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How to use a gas BBQ outdoors in the UK

Updated: 23 October 2026

The first Saturday is when a new two-burner usually goes wrong: the lid is down, someone looks for a leak with a lighter, or the burners are off while the cylinder is still open. This is how to use a gas BBQ outdoors in the UK, from the connection to the shutdown. Which carton includes a hose is on the [2 burner gas BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/2-burner-gas-bbq). The sequence follows GOV.UK, London Fire Brigade, Char-Broil UK, Gas Safe Register, and Norfolk County Council. We did not light these seven barbecues. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The first Saturday is when a new two-burner usually goes wrong: the lid is down, someone looks for a leak with a lighter, or the burners are off while the cylinder is still open.

Our top picks

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill stainless 2 burner

Best overall

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill stainless 2 burner
9.2/10about £119.99
View offer
Campingaz Campingaz Xpert 200 LS Plus

Alternative

Campingaz Campingaz Xpert 200 LS Plus
4.8/10about £224.99
View offer
BROILUCK BROILUCK 2+1 burner

Best value

BROILUCK BROILUCK 2+1 burner
5.1/10about £89.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Where you can light it
  2. 2.Connect and test before the click
  3. 3.Light, preheat, and what the gauge means
  4. 4.Shut down and when to get help

Where you can light it

Light a gas barbecue outdoors, on a level surface, clear of fences, overhangs, and anything that can catch. London Fire Brigade's April 2024 leaflet says never indoors, because of carbon monoxide, and not on a balcony. Do not carry a hot barbecue inside to cool. A title that mentions a caravan, as the Modern Group listing does, is not an instruction to light it in the van. Turn the cylinder off before you change it, and never store a cylinder under the stairs. Change it outdoors. If you do not yet own a hose, stop. A missing hose is a buying fact, not a reason to join a random fitting to a valve. Both CosmoGrill rows name a propane hose and regulator. Several others do not. Match the clip on the propane or butane for a BBQ page before you open the valve.

Connect and test before the click

Controls off, lid open, hose seated on the inlet and on the regulator the manual expects. Patio gas, red propane, and blue butane do not share one clip. Forcing a 27 mm patio regulator onto a 21 mm butane valve, or onto a screw-in propane valve, damages the fitting. Test with soapy water, not a flame. Char-Broil UK describes about half washing-up liquid and half water, controls off. Brush the joints, then open the cylinder. Growing bubbles mean you shut the cylinder, refit only what the manual allows, and test again. A match or the igniter is not the test. If bubbles remain, or you still smell gas, stop. Gas Safe Register says to call an engineer when you are unsure. A routine outdoor cylinder change is not that visit every Saturday.
CosmoGrill CosmoGrill stainless 2 burner

Testsieger

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill stainless 2 burner
9.2/10about £119.99
View offer

Light, preheat, and what the gauge means

Open the lid before you light. Gas can collect under a closed hood. After the leak test, open the cylinder and light one burner the way the manual shows. If you hear a click and nothing catches, turn that control off, turn the cylinder off, and wait before one retry. Do not keep the valve open while you click. A faulty ignition in BROILUCK's UK reviews, or an Xpert 200 igniter that does not catch first time, is a fault, not a timing trick. Do not borrow a pause from a different grill. Light the second burner if you need it, then close the lid. The thermometer reads hood air, not the middle of a sausage, and one UK review of the silver CosmoGrill calls that gauge inaccurate. Grease left in the body is a job for when the gas is off and the metal is cool.

Shut down and when to get help

Turn the cylinder off first, so the hose can empty, then turn the burner controls off. Norfolk and GOV.UK both put the cylinder off at the end. Shutting the knobs and walking away, with the cylinder still open, leaves the pipe full. When the metal is cool, empty the grease tray and keep the cylinder outdoors, upright, and out of stair cupboards. Stop when the hose is cut or stiff, when bubbles will not clear, or when you smell gas after the cylinder is shut. Gas Safe Register points you to a competent person for gas parts. A strong gas smell is not another attempt with the lid closed. Which listing fits a table is the best 2 burner gas BBQ page.

Common questions

How do I check for a leak without a match?
Use soapy water outdoors, with the controls off. Char-Broil UK describes about half washing-up liquid and half water on the joints. Open the cylinder. Growing bubbles mean you shut the cylinder. A flame is not the test. If bubbles remain after the area has aired, stop and get a competent person.
What order do I turn things off?
Cylinder first, then the burner controls, so the hose can empty. Do not leave the cylinder open after the knobs are closed. When the metal is cool, empty the grease tray if there is one. Change a cylinder outdoors, with the valve off before you disconnect it. Keep the bottle upright and out of stair cupboards.
Can I use it on a balcony or in a caravan?
No. London Fire Brigade says not indoors and not on a balcony, and not to bring a barbecue inside to cool. A listing title that says caravan does not override that. Use a level outdoor spot, clear of fences and overhangs. A folding frame is still an outdoor cook.
What if the igniter only clicks?
Turn the control off and the cylinder off, wait, and retry once the way the manual shows. Do not copy a pause from a different barbecue, and do not keep the valve open while you click. If it still will not light, or you smell gas, stop. UK reviews on the BROILUCK already describe ignition switches that fail.
When do I stop and call someone?
When bubbles remain, the hose is cut or stiff, or the smell of gas stays after the cylinder is shut. Gas Safe Register says to follow the manual and to use a competent person for gas parts. An ordinary outdoor cylinder change, with the valve off first, is not by itself that call.

Related pages

2 burner gas BBQ buying guide

2 burner gas BBQ

Best 2 burner gas BBQ: tabletop, trolley, or side hob

Propane or butane for a BBQ: clip, pressure, and cold

2 burner vs 3 burner gas BBQ: cool zone and guests

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs on 19 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. BSI: BS EN 498:2012 outdoor LPG barbecues (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: Regulation 2016/426 in Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: fire safety outdoors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. London Fire Brigade: barbecue leaflet, April 2024 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Calor: gas bottles for BBQs (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Calor: hose and regulator (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Liquid Gas UK: Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Which?: best gas barbecues 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. Weber GB: Spirit E-210, outside this set (retrieved 19 October 2026)