How to light an Enders gas barbecue
Updated: 23 October 2026
The barbecue is assembled, the cylinder is outside, and you want the first burner to catch without a pocket of gas under the lid. The steps follow the shape Enders prints in the San Diego 4 manual, article 8121630, which is a different model from the four amazon.co.uk listings in the [Enders gas BBQ](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/enders-gas-bbq) comparison. If your own manual uses a different knob, the manual in your hand wins. If you are still choosing 30 mbar or 37 mbar, stop and use [Enders BBQ 30 mbar or 37 mbar](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/enders-gas-bbq/sub/enders-gas-bbq-uk-gas-pressure).
The barbecue is assembled, the cylinder is outside, and you want the first burner to catch without a pocket of gas under the lid.
The barbecue is assembled, the cylinder is outside, and you want the first burner to catch without a pocket of gas under the lid. The steps follow the shape Enders prints in the San Diego 4 manual, article 8121630, which is a different model from the four amazon.co.uk listings in the Enders gas BBQ comparison. If your own manual uses a different knob, the manual in your hand wins. If you are still choosing 30 mbar or 37 mbar, stop and use Enders BBQ 30 mbar or 37 mbar.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Ignition | Gas in the box | Tool-free legs | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Enders Enders Explorer II Pro 210833 | Not printed | Not listed. User manual only | Yes, plug-in legs in the bullets | 7.2 | about £199 | View offer |
 Enders Enders San Diego Next 3 | Not printed | Not listed. User manual only | No. Assembly required | 9.4 | about £179 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Enders Enders San Diego 2 | Battery-free piezo, in the bullets | Not listed. Title prints 30 mbar | No. Assembly required | 7.4 | about £123.62 | View offer |
On this page
Check the joints before a flame
Start with the control knobs off and the cylinder valve still shut. Mix a little washing-up liquid in water and brush it on the joints you have just made: the regulator onto the cylinder, the hose nuts, and the connection into the barbecue. Open the cylinder slowly. Bubbles that grow are a leak. Shut the cylinder, ventilate, and do not light anything. A match, a piezo click, or a long lighter does not find a leak, and it can ignite one.
Cylinders stay outside, including while you change them. London Fire Brigade says not to barbecue on a balcony. A tent, an awning, a caravan, and indoors are all out. Where the grill may stand is in the Enders gas BBQ buying guide. Fixed pipework is a different job from clipping a patio bottle to a free-standing barbecue. If you are unsure, stop and get a competent person.
Light one burner
Open the lid fully and leave it open. Set every knob to off. Open the cylinder valve. Press and turn one knob only to the highest setting so the ignition can catch that burner. The San Diego 4 manual describes a piezo in that knob movement. On the San Diego 2, the amazon bullets name a battery-free piezo, so that pattern fits the listing. On the Next 3 and both Explorers, ignition is not printed, so you follow the manual in the carton.
Light one burner. A second burner comes later, after the first is stable, so you are not filling the hood with unburnt gas.
If the burner does not catch
If the burner does not catch, turn the knob off. Leave the lid open. Wait about five minutes before you try again, which is the wait in that Enders manual, so leftover gas can clear. If it fails again, shut the cylinder, air the grill, and check the joints once more. A burner that will not shut off, or a smell that remains with the valve closed, is the point where you stop and get help.
The same manual’s first burn is about 15 minutes on high with no food, lid down only once you know the burner is alight and you are burning off factory oil. You will smell paint or oil. That is the first heat-up, not a leak, provided the bubble test already passed and the flame is on the burner. Do not put food on for that quarter of an hour. Do not close the lid for the lighting itself.
Shut down and do not bring it inside
Turn the cylinder off first. Let the flame die so the hose empties, then turn the barbecue knobs to off. If you only twist the knobs and leave the cylinder open, the hose stays charged. When the grill is cool, the cylinder goes to outdoor storage, not into the kitchen or under the stairs.
Do not move the barbecue while it is lit. Do not carry an Explorer to the car with a burner still on, and do not wheel a San Diego across the patio with the cylinder valve open. A balcony is not a fallback if the garden is windy. You are finished when the valve is shut, the knobs are off, and the cylinder is stored outside.
Common questions
Do I light it with the lid open?
Yes. The Enders manual pattern is lid open, knobs off, cylinder open, then one knob to high. Lighting under a closed lid traps unburnt gas. You close the lid later for the burn-off or for cooking, after you can see the flame. If your carton manual disagrees, follow that manual.
What if the piezo clicks and nothing catches?
Turn that knob off and wait about five minutes with the lid open before you try the same burner again. Only the San Diego 2 listing among these four names a piezo, so on the other three you use the ignition your manual describes. If the second attempt fails, shut the cylinder and repeat the soapy-water check.
How do I check for a leak without a flame?
Brush soapy water on the joints and open the cylinder with the knobs still off. Growing bubbles mean gas is escaping. Shut the valve, ventilate, and do not light. Gas Safe says to use the manual’s leak test and to change cylinders outdoors. A match is not the test.
Which do I turn off first, the knob or the cylinder?
Turn the cylinder off first. Let the burner die, then set the knobs to off. That empties the hose instead of leaving it under pressure. Store the cylinder outside once the grill is cool.
How long is the first burn with no food?
The San Diego 4 manual, which is a different model, says about 15 minutes with no food so manufacturing residues can burn off. Use your own manual if it prints a different time. A strong smell with no flame, or bubbles on a joint, is not the burn-off.
When do I stop and get help?
Stop if the soapy water keeps bubbling, the hose is cracked, a burner will not shut off, or gas is escaping after the valve is shut. Fixed pipework is regulated work. Indoors, GOV.UK gives the National Gas Emergency Service as 0800 111 999.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK and manufacturer sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
- Enders English catalogue 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Enders Explorer II Pro 210833 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Enders San Diego 4 manual (GB I3+ on a different model) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: fire safety outdoors (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety leaflet, April 2024 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Liquid Gas UK Guidance Sheet 39 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Camping and Caravanning Club: gas in caravans (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Gas Safe Register: BBQ safety (retrieved 20 October 2026)