Disposal Guide

How to Get Rid of an Old Grill

The tank comes off first. After that it is mostly scrap steel.

A gas grill cannot be disposed of with its propane cylinder attached, because a pressurized cylinder must never go in trash, curbside recycling, or an ordinary scrap bin. Remove the tank and route it through a cylinder exchange or propane supplier first. The grill itself is largely steel and cast iron, which scrap yards accept, and a charcoal grill has no tank to deal with at all.

A grill is two disposal problems wearing one cover: a pressurized propane cylinder and a rusted steel box. Separate them and both become easy. Leave them together and nobody will touch it.

Quick Facts

First step: Disconnect the propane tank
Tank route: Exchange or propane supplier
Grill body: Mostly steel, scrap accepted
Charcoal grills: No tank, straight to scrap
We haul it: Grill yes, tank no

Your Options, Start to Finish

1.Deal with the tank first, separately
Close the valve, disconnect the regulator, and take the cylinder to an exchange or a propane supplier. That is a five-minute job and it unlocks every other option.
Never leave the tank attached and never puncture, cut, burn, or de-valve it. A full-looking tank and an empty-looking tank get handled exactly the same way.
2.Sell or give away a working grill
A gas grill that lights and holds heat sells every spring, and free listings clear them fast in April and May.
Seasonal. The same grill that moves in May sits until next year in October. If it is autumn and the grill is rusted through the firebox, skip to disposal.
3.Scrap the body
Grill bodies, lids, grates, and cast iron burners are steel and cast iron, which scrap yards take. Strip the plastic side tables and wheels if the yard asks.
Call the yard about current acceptance, and do not bring it with the tank still on. Some yards want the grill emptied of ash and grease first.
4.Have it hauled with the rest of the yard
Most grills leave as part of a garage or yard clearout rather than on their own, and it goes on the truck with the patio furniture and the old mower.
The propane cylinder stays behind. Tell us on the call that there is a grill so we can remind you to pull the tank before we arrive.

The tank is the only part with rules

Everything difficult about grill disposal lives in the propane cylinder. It must not go in household trash, curbside recycling, or an ordinary scrap bin while it holds propane or has its valve attached, and that is true of a tank you are confident is empty, because residual gas almost always remains. Close the valve, unscrew the regulator by hand, and set it aside. Pennsylvania DEP points residents toward local household hazardous waste programs that accept propane or toward cylinder exchange companies. Once that tank is out of the picture the grill is just a steel box.

What is actually in a grill

A standard gas grill is a porcelain-coated steel firebox and lid, cast iron or stainless grates, steel or brass burners, a steel cart frame, and usually plastic side shelves and wheels. The metal is all scrap-yard material. Charcoal grills and kettle grills are simpler still, with no gas components at all, which makes them the easiest outdoor item on this list to get rid of. Ash should be cold and bagged before anything moves, because warm ash in a truck is a real fire risk and stays hot far longer than people expect.

When it is worth fixing instead

Grease fires and neglect kill more grills than age does. If the firebox and lid are solid and only the grates and burners are shot, replacement grates and burner tubes are cheap and widely available, and that is a better outcome than sending a decent grill to scrap. If you can push a screwdriver through the bottom of the firebox, or the cart frame is rusted at the welds, it is finished and no amount of parts will bring it back.

How to Get Rid of an Old Grill FAQs

Can I throw away a gas grill with the propane tank attached?

No. The cylinder must be removed and handled separately, because a propane tank must never go in household trash, curbside recycling, or an ordinary scrap bin while it holds propane or has its valve attached. Close the valve, disconnect the regulator, and take the tank to a cylinder exchange or a propane supplier. The grill body can then go as scrap or bulky waste.

Do scrap yards take old grills?

Usually yes, because the firebox, lid, grates, burners, and cart frame are steel and cast iron. Call the yard for current acceptance, strip plastic side tables and wheels if they ask, make sure the ash is out and cold, and never bring it with the propane tank still attached.

How do I get rid of a charcoal grill?

A charcoal or kettle grill is the easy case, because there is no gas component at all. Make sure the ash is completely cold, bag it, and the grill itself goes to scrap metal or out as a bulky item if your municipality accepts one. Cold means genuinely cold, since charcoal ash can hold heat for more than a day.

What do I do with the old propane tank?

Take it to a cylinder exchange program at a gas station, hardware store, or grocery store, or to a propane supplier that accepts used cylinders. A household hazardous waste event will take it only if it specifically lists propane. Never puncture, cut, drill, burn, or remove the valve yourself.

Will you take the grill?

Yes, the grill goes with us. The propane cylinder does not, because propane is on our excluded list with paint, oil, gasoline, and chemicals. Pull the tank before we arrive and we will take the grill along with whatever else is going. Call (412) 226-4500.

Have us do it

Junk Removal in Pittsburgh

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Disposal guide

How to Dispose of a Propane Tank

It cannot go in the trash, and you should not try to empty it yourself.

Disposal guide

How to Dispose of Old Tires

Regulated separately in Pennsylvania, and refused almost everywhere else.

Where we work

Pittsburgh South Hills North Hills All service areas

Sources

Getting rid of an old grill in Pittsburgh, PA. The propane cylinder must be removed and handled separately, because a tank must never go in household trash, curbside recycling, or an ordinary scrap bin while it holds propane or has its valve attached; take it to a cylinder exchange or propane supplier, and never puncture, cut, burn, or de-valve it. The grill body is porcelain-coated steel, cast iron grates, steel or brass burners, and a steel cart frame, all of which scrap yards accept. Charcoal and kettle grills have no gas components and go straight to scrap once the ash is cold and bagged. Steel City Cleanouts removes grills across Pittsburgh but does not haul propane cylinders. Call (412) 226-4500 for a free quote.

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