How to Scrap a Gas Grill or Barbecue

The gas grill is a perfect opportunity to any scrapper, and although you won't make as much money as removing a scrap pool, you will find yourself getting a good amount of money for just a little bit of reverse engineering. 
For all those who plan on transporting a gas grill which still has leftover coals and soot, don't forget to tie the grill top down to itself so that you don't spill that stuff all over the back of your truck or the road. 


So you picked up a nice gas grill. The first thing you will want to do, is identify the different metals  the grill may have:

• Brass: found in regulators, knobs and fittings. non-magnetic. 
• Stainless Steel: Used for aesthetic purposes, and often is only found in moderation. Heavily used in upscale grills. non-magnetic.
• Cast pot metal/aluminum/zinc: Used very often for the top and bottom of the grilling chamber. Non-magnetic. 
• Propane Tanks: Many yards will not scrap these unless they are cut in half or drilled open; (which makes scrapping these tanks...*puts on glasses* a Pro-Pain..... YYYYEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!) But in all seriousness, these are worth more as tanks then as scrap. 
• Mixed metal/shred steel/light tin: the rest of the grill, if it doesn't fall into one of these catagories, will fall into this one. 

Once you have discovered the metal composition of your grill, you will be more efficient when taking it apart. Don't waste your time breaking the legs off, if the legs are worth the same as the rest of the frame, ect. (unless it helps while packing other things into your trailer.)

The Scrap Grill Top And Bottom

So, once you have the grill composition figured out, you will often find that the grill top and bottom are made of non-magnetic metal. This metal is cast aluminum/pot metal/zinc. These tops are very easy to pull off and scrap separate from the rest of the grill. 

Cast [metal] is often very easy to break; It will crack apart when hit with a hammer. So, the most efficient way to break apart the grill top is by hitting its fasteners with a heavy hammer, breaking the aluminum at the joint. This will often leave a little bit of the scrap hanging to the fastening, but that can then be broken off with a few small taps too. 

The bottom of the grill is a little bit trickier, but is also worth taking out if it is anything non-ferrous or is stainless. 

Scrap Brass and Scrap Zinc Gas Regulators

One of the best parts about gas appliances, whether it is a gas grill or gas oven, stove, or range, is their necessary use of brass.

Brass is used when regulating the flow of gas in the grill. I always find brass connected to the knobs on the front of the grill which regulate gas flow, and in turn, flame size. The more experienced you are with gutting grills, the quicker you will be able to disassemble them.

Some grills have brass regulators which will not come out easily, others will easily come out with a screw driver and a pipe wrench. Either way, always have a reciprocal saw on hand for difficult metals. This will be imperative for fast work, no matter hat you are processing. These saws cut through brass like butter. (Hell, they cut through almost everything like butter.)

The next thing to look for are the propane tank regulators (pictured far left). These regulators are bought by the pound, and are worth as a little less then dirty brass. Don't forget to pull these off, as it all adds up. 

This grill has stainless steel sheathed components, and looks
like it has aluminum panels on it's lid. 

Non-Magnetic Scrap Stainless Steel Grill Components 

So, grills that are a little more high end will often have components that are non-magnetic stainless steel (like the example pictured right). When you find these types of grills, chances are, they are worth more then scrap value.

The first thing you will need to test, is if it is non-magnetic. This may be a chore because grills often have steel which is simply covered with thin stainless sheeting. In this scenario, you may find removing all of the stainless sheeting more frustrating to remove then it is worth. 

Grill burners can often be made of stainless steel. 

Stainless components can be sorted using the spark test. 

Scrap Value Of A Gas Grill

As with most things, the value of the grill will depend on metal content, which is dependent on brand, quality, and luck. Also, in the case with a grill, it depends on if you sell the propane tank. 

The average rolling gas grill weighs anywhere from 60 pounds to 200 pounds. That means the grill by itself, whiteout gutting, will be worth on average $5-$10. I would say you often find that over 20% of this weight is non-ferrous or SS, which will bring the bare minimal value of a gas grill to about $8 to a maximum of over $45. 

The average grill, in my experience, will bring in over $10. 

Good Luck Scrapping!