propane vs natural gas

[schmism]

so you may or may not know... we have (mostly) moved into a single wide used trailer we set on our property in IL.

I THINK the trailer was retrofit for natural gas (black pipe run along the bottom of the trailer (under the belly wrap.. its "exposed")

I think its natural gas because i THINK the furnace says the natural gas orfice is installed...

well after useing a single burner with attached 20lb tank in my kitchen for the past 4 months, (i really dont want to hear about that from the safty police thanks) i FINALLY got around to hooking up a larger 100lb tank to the outside black pipe line. (shut off gas to furnace)

So the question is how does one determine what the proper orfice for the stove to be? And secondly does it really matter? (well google says yes, but mostly due to waterheaters and such that can catch on fire.... but a stove?!?!?)

My moms kitchen has a Garland profesional stove, she's had it for years, i "learned" to cook on it. ITs a beautiful thing to get like 15,000 btu's out of one burner, but being able to turn it down to a nice simmer.... but i digress.....

our cheezy stove in our STL house has little tinny burners that put out a miserable amount of heat.... (never try to do blackend seared pan fish or some nice prons or sea sclops, you just dont have enough heat)

but the stove at the trailer is GOOD and hot... course it looks like a comercial stove with yellow tips on the flame.... cant get rid of them with the air control "valve"....
(in case your lost, the questions are in bold)

 

[BillyP]

so you may or may not know... we have (mostly) moved into a single wide used trailer we set on our property in IL.

I THINK the trailer was retrofit for natural gas (black pipe run along the bottom of the trailer (under the belly wrap.. its "exposed")

I think its natural gas because i THINK the furnace says the natural gas orfice is installed...

well after useing a single burner with attached 20lb tank in my kitchen for the past 4 months, (i really dont want to hear about that from the safty police thanks) i FINALLY got around to hooking up a larger 100lb tank to the outside black pipe line. (shut off gas to furnace)

So the question is how does one determine what the proper orfice for the stove to be? And secondly does it really matter? (well google says yes, but mostly due to waterheaters and such that can catch on fire.... but a stove?!?!?)

My moms kitchen has a Garland profesional stove, she's had it for years, i "learned" to cook on it. ITs a beautiful thing to get like 15,000 btu's out of one burner, but being able to turn it down to a nice simmer.... but i digress.....

our cheezy stove in our STL house has little tinny burners that put out a miserable amount of heat.... (never try to do blackend seared pan fish or some nice prons or sea sclops, you just dont have enough heat)

but the stove at the trailer is GOOD and hot... course it looks like a comercial stove with yellow tips on the flame.... cant get rid of them with the air control "valve"....
(in case your lost, the questions are in bold)

Too much to comprehend but believe me it matters. Natural gas is under low pressure with a larger orifice. Propane is high pressure with a smaller orifice.

If you you were using a natural gas stove with propane supply, you'd know it for sure. Very dangerous. STOP

Somewhere on the appliance it will tell you what it's designed for. STOP and read.

 

[Sigarms]

I know NOTHING about stoves.

My first thought is to contact the stove manufacturer and ask.

On my end or work, LP is usually an orifice size of .010 and natural gas @ .018

A useful tool that I've come across...

P520L Adjustable Orifice Reamer - Fisher Regulators

 

[Z-Michigan]

Sometimes gas appliances can be changed from natural gas to propane and vice versa by changing the burner size. We had this done for our gas dryer when we moved from city to country last fall. Had a pro do it because I'm a bit scared of gas leaks, but it was a simple job and works fine. As noted, propane running through an orifice designed for natural gas will create a huge flame and is dangerous. Natural gas running through a propance orifice will, I think, create a pathetically small flame.

 

[schmism]

Somewhere on the appliance it will tell you what it's designed for. STOP and read.

Its my undertanding that all appliances that use a "gas" as fuel have a regulator on them.

Most if not all of those regulators have a replaceable/swapable orfice.

As such, while the appliance may say thats its designed for both, they rarely have a way to say "a propane orfice is currently installed"

My furnace has a tag hanging from the regulator that says "natural gas orfice installed" and a little coth bag with a second one.... but AFAIK it was up to the installer to take the time to switch tags when they switch the orfice...

so i guess i could remove it and measure it per sigarms post...

 

[schmism]

A useful tool that I've come across

"Product Name:
Adjustable Orifice Reamer"

now thats a nice little tool!

 

[BillyP]

Its my undertanding that all appliances that use a "gas" as fuel have a regulator on them.

Most if not all of those regulators have a replaceable/swapable orfice.

As such, while the appliance may say thats its designed for both, they rarely have a way to say "a propane orfice is currently installed"

My furnace has a tag hanging from the regulator that says "natural gas orfice installed" and a little coth bag with a second one.... but AFAIK it was up to the installer to take the time to switch tags when they switch the orfice...

so i guess i could remove it and measure it per sigarms post...

I'm gonna let someone else go from here but I'm telling you to get professional help. The regulator is set for what kind of gas you're using. What size orifice is sized for what gas you're using. These two or matched

 

[midlf]

We got a new gas stove. We have propane. The stove came set up for Nat Gas with an included kit to convert to propane. The kit included a new orifice for each burner (stove top and oven) and a spacer to put in the regulator change its operating point. Which orifice was bigger I don't know.

