Can You Run A Natural Gas Water Heater On Propane

You ll need to replace any electric appliances that you d like to run with propane or natural gas.

Can you run a natural gas water heater on propane.

One has to understand the difference between propane and natural gas. Propane molecule is much bigger than natural gas molecule also the natural gas service pressure is much lower than pressure of propane gas coming from propane tank plus the natural gas oriface are larger than propane orifice the higher pressure gas flowing through a larger orifice will result in more gas through the. Natural gas is a utility that s only available in some areas and underground pipes bring it to your home. Yes propane appliances can run on natural gas but it is not advisable without installing a conversion kit.

While converting natural gas to propane is quite simple some city codes mandate that it be done by a professional. All water heaters that burn natural gas or liquid propane lp gas require a venting system. The propane tank in the backyard market is huge however not huge enough to justify a totally separate line of water heaters dryers ranges and furnaces just for it. The water heater must be labeled as convertible and only a licensed gas technician should convert the appliance.

How much does it cost to run a portable tankless water heater on propane. Unfortunately there s no easy way to convert electric appliances like heaters ovens or water heaters to natural gas or propane. Usually you will expect the average cost of running this propane tankless water heater to be between 175 and 500 annually. You will want to check the coding for your appliance to make sure that the conversion is possible.

Generally propane distribution lines have only a half inch inside diameter but natural gas lines need to have at least a 3 4 inch inside diameter to deliver an equivalent amount of natural gas. Check with the manufacturer or read the installation manual online. By staff writer last updated mar 26 2020 3 40 58 am et. The water heater s ventilation system removes these byproducts from the home making it a critical safety feature.

Re piping a propane home for natural gas requires hiring a licensed natural gas installer. The process of burning of the gas is called combustion and it creates heat exhaust gases including highly poisonous carbon monoxide and moisture. The label on the appliance should always be referred to. However it will be critical first to understand how different variables will affect the eventual cost of running this heater.

Therefore most manufacturers offer jetting kits to convert the appliance from one fuel to the other.