Just imagine the smell of hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill this summer.
Mmmmm…..
Smell that? Nothing beats a good old fashioned cook out! Unfortunately, each year about 5,700 grill fires take place on patios and back yards just like yours.
The cost?
- An average of $37 million in damage
- Approximately 100 injuries
- 10 deaths
The culprit?
Believe it or not, gas grills malfunction and cause a majority of fires. This doesn’t even take into consideration the thousands of people who visit emergency rooms every year because they have burned themselves while grilling.
Thank goodness for fire insurance.
Your homeowners policy should cover:
- Any damage to your home
- Any damage to your personal possessions
- Any damage to your nearby shed or gazebo.
- Thankfully, any injuries to a guest
Of course you will have to pay the deductible first. So take the time to get a quote for repairs and replacements to see if it makes sense to turn a claim in or to just fix it yourself.
Hopefully you will always have fondly remembered safe back yard cook outs with your family.
Here are a few safety tips for your grill
First, understand there are two different types of grills.
- Propane: Require either a direct gas line from your home or a local storage tank.
- Charcoal: Require you to fill with charcoal each time, use a charcoal lighter and matches, so be careful!
Since the majority of grill fires result from a malfunctioning grill, do the following:
- Check grill hoses for cracks, holes and brittleness.
- Look for and clear blockages from food drippings or insects, especially in the tube that runs to the burners.
- How do you check for gas leaks? Simply use a soapy water solution along hoses and at connections. Turn the gas on and look for little bubbles which show a leak!
- Protect those hoses! Keep all hoses away from hot areas or where grease might drip on them.
- Never store propane tanks inside your home. Keep all tanks outside, away from your house.
- When done barbecuing be sure to always check to make sure gas valves are firmly turned off.
Here Are A Few Common Safe Barbecuing Practices
- Make sure your grill is on a flat, level surface so it doesn’t get knocked over.
- Keep the grill away from the house and deck so it doesn’t pose a fire risk. That goes for turkey fryers too!
- Never move a hot grill.
- Never use a grill indoors because they give off smoke and carbon monoxide which are both silent killers.
- Teach children to keep away from the grill
- Do you have a charcoal grill? Only used approved charcoal lighters. Never use gasoline.
- Keep a grease fire extinguisher handy.
- Never cover or store a hot grill. Be sure to soak coals with water before discarding.
- Take the time to clean your grill before putting it away. Remember that grease fires from drippings can spread quickly.
- Store clean, cool grills in a shed or garage during hurricane warnings as grills can become projectiles.
We hope these BBQ and grill safety tips will help you and your family enjoy safe cookouts for years to come. If you have any questions about your home insurance fire coverage limits please feel free to contact your insurancehub.com representative today.