04 — Articles
Twin Eagles: How to Specify a Built-In Outdoor Grill in Québec
Specifying a built-in grill in Québec is not a BTU comparison. It comes down to four things: how the burners and grates are built, what your gas line can actually deliver, the clearances to combustibles around the enclosure, and ventilation if the grill ends up under any cover. Twin Eagles is the worked example here because its specifications are published.
BTU is a sales number. What actually matters?
A BTU total is a sum of orifices. It tells you how much gas the appliance can burn, not how fast the grate recovers when you lift the hood.
Burner construction and gauge
Twin Eagles publishes main burners rated at 25,000 BTU/h, built from 14-gauge 304 stainless steel. Those are the two useful data points: the alloy grade — 304 resists corrosion far better than the 400-series stainless common in entry-level grills — and the thickness of the metal. A thin burner warps, its ports go oval, and the flame turns uneven.
Grate mass and material
The most underrated variable. The grate is a thermal reservoir: it is what marks the meat and what absorbs the hit when you drop eight cold steaks on at once. Twin Eagles uses electro-polished hexagonal stainless grates, 3/8-inch on the C Series and 1/2-inch on the Eagle One. The hexagon increases food contact area compared with a round rod of the same diameter. A chrome wire grate gives up on the first load.
Infrared sear zone and rotisserie
On the Eagle One 42-inch, the infrared sear burner is rated 25,000 BTU/h — a main burner's worth of energy, radiated rather than convected. Worth it for thick cuts, pointless if you mostly cook vegetables and fish. A rotisserie is judged on two numbers: the rear infrared burner — 14,000 BTU/h on the 30-inch C Series, 16,000 BTU/h on the Eagle One 42-inch — and the motor's turning capacity, here 100 lb. That is what separates a real rotisserie from an accessory that stalls with two chickens.
Natural gas or propane — and who is allowed to convert the appliance?
The two gases do not burn at the same rate or the same pressure. The Twin Eagles manual specifies a regulator set at 4 inches water column for natural gas, convertible to 10 inches for a system propane supply, with a maximum inlet pressure of 14 inches water column either way. Conversion also requires the correct injection orifices: without them you get a sooting yellow flame or permanent starvation.
In Québec this work is regulated. The Gas chapter of the Construction Code adopts CSA B149.1, and the Régie du bâtiment du Québec confirms the 2020 edition has been in force since July 31, 2020. Clause 4.5.4 is explicit: the gas an appliance has been converted to must be marked on the rating plate by the fitter making the conversion.
Two conditions have to be met. The company must hold an RBQ contractor licence carrying the right gas subclass — 15.2 "Systèmes de brûleurs au gaz naturel" for natural gas, or 15.6 "Propane". And the person doing the work must hold the corresponding mandatory Québec qualification certificate: TAG-3N for approved natural gas appliances up to 120 kW, TAG-3P for the propane equivalent, TAG-2 for both, or TAG-1 with no capacity limit. A residential grill, even a 54-inch, sits far below 120 kW. Piping falls under the ITG certificate.
One detail that surprises propane clients: before supplying a new installation, the propane distributor must ask for the contractor's licence, verify it against the licence-holder registry, and notify the RBQ of any refusal to deliver. Order the appliance factory-configured for the gas you have and the question disappears.
Gas line sizing: this is where projects go wrong
The number one problem we see on remedial work: a premium grill teed off a half-inch branch, and the client complaining that "it won't hold heat when everything is on." The line is not delivering the flow. B149.1 requires sizing from its tables (clause 6.3.2, Annex A for natural gas, Annex B for propane), and capacity falls off with length. Published capacities for schedule 40 steel pipe on natural gas, at a 0.5 in. w.c. pressure drop, in BTU/h:
| Nominal diameter | 10 ft | 20 ft | 50 ft | 100 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 in. | 172,000 | 118,000 | 72,000 | 50,000 |
| 3/4 in. | 360,000 | 247,000 | 151,000 | 104,000 |
| 1 in. | 678,000 | 466,000 | 284,000 | 195,000 |
The sizing of record must be redone by your licensed contractor per Annex A, including the equivalent length of every fitting. Run the numbers: a 36-inch C Series draws 75,000 to 89,000 BTU/h; add the dual-ring side burner (35,000 BTU/h) and you are near 124,000 BTU/h. At 50 feet, a half-inch line delivers 72,000. Three-quarter delivers 151,000 and clears it. Add a 70,000 BTU/h power burner and demand hits roughly 194,000 BTU/h: you are into 1-inch pipe.
