Outdoor Kitchens — Pay Attention!
Enjoying Your Outdoor Kitchen
Indoor kitchens, where there are distractions but little wind to blow out pilot lights and flames, can put you at risk for a house fire. It is easy to see how those perils are compounded by wind, debris and the relaxation of the outdoors. To truly enjoy your outdoor kitchen, you need to use it safely and maintain it in good condition. Some of this is solely on you, the homeowner and other parts of safe maintenance should be left to a certified professional.
Use It Safely
There is no enjoyment to be found in a gas line explosion or a fire in the yard. While outdoor kitchens reduce the chances of poisoning from gas without flames to consume it, they increase the likelihood of outdoor fires. Stove flames can more easily be blown out and fire-bearing sparks from built-in grills can ignite un-raked yards and newspaper stacks. Keep all flammable material well away from the heat source.
Most homeowners use their outdoor kitchens to entertain and relish the season. This of course, is the point. However, one side effect of all that enjoyment is that sometimes, we lose sight of the danger. Never leave an open flame unattended or with only children outdoors. Always make sure your outdoor kitchen is inspected annually by a certified professional.
Even conscientious outdoor cooks can fail to recognize the importance of periodic dis-assembly and inspection of built-in ovens and grills. With welded components, these fire boxes need the same attention as the one in your indoor system. If a second fireplace is also part of your outdoor kitchen, that system makes inspection all the more important.
Enjoy It Thoroughly
There is nothing unsafe about outdoor kitchens as long as they are properly constructed and kept clean, fully functional, and in mind. Like all other unintended fires, ones that start in outdoor kitchens actually start with carelessness. Regular inspection and maintenance ensure that your outdoor kitchen is ready to be safely used. Appreciating it fully means respecting the potential dangers it can pose and preventing them from ruining either the party or the yard.