How Long Does A Liquid Propane Tank Last
Most of the mid-size barbecues use a regular 20-pound propane tank that can give you about 18-20 hours of grilling time. The larger grills can use a tank in as less as 10 hours. As you get more experienced with how your grill performs when the tank is full, you will be able to sense it when the fuel runs low.
How Do I Connect A Natural Gas Grill To My House
To connect a natural gas grill to your house, you need to hire a professional. Working with gas lines is dangerous, so do not attempt this without a professional present. A plumbing or heating contractor or a licensed gas fitter are your best options to install your natural gas grill.
If you have some experience and plan to pursue the gas grill installation yourself, be sure to have it inspected by a professional before use.
There are two main ways to power your grill: propane or natural gas. Natural gas has several advantages when compared to propane.
- Cost-effective natural gas is often less expensive than propane, which will save you money over time.
- Safe Unlike propane, which is denser than air, natural gas is lighter than air. It rises, which prevents any dangerous buildup of gas from occurring.
- Convenient No need to buy bulky propane tanks and hook them up to your gas grill. Also, you wont have to refill natural gas like you do with propane, which makes it a reliable option.
- Portable As long as you have the right cord to connect your grill to the home gas line, you can install your gas grill anywhere in the yard.
If you are looking to invest in a natural gas grill, then check out this article for our detailed step-by-step breakdown of the installation process. Refer to the video below to help with the installation.
Propane Grill Or Natural Gas: What To Choose
There are two types of fuel sources used in homes. Natural gas is commonly used in stoves or heating purposes in homes. On the other hand, propane fuel is filled in the tanks, most widely used outdoors and for traveling purposes.
While propane gas can be used for home purposes, they need special valves to fuel the appliances. Moreover, it can get expensive if used for regular use, as it comes in small tanks. And after they are finished, they are either replaced or refilled.
The difference in chemical composition between them is natural gas is majorly composed of methane, while propane is a hydrocarbon, the byproduct of natural gas. Furthermore, even natural gas is slightly refined, it is considered environment-friendly fuel because it doesnt require much oxygen to burn, and the fumes rise.
On the other hand, propane is highly refined but requires more oxygen to burn, and its fumes sink on the floor rather than rising. Also read, best budget-friendly gas grills.
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Converting To Natural Gas
There is any number of videos and instructional articles available that discuss boring out propane valves and burners on a grill to make them suitable for burning natural gas as the fuel. Although this is occasionally successful, it can also be disastrously dangerous. A better strategy is to buy a conversion kit designed for your grill. For less than $100 , you may be able to replace the valves and burners on a propane grill and adapt it to burning natural gas.
However, these conversion kits are often after-market products made by third-party manufacturers, and some grill manufacturers expressly warn against conversion. Weber, for example, expressly forbids conversion and will void the warranty on the grill if you use a third-party conversion kitalthough many grill owners do successfully complete such conversions. Charbroil, on the other hand, offers their own conversion kits and provides instruction on how to convert a grill from propane to natural gas.
Determine The Capacity Of The Gas Line Running To Your Home By Looking At The Gas Meter
The gas meter should have a CFH reading or cubic feet per hour. Take the CFH reading and multiply it by 1000 to get the approximate capacity of your natural gas line.
This capacity can vary dramatically depending on the pressure of your natural gas line. For example, in the video, the meter is 210 cubic feet per hour, but the licensed professional said that 400,000 BTUs is running through the line.
Calculating this capacity can get complex, so be sure to consult an expert.
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Propane Gas Vs Natural Gas
Both natural gas and liquid propane are common fuels, and homeowners often confuse the two. Natural gas is the fuel that usually powers home heating systems and gas-powered stoves, ovens, and clothes dryers when the home is supplied by the municipal gas company. Propane is the fuel of choice in rural areas, where a large tank of fuel sits in the yard and is refilled periodically by a traveling fuel truck that pumps it full of liquid propane. In homes served by liquid propane, the furnaces, stoves, and other appliances that have special valves and burners designed to accept propane gas.
For outdoor grills and appliances, liquid propane is the more common fuel. It is sold in smaller portable tanks or bottles that connect directly to the grill, outdoor fire pit, or heater. The vast majority of grills sold in the U.S. burn liquid propane.
