Weber Q Gas Regulator Upgrade

[SoundGuy]

Weber's Q series of grills are arguably the most popular grills for campers as they cook well and are generally quite reliable. :B However, as many owners know this grill does have an Achilles' Heel - that darned gas regulator which seems to fail with regularity. :M Since 2002 I've owned 3 of these grills myself - Q100, Q120, Q220 - and have had to replace the regulator on all of them at least twice, the first time in each case under warranty but these days it's all on my coin. :M Big box stores and BBQ stores around these parts are quite willing to sell me a new Q but don't stock replacement parts for these grills, telling me to call Weber instead. :R This time it's my Q220 regulator that has failed yet again but @ ~ $100 Cdn with shipping & tax I decided it's time to see if I couldn't find substitute parts locally at a more reasonable cost. As luck would have it I found everything I needed at my local Home Depot, ~$25 Cdn for the hose with built in regulator, a few more $$ for the 3 adapters. I've now assembled the parts, tried out the grill, and can report it works great :B ... and should I ever have to replace the regulator again at least I'll be able to buy one at a reasonable cost at my local big box store. 🙂 A series of 6 pics with parts identification starts here for other Q owners who may be interested in this mod. 🙂

[shum02]

Mines 10 YO, looks like it been in a war and heats up hotter than Hades. Must admit too, I do not take the best care of it.

All original, great little grill!

Thought about running it off the LP camper system a few times........thought about it.

[camp-n-family]

fulltimedaniel wrote:

D.E.Bishop wrote:
All the times I replied to post about how great "Q"s are and how much I hated mine from day one because I couldn't sear a steak or hamburger, no one mentioned that the bloody regulator sucked. Thanks. I gave it back to my brother who gifted the problem to me when it was still in the sealed carton. He's never used it but swears by his Genesis for several hundred dollars more and without a Weber Regulator. Go figure.

I am with you I have hated this BBQ (the Weber Q) since the day I bought it. I have had nothing but a series of problems with it and it does not cook well.

As you say it wont sear a steak properly and is really only useful to do hot dogs and hamburgers. There is no way to turn off a burner and have indirect heat and if there is the slightest breeze outside to say nothing of a mild wind the stupid thing will not heat up because of the overly and needlessly large openings at each end.

To my mind it is THE WORST product Weber has ever produced, a company usually known for it's high quality.

But wait...as they say on TV... there's more...To cook some foods at all Like a whole chicken you have to buy expensive accessories. There are more accessories for the Q I think than any other BBQ.

This was the cynical decision that Weber made on this product. It's the BBQ version of a computer printer...Yes the printer is cheap, and barely works, but the print cartridges are really expensive.

Something must be wrong with yours or it's hooked up incorrectly (ie being double regulated and not getting enough gas pressure). I haven't experienced or even heard of others with problems you mention. My little Q100 cooks faster and gets hotter than my full size Weber Summit.

[SoundGuy]

fulltimedaniel wrote:
I am with you I have hated this BBQ (the Weber Q) since the day I bought it. I have had nothing but a series of problems with it and it does not cook well.

To my mind it is THE WORST product Weber has ever produced, a company usually known for it's high quality.

Well clearly, now that we're being presented with such expert opinion, those many tens if not hundreds of thousands of satisfied Q owners should immediately turn in our grills :E ... how foolish could we ALL be, quite happily grilling away with our Qs?!! :W

Yet again you've added humour to my day. :B

[fulltimedaniel]

D.E.Bishop wrote:
All the times I replied to post about how great "Q"s are and how much I hated mine from day one because I couldn't sear a steak or hamburger, no one mentioned that the bloody regulator sucked. Thanks. I gave it back to my brother who gifted the problem to me when it was still in the sealed carton. He's never used it but swears by his Genesis for several hundred dollars more and without a Weber Regulator. Go figure.

I am with you I have hated this BBQ (the Weber Q) since the day I bought it. I have had nothing but a series of problems with it and it does not cook well.

As you say it wont sear a steak properly and is really only useful to do hot dogs and hamburgers. There is no way to turn off a burner and have indirect heat and if there is the slightest breeze outside to say nothing of a mild wind the stupid thing will not heat up because of the overly and needlessly large openings at each end.

To my mind it is THE WORST product Weber has ever produced, a company usually known for it's high quality.

But wait...as they say on TV... there's more...To cook some foods at all Like a whole chicken you have to buy expensive accessories. There are more accessories for the Q I think than any other BBQ.

This was the cynical decision that Weber made on this product. It's the BBQ version of a computer printer...Yes the printer is cheap, and barely works, but the print cartridges are really expensive.

