A good barbeque is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon with friends or family. But some of the best events are around the grill in the evening, where good food and conversation keep you going until way past sunset.
Grilling at night is no problem, if you don’t mind having to balance a flashlight and barbeque tongs as you try to determine whether the steak is rare, medium-rare or something else altogether.
A headlamp can work, but then you blind your guests every time you turn to speak to them or you get all the heat in your face every time you look down to try and get a spotlight on your dinner.
So what is the solution to this predicament? Easy! Grill lights. But the next question is of course: how do you install grill lights? You have come to the right place. We will give you the steps on how to install some lights for your grill so you can clearly see the food you are preparing and keep up your high standards even in the darkest of nights.
Choosing a Light
First things first, you will need toselect your light or lights if you feel like you need more illumination. You need a light that will be suitable to your needs and then you caninstall it.
There are many options and fittings to help you keep your hands free to cook and can be attached in a variety of ways to your grill. Some lamps are designed to fit the handle of the lid, where others will attach with clamps to the side of the barbeque.
Think about the way you like to grill and where you keep your tools. If you need some work space, a handle fitted light could be a good choice and if you like more adaptable light that you can move around, a side fitted light with a clamp could be better.
Mounting Options
One of the first things you will need to consider is how your grill lights are designed to be fitted. There are several options when it comes to mounting grill lights and each will have a slightly different way of fitting to your grill. There are options for either fixed grill lights, which will stay put no matter what.
Be sure to check if these are weatherproof, you don’t want to struggle with a light that you have to remove every time the clouds gather.
But there is also a more flexible mounting option so you can move the lights to suit your setup, these lights usually have a basic clamp or heavy duty magnets. The ones with magnets will simply stick to the metal parts of your barbeque so that will be very easy. Some of the fixed lights can require that you tighten clamps or bolts, and then you might need some tools.
Batteries
The next thing you need to keep in mind might seem a bit obvious, but it could be something to keep in mind. Make sure you put in the batteries for the lights before you install them. Some lights may require a screwdriver for you to open the case to install the batteries and then you will need to remove the light you just fitted to your grill to install the batteries. Then you will have to repeat the process and mount it on your grill again. So avoid the pain and check the batteries.
Where to mount your Light
Now that you have a light, you are ready to mount your light on your grill. First check where you would like your light to sit. Depending on the type of light you chose, it will either need to be fitted to the grill handle, or clamp to the side of your barbeque. Somelights are so versatile you might decide not to mount it on your grill at all, and rather find some other creative spots that need to be brighter.
The type of Fitting
Take a look at the type of fitting. A good choice is one that fits on the handle and has a head that can adjust. These are the easy to install with a clamp that you simply tighten around the handle of your barbeque lid, so when the lid is open you can angle the light to the grilling surface.
Check the diameter of your grill handle or rail so you can be sure that the clamp will be large enough to fit it. Some lights come with a bendable neck section so if you have strange type of lid it will be able to look around the curves.
Tools or just hands
Now that you know the type of fitting your light has, you can check if you can simply install it by clamping it to the side of the grill, clamping it to the handle or if you will need some tools to tighten it onto the spot where you want it.
If it uses magnets you can just stick it onto the spot you prefer. If it clamps on and tightens with a type of screw be sure not to remove the screw completely, or it might get lost, just loosen it enough to get the mounting to fit the rail and then tighten it. Either by hand or with a screwdriver or wrench.
Enjoy
After you have installed your light the only thing left for you to do is to cook a great meal on the grill without having to worry whether you can see what you are doing or not.
Now you will be able to cook in bright light with no trouble, even if it is a moonless night in the middle of winter. If you are enthusiastic enough about your new light to brave the elements and cook your meals on the grill every night, your light will make it an easy job.
