’t usually cause it to run hot
anyway.

Flame height valves? All three do the same thing, they are made of solid
brass, and they all feel the same, and feel OK. Unlikely.

Burners? Nah.

Hmm. Only the gas pressure regulator is left, and this gradual rise in
temperature despite the valve settings could be explained if the output
pressure were to rise gradually as the regulator wore out.

Well, I had bought a new regulator a few years ago while I was having
spider-mite problems, and that regulator had been in inventory ever since.
Installed the new regulator.

Bingo! Temperatures returned to normal, flame controls now control the flame
height, and my cooking improved overnight.

The moral of the story is that regulators can wear out, giving trouble long
before they just fail. I’m guessing that regulators should be replaced at
ten years.

Fun story. I've never had that problem because my BBQs rust out
before the regulator can go bad. They're just $25 tabletop models
since I'm single, but they can handle a 5# teriyaki pork loin roast
pretty easily, or 6 petite sirloins. I always buy large qtys, cook it
all up, and freeze what I can't eat during a week in the fridge.

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