Clearances to combustibles and the non-combustible enclosure
A built-in grill goes into an enclosure built of non-combustible materials. The certified clearances published in the Twin Eagles manual override any general rule of thumb.
| Condition | Published minimum clearance |
|---|---|
| Sides and back to adjacent vertical combustible construction | 12 in. |
| Combustible construction extending above the countertop | 18 in. from sides and back |
| Back of grill above the cooking surface, to non-combustible construction | 2 1/2 in. (so the hood opens fully) |
| Sides above the cooking surface, to non-combustible construction | 6 in. recommended |
| Overhead | Not permitted under unprotected combustible construction |
Those 12 and 18 inches are why an island gets drawn before it gets built: a 42-inch grill forces an enclosure width that has nothing to do with the cutout dimension. A non-combustible metal frame, clad afterward, stays the most predictable build — see our piece on Urban Bonfire cabinetry.
If a propane cylinder lives inside the enclosure, the manual also requires compartment ventilation: an upper vent within 5 inches of the top with at least 1 sq. in. of free area per pound of stored fuel, and a lower vent 1 inch or less from the floor with at least 1/2 sq. in. per pound. The accepted alternative is one full side of the enclosure left open.
A grill under a pergola or roof: the carbon monoxide question
This has to be said plainly: a gas grill produces carbon monoxide. CO is odourless and colourless, and per the Government of Québec, only a carbon monoxide alarm can detect it and warn you. First signs appear within minutes — headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness.
Health Canada is categorical: never operate outdoor equipment that uses fuel, charcoal or wood inside a home, vehicle, garage, shed, camper or tent. The Government of Québec lists using a propane barbecue indoors among the inappropriate uses that cause poisonings. The Twin Eagles manual says the same thing: outdoor use only, never in a building, garage or any other enclosed area.
So where is the line with a pergola? An open-louvre structure with open sides is outdoor space. A bioclimatic pergola with the blades closed and screens down on three sides is not — and that is exactly the configuration people adopt in September when the wind picks up. Our rule: if the structure can close, we treat it as covered and we ventilate.
The Code gives no calculation method for an outdoor hood. Hood manufacturers generally recommend 1 CFM per 100 BTU/h installed, a minimum in the range of 1,200 CFM, and a hood that overhangs the cooking surface by about 3 inches per side. Treat that as a design starting point, not a regulatory requirement. Our pergola configurations are drawn around where the grill sits.
The companion appliances worth the money — and the ones that aren't
Every module costs enclosure width, budget, and sometimes gas flow.
| Appliance | Published specification | Our read |
|---|---|---|
| Side burner | Two 17,500 BTU/h dual-ring burners (35,000 BTU/h) | Worth it if you genuinely make sauces outside. Otherwise, wasted width. |
| Power burner | 70,000 BTU/h with low simmer | Justified for big pots. On its own it changes the gas line math. |
| Warming drawer TEWD30-C | 120V, 450W, 4A, 60–220°F, UL approved for outdoor or indoor use | The most-used module among clients who entertain. Needs a dedicated circuit. |
| Refrigerated drawers TERD242-F | UL certified for outdoor use, 34–42°F setpoint, 55–115°F ambient range, 115V / 15A | Outdoor-rated or not at all. |
An indoor refrigerator built into an outdoor island is not just uncertified: its compressor is sized for a stable ambient and its cabinet is not built for moisture. But even a rated unit has limits — the Twin Eagles refrigerated drawers are specified for a 55–115°F ambient range, roughly 13–46°C. Below that, which is a good part of the year here, the appliance is outside its stated operating conditions.