Chemically, there are slight differences between these fuels. Natural gas consists mostly of liquid methane, although it also contains other gases, including some amount of propane. Natural gas undergoes little refinement after being pumped from the ground it is very close to the same gas that comes from the earth. Commercial propane gas, on the other hand, is a refined fuel, one of the hydrocarbons that is extracted from natural gas. Because it is refined, propane requires less gas to produce the same BTU output as natural gas. But there are some distinct advantages to burning natural gas in grills and other outdoor appliances:
Things To Do Before Starting The Work
There are many aspects you will have to consider and go over before you can take a step towards the conversion. Make sure you check these boxes off before you start with the task otherwise, you will have to stop in between and do some of the steps all over again. Now that is the trouble you want to avoid.
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Select A Kit That Works Specifically With Gas Logs To Ensure You Obtain The Correct Fittings And The Regulator You Need To
There is no conversion kit i can find on the internet or at stores. Converting to gas can make financial sense, but there’s more to be aware of. We show you how to use a special conversion kit. Do you really need both a charcoal and a gas grill? I have a propane grill that i would like to convert to use natural gas. Learn the advantages of natural gas. Converting a propane gas log to one that operates on natural gas can be accomplished with a suitable conversion kit. You may be considering changing over from oil to natural gas because of the cost savings. With 30,000 btus and 360 square feet of space, this compact grill is small but mighty. If you’re interested in converting to gas, the following tips can help yo. We may earn a commission through links on our site. the grill cavity is 15h x 14d x 25w,. For my initial design i’m using junk box parts .
There is no conversion kit i can find on the internet or at stores. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Convert your propane grill to natural gas to make sure the fuel doesn’t run out. We show you how to use a special conversion kit. If you’re interested in converting to gas, the following tips can help yo.
How To Convert A Propane Grill To Natural Gas Step By Step With Video
This is the guide you need for liquid propane to natural gas grill conversion. Learn what to consider before you start, two videos showing how to convert the most popular grill brands, and a step by step written guide to help make the conversion easy and seamless.
Today Im going to show you exactly how to convert a propane grill to natural gas. Ill be covering the same process the professionals use and include two videos showing step-by-step propane to natural gas grill conversions for two major brands of grills.
Although it may seem daunting, converting from propane to natural gas is actually a straightforward process. But there are some things you need to be aware of and consider to make sure it goes smoothly and safely. We cover it all in this guide.
Lets dive right in.
Key Takeaways for Converting from Propane to Natural Gas
- You must make sure you have a mains gas supply, or can get one, before you start.
- Make sure your grill is convertible not all are!
- An official kit from your grills manufacturer is recommended to convert from propane to natural gas.
- The work itself is easy to follow. You should be capable, just follow the videos below.
- If youre not confident, many plumbers and gas companies can make the conversion for you.
Contents
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Remove The Control Panel
This step will depend on your grills design. If your grills burners run into the control panel as per the image below then you will need to control panel to give you full access to your grills valve tubes in order to remove them for conversion.
If your grills valve tube and burner connection sits directly under the cooking grates then you will not need to remove the control panel, and can skip this step.
Remove the control panel on your grill. In the case of most propane grills, like the Weber Spirit, this can be lifted and removed quite easily. Removing this should expose the control valves. With the valves exposed, find the gas line that connects the manifold to the valves.
The tip of the control valve is inserted into the burner. The front of the burner is where the air adjustment acts like a carburetor mixing gas with oxygen as the valve sprays gas mixed with air into the Weber pipe burner.
We are going to need to slide the burner off the valve so we can access the orifice. In order to slide the burner off the control valve we have two options. However, the condition of the barbecue will usually choose one of these options for us. If not you are lucky but the build up of grease and the breakdown of materials usually decides this for us.
What Size Grill Do You Need
Think about how many individuals youll most frequently be feeding.
If youre solely going to be cooking for a household of three, you dont need a 6-burner behemoth! Its only a waste of cash, and can value extra gas than is critical to warmth it via every time you need to cook dinner.
For your friends to eat their meal collectively and have a great time, deciding on the fitting measurement cooking area would be the key.
For optimum grilling, plan about an inch of area between every meals merchandise. A grill containing three burnersas much as 500 sq. inchesneeds to be sufficient for an average-sized household.
Larger households or teams ought to most likely intention for 5 6 burnersas much as 650 sq. inches of cooking space.
Consider Number of Burners
The variety of burners doesnt solely enhance your cooking area, it additionally impacts your grilling strategies and methods. The extra burners you will have, the extra completely different warmth zones you may have, to cook different foods at different temperatures.
You will even have the ability to cook dinner oblique, the place solely half or much less burners are turned on for warmth, and meat is positioned away from the direct warmth supply for oblique roasting. Essential for bigger cuts like ribs and pulled pork.