 

[kenmac]

As I have converted many gas ranges & forced air furnaces. let me know what you are wanting to know on this post or pm. If you use that reamer be careful as not to ream too much or you will get a large flame. Most ranges in a mobile home can use propane or N.G. & most come with orifices to change out except the oven burner which will have to be adjusted by turnung it out until you get the proper flame / air mixture. You will have to turn the cap over on the regulator over for N.G. or propane.Yes, orifice size matters. if your range has propane orifices installed, it will not burn . No burn = no or very little flame on N.G..Your mobile home furnace can also be converted to N.G. or propane in about the same manner

 

[rosietheriviter]

so you may or may not know... we have (mostly) moved into a single wide used trailer we set on our property in IL.

I THINK the trailer was retrofit for natural gas (black pipe run along the bottom of the trailer (under the belly wrap.. its "exposed")

I think its natural gas because i THINK the furnace says the natural gas orfice is installed...


So the question is how does one determine what the proper orfice for the stove to be? And secondly does it really matter? (well google says yes, but mostly due to waterheaters and such that can catch on fire.... but a stove?!?!?)

Hi schmism,

I have a 1700 sq ft manufactured home, 10 years old, gas range - water heater - and furnace.

All three have labels to the effect "configured for natural gas. The trailer (yes I call the manufactured homes delivered on wheels - trailers).

In any event I was concerned when I saw the labels since the trailer was hooked up to propane so I called in the local friendly HVAC guy. He examined each appliance and pronounced to me that they each had propane orifices.

My piece of mind was purchased for about $50.00 if I remember correctly.

There is no comparing between hands-on, experienced tradesmen with internet gurus and trying to be helpful novices.

Sometimes ya just plain get what ya pay for.

Rose is Rose

 

[schmism]

Hi schmism,

I have a 1700 sq ft manufactured home, 10 years old, gas range - water heater - and furnace.

All three have labels to the effect "configured for natural gas. The trailer (yes I call the manufactured homes delivered on wheels - trailers).

mines from 94... and i dont care what uphamisms they use these days, i live in a single wide trailer! am i prowd of my single wide that cost less than a new car.... perhaps... im i prowd to say i live in a trailer.... perhaps... knowing it means i get to save like $2K per month toward building a new home on the property!

 

[stumpfield]

So the question is how does one determine what the proper orfice for the stove to be? And secondly does it really matter? (well google says yes, but mostly due to waterheaters and such that can catch on fire.... but a stove?!?!?)
(in case your lost, the questions are in bold)

To answer your question... Only the manufacturer/designer of the appliance knows exactly what's the proper orfice. Yes, it does matter. The design of the burner/air flow determines what size orfice. I recently converted my grill from propane to natural gas. I drilled the orfice roughly 2.2x the original (propane) size by trial of error. Too small, it won't burn hot enough to deliver the correct BTU. Too large, you got yellow flame and can be deadly.... However, you can not convert from natural gas to propane without getting the proper orfice and regulator.

 

[Sigarms]

There is no comparing between hands-on, experienced tradesmen with internet gurus and trying to be helpful novices.

Sometimes ya just plain get what ya pay for.

I would trust Kenmac's advise.

Sometimes you get a whole lot less than what you paid for as well. You would be surprised at the wealth of knowledge of guys who advertise in the yellow pages.

 

[Sigarms]

im i prowd to say i live in a trailer.... perhaps... knowing it means i get to save like $2K per month toward building a new home on the property!

I'm proud to say that I got you beat! I lived in a trailer in West Virginia! I'm not saying that sarcastically (sp?), best days of my life and if I could do it all over again, well, lets not say anything to the wife

Just wait till you get to spend all that money you save. STAY PUT WHERE YOU'RE AT!!!! You'll thank me later

 

[kenmac]

Hey, I'm glad they have mobile homes/ trailers (I've nothing against them ) .I've made alot of $ converting appliances to from Propane to N.G. & back to Propane again & reconnecting their a/c when the move to another location There are alot of folkes that won't convert these appliances because, on the oven you have to adjust the orifice instead of replacing it . You will also have to adjust the air for all the burners even in the furnace. Some folkes are just not comfortable doing this. I learned the old fashion way . I had to drill out orifices on older ranges & furnaces using a conversion chart with a # drill bit. Now days the appliance manufacture sends you the orifices & you just flip the regulator top cap over. Just adjust the air & your set !

 

[Sigarms]

Now days the appliance manufacture sends you the orifices & you just flip the regulator top cap over.

We all know that the manufacturer would never send the wrong orifice in the right bag. Don't laugh, it has happened.

 

[kenmac]

O' Yes, that has happened a time or 2. I just have to pull out the O'l chart & get out the drill bits

 

[ByronBob]

I remember when I built my house 4 years ago that all the appliances came from Sears. The wall oven had a regulator you converted. The dryer on the other hand need to be torn apart and a new orifice added.

So depending on how the unit is built makes a difference. I went to a dealer to get the orifice. You should reference the manual to confirm.