How to light a gas barbecue
Updated: 23 October 2026
The cylinder is connected, and the lid is the temptation. Lighting with the lid shut, skipping the leak check, or turning the knobs off before the cylinder are the three mistakes that turn a first cook into a flare or a hose left under pressure. This is how to light a gas barbecue for the six grills in our [3 burner gas BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/3-burner-gas-bbq), using GOV.UK’s outdoor fire-safety order and the sheet in your own carton where brands disagree on the pause before the spark. We did not light these grills in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The cylinder is connected, and the lid is the temptation.
The cylinder is connected, and the lid is the temptation. Lighting with the lid shut, skipping the leak check, or turning the knobs off before the cylinder are the three mistakes that turn a first cook into a flare or a hose left under pressure. This is how to light a gas barbecue for the six grills in our 3 burner gas BBQ comparison, using GOV.UK’s outdoor fire-safety order and the sheet in your own carton where brands disagree on the pause before the spark. We did not light these grills in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Ignition | Format | Gas fitting | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Onlyfire Onlyfire tabletop 3-burner, 7 kW | Electric | Tabletop | Not named | 8.6 | about £229.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Modern Outdoor Living Modern Outdoor Living 3-burner | Automatic | Wheeled cart | Hose, no mbar | 7.6 | about £169.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  CosmoGrill CosmoGrill Wabaya, black | Piezo | Wagon | 37 mbar propane | 0.0 | about £199.99 | View offer |
Before any knob moves
Use the grill outdoors. GOV.UK says never to barbecue indoors, in a tent, under an awning, or in a caravan. Stand the grill on level open ground. Leave every burner control off. Run a hand and an eye along the hose and refuse any fitting that is cracked, kinked, or held together with tape. Tape is not a gas repair.
Check for leaks with soapy water, not with a match. Stay outside, keep the controls off, and mix washing-up liquid and water about half and half, as Char-Broil UK describes. Watch the valve, the regulator, and the hose joints. Bubbles, or a smell of gas, mean you close the bottle. If bubbles remain after a careful retighten, stop and get advice. Do not open a burner until that check is done. If the carton did not include a hose you trust, the fitting belongs on the 3 burner gas BBQ buying guide.
Lighting with the lid open
Open the lid before you turn the gas on. Gas that pools under a closed lid can flare when a spark arrives. Weber UK’s lighting page, for Weber grills, waits two to three seconds after the first control is set to high. Follow the pause in your own carton. Do not borrow a preheat time from a brand you do not own.
On a CosmoGrill Wabaya, take the tank out of the cabinet before you light. Light one burner until you can see flame, then the next. A dead igniter means you turn the cylinder off and follow your own sheet. If that sheet does not describe a match light, you do not invent one. Where the cart should stand is on the family garden page.
Shutting down
When the food is off the grate, turn the gas supply off at the cylinder first, then turn the barbecue controls off. GOV.UK states that order. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue gives the reason in plain language: cylinder off before the controls, so gas left in the pipe is used up. Gas Safe Register gives the same shutdown and tells you to watch for hose wear.
Weber UK’s safety page tells Weber owners to turn the barbecue off first and then close the cylinder. That is the reverse of the GOV.UK order. Do not merge the two. Let the metal cool before you move the grill or put a cover on it.
When to stop
Stop if bubbles remain after a careful retighten, if you smell gas with the controls off, if the hose or a burner is cracked, or if flame shows at the hose. Turn the cylinder off and leave the repair to a competent person. Gas Safe Register says gas parts are not a Saturday tape job.
These six grills use an outdoor cylinder. A barbecue joined to house pipework is the moment to stop. Which hose you already own is on the best 3 burner gas BBQ page.
Common questions
Do you open the lid before you turn the gas on?
Yes. Open the lid first, with the burner controls still off, then open the cylinder and light one burner so you can see the flame. A shut lid lets gas collect in the hood. Follow the pause printed in your own carton, because other brands print a different number of seconds.
How do you check for a leak without a flame?
Stay outdoors with the controls off. Mix washing-up liquid and water about half and half, as Char-Broil UK describes, and coat the valve, regulator, and hose joints. Open the bottle and watch for bubbles. Bubbles or a smell mean you close the bottle. A match is not a leak detector.
Which do you turn off first, the cylinder or the knobs?
Turn the cylinder off first, then the barbecue controls. That is the GOV.UK order after cooking, and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue and Gas Safe Register say the same, so gas in the hose is used up. Weber UK’s safety page says the reverse for Weber grills. Do not average those two instructions.
What if the igniter does not spark?
Turn the cylinder off and read the failed-ignition steps in your own sheet. The Wabaya igniter is piezo, so a missing battery is not the fault. A UK review found the Onlyfire tabletop’s middle igniter wire broken, and on one Modern Outdoor Living cart a reviewer could not find the battery. If the sheet does not describe a match light, do not invent one.
Can you light the Wabaya with the cylinder in the cupboard?
No. The Wabaya bullet says to take the tank out of the cabinet before lighting. Light it with the cylinder outside the storage cupboard and the lid open. The cupboard is not a place to run the grill.
When do you stop and get a competent person?
Stop when bubbles remain after a careful retighten, when the hose or a burner is cracked, when flame appears at the hose, or when anyone has joined the grill to a fixed indoor pipe. Turn the cylinder off and leave the repair. Gas Safe Register says gas parts are for a competent person. A clip-on cylinder is still not a job for tape.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Fire safety outdoors (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- London Fire Brigade: Barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue: Barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Liquid Gas UK: Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (August 2020) (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 498:2012 outdoor LPG barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Gas Safe Register: BBQ safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Dunelm: Barbecue buying guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Gardenbox: What size barbecue is needed (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Sahara: How to choose the right size gas BBQ (retrieved 22 October 2026)