DCS assembly
The island is part of the appliance.
A DCS drops into an outdoor kitchen and hangs from its flanges. Everything that decides whether it is safe was built before the grill arrived: the clearances, the vents, the gas line and what your island is actually made of.
This is not a grill you assemble. It is a grill you install.
The other grills on this directory come in a box and go together with a screwdriver. A DCS does not. It is a professional appliance that drops into a masonry opening, connects to a gas supply, and needs an electrical outlet inside the island for its ignition transformer.
DCS are unambiguous about the parts that matter: gas leak testing must be carried out by a qualified technician, the outdoor RCD or GFCI-protected outlet should be installed by a qualified electrician, and an installer-supplied gas shut-off valve must be fitted somewhere you can actually reach it.
And the most important decisions were made by whoever built the island, possibly months before anybody thought about the grill.
The trades involved
It is rarely one person, and DCS say so.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Building the island to the cutoutCorners must be a true 90 degrees or the access drawers will not fit. | the real project | a mason |
| The gas supplyConnector max 6ft, correct pressure, accessible shut-off valve. | a licensed job | a gas fitter |
| Leak testingDCS’s words. Factory-tested is not site-tested. | mandatory | A QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN |
| The electrical outletRCD/GFCI protected. For the 12V ignition transformer. | inside the island | an electrician |
| Dropping the grill inIt hangs from its side flanges. Remove the shipping brackets first. | the easy part | 2 to 3 |
Do not discard the box, pallet or straps until the unit has been inspected. DCS state plainly that they are not responsible for shipping damage, and the claim goes to the shipper.
The things that make this dangerous rather than difficult
A stone island framed in wood is a COMBUSTIBLE enclosure
This is the sentence to read twice, in DCS’s own words: if your island is made of stucco over the top of wooden studs, the wood cannot be inside the clearance zone to combustible, EVEN THOUGH THE STUCCO IS WHAT IS TOUCHING THE GRILL AREA. Your island can look like solid masonry and still be a timber-framed structure with a skin on it. The facing does not decide this. The studs do. If there is wood inside the clearance zone, you need a DCS-approved insulated jacket, and only theirs, because it is the one tested for the purpose.
Flame-proofing wood does not make it non-combustible
DCS define combustible material to include wood, compressed paper, plant fibres and vinyl, and state that such material is considered combustible EVEN THOUGH FLAME-PROOFED or fire-retardant treated. A contractor who tells you the treated lumber is fine has misunderstood the standard.
The vents are not optional, and a sealed island is the dangerous one
DCS require a minimum of three vents in the island, at ten square inches each. The purpose is explicit: to eliminate the potential build-up of gas in the event of a gas leak. A beautifully sealed, watertight, fully enclosed island is precisely the one that will hold a leak until something ignites it. Ventilation openings are mandatory, and so is a front access opening large enough to reach the shut-off valve and, on LP, to get the cylinder in and out.
The LP tank restraint goes in BEFORE first use
If you are running on a cylinder inside the island, DCS require a built-in LP tank restraint, fitted before the grill is used, and secured to the island floor through all eight of its holes. It is easy to skip, because the grill will light without it, and it is there to stop a gas cylinder moving around inside an enclosed cavity.
Wind can make the control panel dangerously hot
An unexpected one from the manual. Wind hitting the grill, particularly blowing into or across the hood gap, causes poor performance and in some cases can make the control panel dangerously hot. If the site is exposed, a wind screen is not a comfort item. It is part of the installation.
Never connect an unregulated gas line
Use the regulator supplied with the unit, even if the supply is regulated. Check the rating plate under the drip tray matches your gas type, natural or LP, before anything is connected. And leave the factory-fitted regulator and hose assembly on the grill, because DCS specifically say not to remove it during installation.
Before the island is built, not after
Get the DCS installation manual for YOUR model and give it to whoever is building the island. The cutout, the clearances, the vent count, the gas line opening and the corner angles all come from that document.
Decide now whether the enclosure is combustible. If there is timber anywhere in it, order the DCS insulated jacket at the same time as the grill.
Plan the gas line, the shut-off valve and the electrical outlet into the island while it is still a drawing.
And if the site is windy, plan the wind break too.
Why nobody sensible does this themselves
Because it is gas, in a confined cavity, next to timber, with electricity in the same box.
Because DCS require the leak test to be done by a qualified technician and the outlet by a qualified electrician, and they are not being cautious.
And because the expensive mistakes here are made by the person who built the island, long before the grill arrives. Somebody who has installed one of these before reads the manual FIRST and builds the cavity to it. That is the whole job.
What an installer does
- Reads the model-specific manual before the island is built, and sets the cutout, clearances and vents from it.
- Establishes whether the enclosure is combustible, regardless of what it is faced with, and fits the DCS insulated jacket if it is.
- Confirms the three-vent minimum and a front access opening to the shut-off valve.
- Coordinates the gas fitter and the electrician, and gets the shut-off valve somewhere reachable.
- Fits the LP tank restraint before first use, and removes the shipping brackets before the grill goes in.
- Has the gas leak test done by a qualified technician, and checks the burner flames before leaving.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Can I install a DCS grill in my existing outdoor island?
Only if the island meets DCS’s clearance and ventilation requirements, and the critical question is what the island is made of underneath the facing. A stucco or stone island built over wooden studs is a combustible enclosure and needs a DCS-approved insulated jacket, even though the stucco is what touches the grill.
Does the island need vents?
Yes, and it is not negotiable. DCS require a minimum of three vents at ten square inches each, specifically to prevent gas building up inside the enclosure if there is a leak. They also require a front access opening large enough to reach the shut-off valve and remove an LP cylinder.
Does treated or fire-retardant lumber count as non-combustible?
No. DCS explicitly define combustible material to include wood and similar materials even when they have been flame-proofed or fire-retardant treated. Treatment does not change the clearance requirement.
Do I need an electrician?
DCS say the outdoor RCD or GFCI-protected outlet should be installed by a qualified electrician, inside the island enclosure for built-in units. It powers the 12V transformer that runs the ignition and dial illumination.
Who does the gas leak test?
DCS require a qualified technician. The connections are leak tested at the factory, but a full gas tightness check must be done on site, because things move in shipping. Do not use the grill until the connections have been checked.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by DCS or Fisher & Paykel. DCS is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the installation services that independent installers on this directory provide. Gas and electrical work should be carried out by appropriately licensed trades in your jurisdiction.