[JBarca]

SoundGuy,

Thanks for the post. I use to use the Weber Go Anywhere Grill. This little weber had a combo knob and regulator assembly. This was a good little grill, porcelain lined and all but the darn regulator would go out. I bought at least 4 regulators for that one. Since it was a combo regulator and knob, it would need more modding then just the regulator.

Since then I gave up on Go Anywhere Grill due to the regulators and bought the Weber Baby Q as they called it back then for the camper. That brand name has now been replaced with the Q100 series. And it matches the pics in your mod. So far that regulator has not died yet. Maybe the older ones where made better. It is for sure a quality control issue with the throw away regulators.

I too use the 5lb cylinder for all the reasons you posted. Just I have 2, 5lb cylinders and gave up on the little green tanks.

Thanks for taking the time to post the "how to". Scrolling your pic's I also liked your water pump sound reduction trick with the 25 foot of hose. Have not seen that before. WOW. Great!!

Thanks

John

[SoundGuy]

UPDATE:

Well it's been a week now since I did this regulator mod to my Q220 which I've now used several times ... no issues lighting it and in sub freezing temps the Q easily reaches 550F. It's a keeper mod. :B

[CaLBaR]

My regulator was so bad that a wind would blow out the flame it was so small. Not anymore since I did my mod. Glad to all who have never had this problem but this was the first propane BBQ out of many that I have had regulator issues with. Not sure why but happy I did my mod and now I can cook without any issues.

[SoundGuy]

westend wrote:
Since I carry propane anyway, it just makes sense to go gas on the grillin'. I do have a propane fired Coleman grill and a few gas ring stoves but that small Weber looks like a good fit.

That's always been my argument, 'though I admit that because we normally camp on electric sites I'm tempted to get a Q1400 electric version for even greater simplicity. 😉 Regardless, the smallest Q120, now the Q1200, has worked well even for four of us but now that it's just my wife and I it offers plenty of cooking space but isn't so heavy that it's a pain to move around, like the larger Q220 I have here at the house.

One other reason is that my live-at-home Son is a butcher and, even though I'm now sick of steak, he grills a few each week. His charcoal bill could buy another car, methinks.

Tough problem to have. 😉

[westend]

You guys have almost convinced me to go over to the gas side of grilling with all this Weber Q talk. We've owned Weber charcoal grills since way back. I have a pair of kettle grills and all the Weber accessories including a couple of rotisseries and the expansion ring.

For the road, though, I don't want to haul anymore charcoal or rely on wood fires. Since I carry propane anyway, it just makes sense to go gas on the grillin'. I do have a propane fired Coleman grill and a few gas ring stoves but that small Weber looks like a good fit.

One other reason is that my live-at-home Son is a butcher and, even though I'm now sick of steak, he grills a few each week. His charcoal bill could buy another car, methinks.

[SoundGuy]

allen8106 wrote:
I've had my Q220 for 4 years and have never had a problem with the reguator.

Good for you, that's great! :B BUT if you doubt the veracity of this claim just Google search Weber Q Regulator Failure and you'll have enough hits to keep you busy reading for days! :W

[IAMICHABOD]

allen8106 wrote:
I've had my Q220 for 4 years and have never had a problem with the reguator.

I too must be a lucky one,I have had my Weber Q220 for more than 5 years and never had a problem.I use it year round,when I don't take it camping it is my go to BBQ at home and I use it a lot.

I sometimes see on these threads about the Weber Q, people will say that they don't like them because they can't sear a steak. If they would follow the Weber Instructions they would have a perfectly seared steak. Mine come out like the ones pictured.

This is my Weber preparing to cook some steaks with the lid closed for 15 minutes

Click For Full-Size Image.

And this is the Temp of the Grill


Click For Full-Size Image.

[allen8106]

I've had my Q220 for 4 years and have never had a problem with the reguator.

[SoundGuy]

CaLBaR wrote:
The only other thing that I find is a problem with the Q is the burner flame holes are on the top of the burner and not the side. Causes them to plug up with drippings. At least once a year I use a paper clip to clean them out.

Yep, same here ... couple times a year I take my Qs completely apart for a through cleaning, including running a pin through all the burner holes. Since my Q220 regulator mod worked so well I think I'll buy a second set of parts for my Q120 so when it's stock regulator also eventually dies I'll be able to quickly swap it out. 🙂

[CaLBaR]

Sound guy I did exactly the same thing that you did and now my Q works without a regulator problem. Now I can cook without it being on high all of the time. I need to turn down the flame now as it gets hot really quick and can burn food. Never had that problem before.

The only other thing that I find is a problem with the Q is the burner flame holes are on the top of the burner and not the side. Causes them to plug up with drippings. At least once a year I use a paper clip to clean them out. I can always tell some need cleaning out when the flame starts having low burn in some spots or not enough heat.