Make You Gas Barbeque Grill Ignitor the Most Reliable Part of Your BBQ Instead of Buying Repairs

I get to see thousands of barbeque grills at their worst. People call me when the grill will not heat properly, can't ignite or begins to fall apart with rust and corrosion. I repair gas barbeque grills and I get to see how you treat your BBQ. The most common misconception I deal with is a belief grill ignitors do not last. Many customers will tell me their barbeque grill has served them for over ten years but the ignitor stopped working within six months. More often than not, when I test the ignition it works just fine aside from being ignored for the past nine and a half years. Inject a little education and most clients are able to use the barbeque grill ignition for many years before needing a replacement part.

A gas grill ignitor is made up of several different parts although most backyard chefs envision it as a single fragile item. The module is often referred to as a spark generator and generate sparks is what it does. A module can contain a button to act as the electronic switch, spark generator and battery pack. These items can also be installed separately depending on the barbecue grill design. The switch is usually accessible but the ignition module is mounted behind the control panel. Placement behind the control panel keeps you from breaking it and keeps the weather from directly affecting its performance.

The electrode is attached to the module by an electrode wire that runs into the firebox of the gas BBQ grill. The electrode acts just like a spark plug in your car. The charge from the battery is activated when the button is pressed, rotary is turned, control knob recessed, etc. The battery charge is converted within the module and sent to the electrode. The electrode sparks and gas ignites. It is really that simple and the simpler the tool, the more difficult to damage.

A barbeque grill ignition electrode should be easy to locate in the firebox of your gas grill once the cooking grates, briquette tray or heat shields have been removed. It will even look like a small spark plug with a porcelain housing and a steel rod coming through it. Often there will be a second steel rod mounted alongside the rod coming through the porcelain. Many barbeque manufacturers will place a stainless steel collector box over the electrode to protect it. Whether your gas grill electrode is a single steel rod in a porcelain sleeve, two steel rods or is contained in a stainless collection box, this is where the electric charge arcs to ignite your gas grill.

One reason a barbeque grill ignitor will seem to function poorly is the same reason the spark plug in your car must have its gap adjusted when it is installed. Whether the electrode is grounding against the gas grill burner, the collector box or secondary steel rod, the distance has to be close enough to make a strong connection but far enough apart to maximize the exposure to gas flowing from the burner. Check the gas grill manual and properly gap the distance to achieve the best spark from your ignitor.

If you purchased your gas barbecue grill from a grill store as opposed to a giant retailer selling everything but properly educated in nothing or buying it online and assembling it yourself the specialty grill store will have completed this for you as part of the assembly of the grill.

The primary reason most people believe their gas BBQ grill ignitor is broken is grease. The electrode must mount inside the grill near the gas burner in order to access the gas as it leaves the burner. The proximity to the gas it ignites also places the electrode in the path of falling grease. Grease, dirt, rain, water and pieces of food all combine to hinder the effectiveness of your gas grill ignition. When the button is pushed, clicked or turned and the gas does not ignite most backyard grillers will assume the ignitor is broken. Often it can be a single drop of grease that is stopping the arc from connecting to the ground.

Even the rare client who truly does clean their gas barbeque regularly will focus on the grill parts they can see or the BBQ parts that touch their food. The more devoted cook may remove the cooking grates to clean the rock tray, heat shields and sometimes poke put the gas ports on the gas burner. All this is great but an extra thirty seconds to lightly brush the collector box or the exposed electrode will keep the ignition function safely through many years of use. When you clean the electrode, rely on your de-greasing spray. If too much pressure is applied and the porcelain sleeve gets cracked, the electrode will have to be replaced. Spray the de-greaser, lightly brush the steel rods then replace the battery and activate the switch. Most ignitors today use a battery operated button but many grills still use rotary knobs or piezo clicking buttons. Check the arc to make sure the spark is a solid blue and adjust the gap if necessary.

I have assisted thousands of backyard chefs over the past several years and a vast majority of them have believed a faulty ignitor was standard practice on a gas grill. It is not. A little education and a little maintenance and your ignitor will exceed your expectations and safely ignite your barbeque grill every time.

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Let's Discuss Buying a New Kitchen Sink - Stainless Steel Vs Solid Surface Vs Enameled Surface

One of the biggest decisions you will find yourself making when remodeling your kitchen will be found in selecting the best kitchen sink. You will likely look to combine an aesthetically appealing design style with convenience and usefulness. Should you go for a double sink or single sink? Solid surface or copper and bronze? The possibilities and combinations are endless, but there are some distinct pros and cons associated with each style.

