Thursday, October 16, 2008

Changing from Natural Gas to Propane Gas

The good news is, it's easier to convert to LP (or liquid petroleum, aka propane gas) from natural gas than to change from natural gas to a propane conversion. Basically, natural gas runs at a pressure of about 5.5" water column, while propane gas runs at twice that pressure; so the orifice must be made smaller.

We strongly urge our customers to contact a qualified professional in matters of re-plumbing a gas powered appliance of any kind; including gas grills, fire pits, and indoor and outdoor fireplaces. The orifice size will differ with each manufacturer; and no manufacturer makes public the exact orifice size needed to power the appliance in either natural gas or propane. Exchange valves for conversion purposes are rarely if ever available, due to the liability issue. For most conversion applications, you will need to purchase a new appliance that is warrantied for that type of fuel.