Grilling In The Garage: Why It Is Not A Safe Option For You?
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Grilling is an engaging outdoor activity that brings people together to spend an unforgettable time while cooking and eating delicious food.
However, inclement weather can make your outdoor grilling session challenging and lead you towards alternative options like grilling in the garage or indoors.
Don’t go with these options.
Are you aware of the potential risks and dangers of indoor grilling? If not, you can join me in exploring this important discussion.
Is it Safe to Grill in the Garage?
Grilling in the garage may seem exciting, but I don’t recommend it at all, even if you keep the door open, because most garages have no proper ventilation system.
Using a charcoal or propane grill in your garage releases carbon monoxide and other harmful chemical contaminants that can be dangerous to your health.
In my opinion, suitable options here can be electric or specially designed indoor grills because they don’t produce carbon monoxide and are less pollutant than charcoal and gas grills.
Using an electric grill does not mean that you are now safe. There are still some safety tips that you need to keep in mind, such as ventilation, extinguisher, etc.
Risks of Grilling in Garage
From my previous remarks, you must have an idea that you should abandon grilling in a garage. Let’s tell you why it is an insecure activity and what risks you can face.
Carbon Monoxide Build Up
Most grills use gas, charcoal, or wood pellets as a heat source and produce carbon monoxide when you cook on them. This gas builds up quickly in a tight space, which can be lethal.
In this case, the most unsafe option is a gas grill which quickly produces harmful contaminants because there is no way for the gas to escape.
Fire Hazard
Fire hazards can be one of the most dangerous consequences of using a grill in the garage. There can be several reasons behind this.
The grills often produce fire sparks which can catch the flammable materials in your garage, like wood, plastic, or paper. Moreover, the oil and grease drip from the food you cook can also cause a firetrap.
Mess Creation
Although it is not as threatening as the previous two risks, indoor grilling sessions are like welcoming a lot of mess into your territory.
Most of the mess is grease, food particles, and ash produced through charcoals and wood pellets.
What Grills Are Safe To Use In A Garage?
With maximum safety, you can use a grill in a garage specifically designed for indoor use and generate less smoke and heat.
For example, an electric grill has a different working technique, and they don’t use wood, charcoal, or gas as a heat source. As a result, there are fewer chances of fire flames and gases like carbon monoxide.
Other than electric-powered grills, there are several different indoor grills that you can explore. Here are a few suitable options to consider.
- George Forman GRP4842MB
- Hamilton Beach 25361Indoor Grill
- T-fal GC722D53 Electric Grill
- DeLonghi BG24
Again, your garage should be appropriately ventilated to repel any mishap while grilling inside.
Which Grills Should You Avoid Using in a Garage?
Generally, using a propane, gas, wood pellet, or charcoal grill in a garage is not suitable.
The reason is simple, they produce harmful pollute, which results in creating carbon monoxide build-up or firetrap in a closed space like a garage.
With these grills, you should avoid grilling in a garage, even if you are using a good ventilation system.
I will even suggest using indoor grills with proper safety rules like a fire extinguisher and ventilation.
Top Tip by FaveGrills
Grilling sessions in a garage can be messy. So, I recommend you use a splatter mat under your grill. It will catch all the grease or food particles coming from the grill.
Safety Tips for Grilling in a Garage
If you still wish to grill your garage, follow as many safety tips as you possibly can to avoid fire risks and any other mishap that may happen. Let’s share some of the most common safety precautions.
Ventilation
Grilling is suitable for open spaces because it produces harmful gases, in which carbon monoxide is common.
A ventilation system works similarly to fresh air, which throws away these gases if you grill in a garage or indoors. It allows you to breathe normally when grilling inside the garage.
Not using ventilation and inhaling the gases can be lethal. Furthermore, it has the capability to avoid any firetrap, and you must use it whether you use a gas, electric, or charcoal grill.
Keep the Burnable Materials Away
Your garage might contain combustible materials such as wood pieces, plastic, papers, coals, etc. So, keeping these materials away or out of the garage is highly recommended unless you are done with grilling.
Grills that use charcoal, gas, propane, or pellets as a heat source make unexpected flare-ups that can catch these materials. As a result, it can cause fire hazards.
Fire Extinguisher
A fire extinguisher is essential for grillers when they use their grills in closed areas. It helps you extinguish a small fire at the right time before it becomes more dangerous.
