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Can You Hook Up Natural Gas to a Propane Gas Grill?

Although propane is the most popular choice for gas grill fuel, natural gas is slowly becoming popular due to its eco-friendly nature.

Once you have installed a natural gas pipeline in your house, you do not have to worry about running out of gas midway or frequently replacing your fuel tanks — click here to learn more about the best gas grills and shop for your favourite BBQ accessories.

You should never connect a propane gas grill to a natural gas pipeline as it might damage your grill or cause an accident. To use natural gas in your propane gas grill, you have to convert it. The conversion process is quite simple, and in the article, we will discuss the steps to convert your propane gas grill for natural gas use.

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Why should you convert to natural gas?

  • Firstly, you will have a constant supply of gas without changing your gas tanks regularly.
  • If you are planning to use your grill only in your backyard and you are willing to save money on the propane cost, you may consider converting to natural gas.

Points you should consider before converting your grill

Before beginning the conversion process, make sure that you consider these essential points.

Find out whether your grill is compatible or not

The first thing you have to check is whether your gas grill has the mechanism to run off natural gas or not. You can check this by referencing the brand’s website or checking the owner’s manual.

A BBQ converter kit

You may also consider buying a converter kit compatible with the grill model. Not all conversion kits will be supported by your grill, so you need to consult the manufacturing company about buying this instrument.

Consult an expert

It is generally wise to consult a local technician or a company technician before converting the propane gas grill. The experts can advise you on the safety measures, especially the dangers of using natural gas.

You may also contact an experienced plumbing inspector to know whether it is legal or illegal for you to use a switch or run a gas hose. In the case that you are not permitted, the inspector may help you by recommending a permanent system or working with alternatives.

But if you have a compatible grill and experts confirm that it is safe and completely legal to convert your grill, it’s now time to make the big change.

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How to convert your propane grill to a natural gas grill

This is how you can go about converting your grill from propane grill to natural gas grill with ease:

Shut off the gas

As you will be changing the type of fuel, you need to shut off all the supplies before anything. Various safety precautions must be taken, and stopping the gas flow is one the ideal techniques.

Firstly you need to switch off the natural gas flow at the main and disconnect the pipe connecting to your propane gas tank. As a precautionary measure, you may also open the gas valve to let any stored gas escape. In simple words, you have to ensure that there is no gas left inside the grill.

Get rid of all the grill parts

You need to open your grill during the conversion process, so you need to get rid of any obstacles or clutter in your way.

Firstly, get rid of your grill’s warming rack, flame tamers and the primary grill grates. Next, you have to get rid of the hitch pins which connect the grill burners to the grill brackets. Next, you have to get rid of the grill carryover tube. The carryover tube is the primary connection between the burners, and it also offers a channel for the gas to move from one grill burner to another.

Next, you need to get rid of all the grill burners by disconnecting the tube burner. Now you have to unscrew the orifices from the valve ends.

Note: Do not throw away these orifices, as they will come in use if you happen to want to convert the grill to propane again.

Once you have successfully removed the orifices, the valves will work efficiently with the natural gas. So you do not have to replace them.

Additionally, you also need to replace the propane gas bezels with a natural gas version which is available in the conversion kit. Make sure that you carefully get rid of the bezels so that there is no damage to the control panel. Additionally, you have to carefully align the natural gas versions of bezels with the grill control knob before the tightening process. Now, insert the grill control knobs back into the grill valve stems.

Remove the grill control panel

The next step is to get rid of the control panel of your grill. In most propane models, the control panel can be simply lifted and removed. The control valves will now be exposed from where you can find the gas line which connects it to the main valves.

Reinsert tube burners

You need to insert the tube burner back into the firebox burner holes that line with the valve. Also, you need to make sure that the tube burners are properly connected to the walls. You have to secure the tubes to the brackets using hitch pins which you had previously removed. Also, you need to replace the carryover tubes and then secure them with hitch pins.

The grill LP regulator has to be removed

With a strong wrench, you need to carefully take out the LP regulator hose from the primary connection. Be sure to keep this part on hand if you want to convert your grill back to propane in the future. Usually, the LP regulator is positioned under the side burner shelf or in the cart.

If, for instance, the primary connection is found inside of the cart, you have to insert the converter kits’ natural gas hose through the back end panel and into the cart. You have to guide the hose to the manifold connection of your gas grill.

If the regulator is positioned on the grill’s side burner, you need to guide the hose throughout the control panel towards the connection in the side burner area. Use a wrench to secure the natural gas hose to the connection snuggly.

Endnote

Before converting your propane gas grill to natural gas, you must contact an expert who can offer you advise and safety tips. If you prefer using a portable gas grill, converting it to natural gas is not recommended. Make sure you take professional help if you are unsure of any steps in the process.

 

Gail P
I am a beachy type of person, living in Newport Beach, and oftentimes I’ll go for a swim with my daughter. When I’m bored, I’ll help make package boxes for my little girl’s sticker company on Etsy.