Winter storage, covers, and what the warranty actually covers
The grill itself winters outdoors without trouble: it is a welded 304 stainless cabinet. What suffers is the electrical, the refrigeration, the sink plumbing, and the inside of the grill if you put it away dirty. A properly fitted manufacturer's cover is the best small purchase in the project — but put it on a cold, dry appliance.
The Twin Eagles warranty is strong, and worth reading for what it is. Main burners, hexagonal grates and fabricated stainless components: lifetime against defects, under normal residential use. Briquette trays, gas valves, sear zone burners, rotisserie burners and drip pans: five years. Other components: two years. Full parts and labour: one year.
Here is the honest part. The warranty is not prorated, but after the first year the owner pays labour, freight, removal, reinstallation and shipping. "Lifetime" means the part, not the visit. The document also explicitly excludes discoloration, scratches, minor surface rust and oxidation, describing them as normal conditions to be expected with any outdoor product. Commercial use is excluded, and damage from improper installation is not covered — which loops straight back to gas line sizing and clearances.
From the field
Line diameter gets decided before the slab. We ask for the full list of gas appliances and the real distance to the meter before we draw the island. On a South Shore project the client added a power burner after the concrete was poured, and the trench had to be reopened to go up to 1-inch pipe. The module cost less than the redo.
We turn down wood-framed enclosures, "treated" or not. The 12- and 18-inch clearances make most wood-framed islands impossible to build to spec. We start from a non-combustible metal frame and clad it — which also means an appliance can be swapped ten years later.
Refrigeration is the module clients regret most. Seven months a year it is outside its operating range and empty. Before we order one we ask a single question: how many times a summer do you host more than eight people?
Common questions
How many BTU does a built-in grill need?
Wrong question. What matters is output per burner and grate mass, not the total. Twin Eagles main burners are rated 25,000 BTU/h each, and published totals run from roughly 50,000–64,000 BTU/h on a 30-inch C Series up to 100,000–136,000 BTU/h on an Eagle One 54-inch. Pick the cooking width you need, then confirm the gas line can feed the total.
Can I convert my grill from propane to natural gas myself?
No. In Québec, work on a gas appliance must be performed by a company holding the appropriate RBQ gas licence, by a person holding the matching mandatory qualification certificate — TAG-2, TAG-3N or TAG-3P for an approved residential appliance up to 120 kW. CSA B149.1 clause 4.5.4 further requires the fitter making the conversion to mark the new gas on the appliance rating plate.
Can I put my grill under a pergola?
It depends on what the pergola becomes. An open-louvre structure with open sides is outdoor space. As soon as screens or closed blades can turn it into an enclosed volume, ventilation and carbon monoxide become live issues, and the manufacturer's manual prohibits use in any enclosed area. Never under unprotected combustible construction.
Can an indoor refrigerator work in an outdoor kitchen?
No, and compliance is only part of it. Units UL certified for outdoor use have compressors sized for much wider temperature swings and cabinets built for moisture. An indoor unit built in outdoors voids its warranty, stops holding its setpoint, and corrodes. Empty it and unplug it for the winter regardless of which unit you buy.
Where to start
The order is almost always the same: cooking width first, because it sets the enclosure; fuel and line size next, because they set the trench; clearances and cover after that; companion appliances last. An underfed appliance cannot be fixed with a better appliance.
If you are at the model-comparison stage, start with the Québec outdoor kitchen planning guide, then look at the cooking appliances range; Twin Eagles is one of two built-in lines we install, and DCS Appliances covers the other burner configuration. For the enclosure itself, compare the NatureKast approach with our custom outdoor kitchens, or browse past projects. When you want the gas flow and clearances checked against your plan, get in touch with the appliance list and the distance to your meter.