Check Propane or Gas Leakage
Many people wish to know if is it safe to keep a gas grill in the garage and cook on it. If you are also one of them, you must take this step to maximize safety.
Before you preheat your grill and start cooking, you should thoroughly inspect that there is no gas or propane leakage because they are highly flammable materials.
To inspect, you can check the hose and propane tank by applying soapy water with a brush. If there is any leakage, you will notice bubbles or a hissing sound from the surface that is leaking gas.
Use a Clean Grill
I advise you use a clean grill inside your garage. A dirty grill can produce grease and food particles that obtain the oil, which causes fire.
Another disadvantage is that the grease build-up may also result in flare-ups which is a strong reason behind intense smoke in a tight space.
So, clean your grill after each use if you are interested in using your pellet grill in the garage or any other grill.
Prepare Your Garage
Last but not least, you should set up your garage accordingly for grilling inside. For example, the size of your grill should match the space of your garage. If it is too big, a lot of heat, smoke, or carbon monoxide will be produced within no time, which can be injurious.
Alternatives to Grilling in Garage
Why take too much risk when there are some suitable alternatives for garage grilling?
If you are too obsessed with your propane, gas, or charcoal grills, use them in a safe way. Let’s explain how.
Grill Gazebo or Canopy
It is the most suitable option if you skip your garage grilling plan due to high fire risks.
Firstly, it provides a natural ventilation system because the air circulates around your grill and quickly vents away all the heat and smoke. Also, it is an inexpensive option.
A grill gazebo or canopy completes many garage grilling needs because it protects you from the rain, wind, and other aspects that may ruin your grilling experience.
Moreover, you get an open and unlimited space for a well-organized cooking session on your favorite grill.
Patio Umbrella
A patio umbrella is an excellent option when you wish to grill in the rain or in summer. It may not be a substitute for garage grilling, but it is a safer way to cook food.
The primary use of this equipment is to keep you dry in the rain or provide you with shade when it is too hot outside. So you can rely on it for your quick grilling sessions.
Retractable Awning
The purpose of a retractable awning and patio umbrella is to shelter you in different weather. But in terms of structure, they both are different.
A patio umbrella is moveable, and you can set it anywhere around your home. On the other hand, a retractable awning is a permanent shelter that can be exceeded or recanted.
As a result, you can explore both options rather than take too much risk by cooking in the garage.
Do you know?
The National Fire Protection Association recommends everyone to avoid having a BBQ session in the garage or indoors. Therefore, I suggest you use your grills away from home unless they are specifically designed for indoor cooking.
Final Say
Long story short, the idea of grilling in the garage with the door open may be appealing, but you should avoid it. It has multiple disadvantages, such as the build-up of carbon monoxide and high fire risk.
Additionally, it produces heat and smoke with a harmful pollutant that is dangerous to your health and environment.
So, prevent using charcoal grills and gas grills in a closed area like a garage. Instead, use an indoor or electric grill that, too, with all the safety precautions I shared above.
Happy Safe Grilling!
Your Opinion is Valuable to Us
I have provided you with all the valuable insights about the dangers and risks associated with grilling in your garage and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grill in the garage with the door open?
Grilling with the garage door open can reduce the risk of smoke and carbon monoxide, but I still don’t recommend using a grill inside. Tricks like open doors and ventilation systems only work well with indoor and electric grills.
How to ventilate a garage to make it safe for grilling?
There are several ways to ventilate your garage to make it suitable for grilling. Firstly, you should open all doors and windows to let the smoke and heat escape. You can also set exhaust fans at vital locations. Furthermore, if your grill is too big, use a portable fan along with the exhaust.
Can you use a charcoal grill in the garage?
No, charcoal grilling in the garage or indoors is not recommended because it can build up an intense amount of carbon dioxide, which is lethal. It can also cause a fire hazard because of the flames and sparks that a charcoal grill produces.
Can you grill in the garage in winter?
Despite winter, you cannot use your grills in the garage because they will still produce harmful gases that can be lethal. In fact, whether it is raining, snowing, it is too hot outside, or the winds are blowing, we don’t advise anyone to grill in the garage.
Can you keep a propane tank for a grill in the garage?
Keeping the propane tanks inside a garage isn’t suitable because of the gas leakage threat, which can potentially cause a fire hazard. Therefore, you should always find a dry and open space to place such tanks.
