So my next door neighbour was kind enough today to [del]offload on me[/del] give me his old barbecue. I’ve been pondering searching for one at garage sales lately, but haven’t had a chance to hit any and haven’t had enough to spare in the kitty to just buy one new (at least not and pay for some fun stuff this summer).
He tells me the burner needs replacing, and I can see it needs cleaning, and of course I need a tank for it. But for the cost of replacing a burner and a new tank? That’s cheaper than a new BBQ! I’m handy enough with the tools it shouldn’t be a problem (hey, I even watched the DIY videos on youtube, now I just need to pick up the replacement pieces. 
)
Any tips for fixing it up? Heck, even tips for using it once I’ve done that would be nice. I’ve never barbecued anything, the closest I’ve done is flipped the meat when I was told!
Also, why are there briquettes in it when there’s a burner? Is it for more even heating/stable temp? Or just a visual thing?