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel does not absorb food and bacteria and it also does not rust which makes stainless steel sinks very durable and pretty easy to clean. These obvious "pros" are the reason why this style of sink is the most common found in American households. Although they may not add the design flare that you're looking for, they are practical and durable. Now on the downside, the cheaper stainless steel sinks can be very troublesome. Economy sinks are made from a thin steel, usually a 20 to 22 gauge that is prone to flex and dent under pressure. They are also very noisy as well. By spending a little more money you can purchase a moderately priced unit that will hold up better. To really get the most value for your money, expect to spend anywhere between $500 to $3000 for a quality piece. Stainless steel sinks are available in both brushed finishes and polished.

Solid Surface: Solid surface sinks are stain resistant, durable, nonporous and easily repairable. You can purchase them in a wide variety of colors, and because the pattern or color penetrates all the way through the material, nicks and dents won't reveal different substrate. They are also easily repaired and can be glued into counters for a seamless connection. Solid surface sinks tend to run anywhere from $200 to $800, so while it isn't as expensive as a high quality stainless steel sink, some may consider it expensive relatively speaking. You will also want to keep this in mind; these types of sinks don't go well with all counter top materials. In other words, a solid surface sink may not look good with granite.

Enameled Surface Sinks: With a mid-range price of $200-500, enameled covered cast-iron sinks are a throwback to grandma's kitchen. The long-wearing surface resists stains and they tend to hold heat very well. However, cleaning them can be a challenge and improper cleaning will chip and dull the surface. They are also heavy and you may experience problems if they are not mounted or installed correctly. The cast iron material provides for a very hard surface, unforgiving to delicate china and dishware. The enamel coating is tough, but if it chips the metal will rust.

When choosing a sink you will also want to consider the re-sell value and attractiveness to potential future home buyers. By and large, most home owners still prefer stainless steel, but this doesn't mean that you should pigeon whole yourself into choosing something that doesn't appeal to you at this very moment. Be sure to check out the next installment in our series on kitchen sinks where I will discuss the pros and cons of Copper, Bronze, Acrylic or Natural Stone sinks!

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Buying Cheap Katana Swords on EBay

Katana swords have always been very popular, but it seems more and more people are getting interested in Japanese swords. It's actually pretty hard to find a katana locally, unless you live in a big city, which is why many people are looking for these swords on eBay. There is nothing wrong with eBay, I love the site, but you must know your stuff before you bid so that you're not taken advantage of.

There are four different types of katana swords on eBay. They are sword like objects, production, custom and Nihonto. Sword like objects are decorative swords to hand on walls. They are aesthetically pleasing, but are not constructed in the traditional manner, and are not safe to actually use. They are made from .440 stainless steel which is too brittle for the length of a sword. They shatter on impact causing metal shrapnel to fly everywhere. One sword like object that really bothers me are the antique katana replicas from China. They are made dirty and rusty to appear as a true antique Japanese sword. But they are poorly made and if put to any sort of test the katana will fail with dangerous results. If it's too good of a deal, it probably is. These cheap fake antiques are usually sold very cheap with $100 of shipping. Stay away from these completely.

Production katana swords are fuctional swords that have been mass produced. If you want a functional sword that isn't too expensive, then this is the sword you want. They are made of carbon steel, 1045 grade or higher. They have proper heat treatment which makes them functional and edge geometry to make them usable. They are usually $200 to $2000. You want a brand name such as Masahiro, Koto, Cheness, Paul Chen/Hanwei/Cas Iberia, Cold Steel, Bugei, Last Legend, Dynasty Forge, Oni Forge and Fred Chen. You want to look for the steel type, heat treatment and an honest and communicative seller for production swords on eBay. Don't buy from sellers that claim it can cut steel and other nonsense.

Custom katana swords are made by swordsmiths on a one by one basis. They outperform anything that is mass produced according to aesthetics and performance. The smith takes a large amount of time and care with the sword that is never equalled when it's mass produced. They usually go for $1,000 to $7,000. These custom swords will show up on eBay if they are unable to sell their sword through their connections. These are usually incredible deals and you should snap them up. Contact the swordsmith to confirm their work. The seller of a custom sword will have no problem providing that information.

Nihonto are true Japanese swords made in Japan. They are modern or antique. Nihonto are very expensive because of their extreme quality and restrictions by law on their production. They cost from $5,000 on up. I wouldn't be surprised to see an antique go to $200,000 or more. If you want a Nihonto I recommend that you spend a few hundred dollars on books and study. You don't want to get burned by a fake. Sellers of Nohonto know what the katana swords are worth and will sell them within that range. You're not going to get one for a few hundred on eBay.

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