Many times it happens that we have some particular fuel appliance but with time, we want to change it to some other fuel appliance, which may be due to the unavailability of that underused fuel in a particular place. Likewise here we will tell you how you can convert your natural gas heater to propane gas heater.
First of all, everyone should know that not all heaters have the ability to support these types of conversions. For using the correct heater, one should have correct and sufficient technical knowledge to make this thing happen. You should modify the furnace using a conversion kit.
How To Convert A Natural Gas Heater and Why We Need To Do
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Some prime reasons for converting the natural gas heater into a propane gas heater are
- Each unit amount of propane gas contains double energy provided per unit of natural gas. Therefore, propane has a better fuel energy production rate.
- You can find different providers in case of propane which is not possible with natural gas because with this you can only get the supply from the company of whose pipeline you are using.
- Less availability of natural gas in comparison to propane gas in a particular locality to use the appliance.
Modifications in Furnace
Step 1
Close the gas supplying valve, and remove its connection from the furnace. Then open the screws of the door of the furnace and detach that door. Also, remove all the electric connections from the appliance.
Step 2
Detach the flame sensor wires that are attached to the control valve, and remove the rollout switch. Also, take out the manifold pipe to access the gas control valve.
Step3
Remove the screws of the regulator adjustment and pressure regulator adjustment screw.
Step 4
Remove and replace the springs already there in the control valve. Put the new pressure regulator adjustment screw also. Make sure they cover the surface of the control valve.
Step 5
Now put the new ring into the adjustment cap present in the conversion kit. And replace the orifices already attached to the manifold from narrow inlet orifices.
Step 6
Remove the screw that keeps the shield in place and put the spoiler screw from the kit into the removed burner from the compartment. Screw them till the screw heads are in level with the burners’ surface.
Step 7
Now replace the air shield, then burner assembly and reattach the manifold pipe into the burner assembly. Then connect all the electrical wires to the gas control valve and other parts of the furnace back to it and close the furnace with its door.
Gas Connection
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- Connect propane supply to the gas supply line and then install a manual gas shutoff valve on the line having a test gauge attached to it.
- Connect the propane gas supply to the furnace and seal the pipe properly so that it does not face any leakage.
- Turn the gauge off and detach the inlet pressure tap.
- Now install a 1/8 inch NPT connector so that you can attach a pressure gauge to it, and turn on the gauge to start the gas supply.
- Turn on the power supply to start the furnace and check that the pressure inside is a minimum of 11mm or not and turn off the power again.
- Remove the pressure gauge tube and the hose connector from the main gas line.
- Again Turn on the supply and ensure that the gas is not leaking, you can test this by using a forming solution. Pass the solution and if the bubbles appear then there might be some leakage present at the location.
Propane Heater vS Natural Gas Heater
Propane may look costlier at first site but since it’s fuel consumption rate is lower and energy produced per unit is greater in comparison it’s performance-price section is much more convincing. Most people use natural gas heaters because of its low price.
Also, the price of both these varies from place to place. So other than environmental issues which may happen due to leakage in which propane may be found much more toxic.
If we will have the proper safety majors that seal the pipelines properly then propane is a better option since with this much energy providing capacity we can use it in many other appliances like stoves and clothes dryers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which Is A Safer Fuel Propane Gas Or Natural Gas Heater?
Natural gas dissipates in the atmosphere therefore it is much safer to the environment in case of leakage.
Q2. How To Check Whether The Heater Is Convertible Or Not?
Every heater has a license label on it which tells whether we can convert the heater to use other fuel or not. Because Every heater does not have the facility to change its fuel for usage.
Q3. Is The Conversion Of Fuel Usage Safe?
Yes, if your heater supports conversion and you did the connections correctly then it is safe to convert a natural gas heater to a propane gas heater and even vice versa.
I am Richard A. Jackson man behind propane heating solution, An HVAC expert working as a team lead of the heating department, Provide services all over the USA (around all major cities), and from planning to implementation, you will get all your solution here. We provide various tanks (propane and other natural gases) and deal with disposable waste.