Most pure fuel grills are constructed with two to 6 burners. We recommend getting three minimal for those who can afford it, to benefit from the flexibility when wanted.
Consider Required Footprint
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Converting A Propane Grill To Natural Gas
In order to convert your grill to natural gas,you must have natural gas piped in your neighborhood. You will have to haveyour utility company or contractor run a line to your patio .
Natural Gas is a lower pressured Gas so if youwere to hook up your propane grill to your natural gas line, you will have alot less gas flow. The orifice hole size is visually larger on natural gas than propane.
One of the benefits of switching from propane often referred to as liquid propane, or LP to natural gas is that you donthave to worry about running out of fuel in the middle of grilling your meal.Most propane grill owners will keep a spare tank around, but sometimes youdont realize how low your tank is, or you just havent had the opportunity topick a new one up.
Before you commit to converting your propanegas grill into a natural gas grill, be sure to double check your manufacturersrecommendations and owners manual.
As more extreme weather becomes more common,natural gas generators that can power an entire house are in greater demand. Ifyouve invested in a whole-house generator, it may make sense for you to hookyour gas grill up to it, as well.
Why Should You Convert A Grill From Natural Gas To Propane
As we talk about natural gas and propane gas grill, both come with unique advantages. However, using a natural gas grill will limit portability.
It happens because these grills are connected with the natural gas supply line at home, and you cant move it after installation without professional help. On the contrary, propane run barbecue grills come with a portable propane tank.
These tanks are around 20 lbs weight and can be easily moved from one place to another. Also, propane is readily available in the nearest CNG or LPG stations. So, you can take the grill anywhere for a lovely weekend party or even a beach party.
However, getting a brand new propane grill can be a bit expensive. Thus, converting your existing natural gas grill to a propane base is an easy and cost-cutting alternative.
Also, the converting natural gas grill to propane is pretty straightforward. So, why not opt for convenience?
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How To Use A Conversion Kit In Simple Steps
The main thing to do is to remove the orifice on the burner valves. Right before propane enters a burner, it goes through a valve that regulates the flow of gas. In the middle of the valve, theres a small orifice the gas goes through.
Propane uses a very small orifice and natural gas uses much larger orifices. You should remove the burners from the grill, remove the small propane orifices, and reconnect the burners.
Get Yourself A Conversion Kit
When you set out to do anything or any work, you always must have all the right equipment and the right tools with you, this will help you get the job done faster, and the result will be much more satisfactory.
That is why you should invest some money and get yourself a conversion kit. Before buying the equipment, see which one is suitable for your grill, and the best way to do that is either the website of the grill company or their instruction manual.
In some cases, you might also be able to avail of the conversion kit from the manufacturer, and this will make it easier for you to get the one that will work with your grill.
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Can I Convert My Gas Grill From Propane To Natural Gas
If you have a grill that currently uses propane, you can convert it to natural gas. However, we recommend that you check your manufacturers web site to find out what they recommend. On some grills you may void the warranty if you convert your grill from propane to natural gas. Others sell conversion kits specifically for their brand of grill. And newer grills may include the connections for both propane or natural gas, and you can choose to install whichever fits your needs.
Propane gas burns hotter than natural gas and therefore, the valves are designed for a lower gas flow on a propane grill than a natural gas grill. If you simply try to connect your current propane grill to natural gas, the flames will be very small and the grill will not heat up properly.
The safest and easiest way to convert a liquid propane grill to natural gas is with a conversion kit supplied by the manufacturer.
Why Should You Convert To Natural Gas
Converting to natural gas ensures that you always have a constant supply of gas without the need to constantly be restocking on propane tanks and propane tank gauges.
This does present challenges in manoeuvrability however, as your grill be essentially fixed to the area immediately around your natural gas supply. So if you like to take your grill camping or tailgating then converting to natural gas wont be a practical course of action.
However if you only only tend to grill at home and are keen to save money on propane costs, then converting to natural gas is certainly something to consider.
The most important tool youll need for converting your propane grill to natural gas is a conversion kit. This is essentially a hose with brass fittings on either ends which can connect your propane grill to your natural gas pipe. The fitting for your grills manifold will however be specific to your brand, so be sure to buy one that is compatible with your gas grill.
Install your chosen conversion kit in line with the kits owners manual.
Here are some examples of brand or model-specific conversion kits that should work with your grill:
- Tap directly into your natural gas supply and convert a propane gas grill…
- Perfect for hooking up the grill, fire pit, pizza oven, patio heater, and…
- Made of 100% solid brass fittings and sturdy rubber hose, provides a secure…
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