What kind of gas do I want?

August 21, 2008 8:00 PM

ManyRelatedQuestionsFilter: Can I convert an indoor stove from natural gas to propane? Is it safe? Is it difficult? Do I need to buy a special stove and/or special kit? How often would I have to change a standard propane tank? Does anyone have any experiences converting or cooking with a converted range? Should I convert a gas stove or rewire for an electric stove? Thanks!!!
posted by walla to home & garden (5 comments total)

Call your local propane provider. You can lease a tank and they can convert, it does not cost a lot. It is NOT DYI (do it yourself).
posted by raildr at 8:11 PM on August 21, 2008

Our stove just needed the jets replacing to use propane. I didn't do it myself but might do another time; you just need to be aware of the possibility of blowing your house up.
posted by anadem at 9:13 PM on August 21, 2008

It depends on the stove. My stove has a regulator on which you have to flip a shim to change the working pressure to that of propane (11" water column) from that of natural gas (4-5" water column). The range works without issues and has been stone reliable over six years. Gas ovens are neither as precise nor as convenient as electric ones, but there is no substitute for a gas cooktop.

Propane has about 92,000 BTU / gallon. A big burner delivers about 12,000 BTU / hr, so you will go through a gallon of propane in about seven hours with one of those burners on full blast. At the lowest flame the same burner delivers 2000 - 3000 BTU / hr, giving maybe 30 hours' use from a gallon of propane.
posted by jet_silver at 9:36 PM on August 21, 2008

Yeah, probably not a good choice for a do-it-yourself project, considering the possibility of blowing up your house. Just call your local propane provider and chat with them about what it would take to switch to propane. They should be happy to do the conversion for you, at little or no cost, if you sign up to buy your propane from them.
posted by exphysicist345 at 10:53 AM on August 22, 2008

Look at your stove's manual. Like jet_silver said, it depends on the stove -- for some it's just a matter of changing the jets, for others it's more complicated. If you're comfortable with the conversion procedure outlined in the manual, go for it, but if not call your local purveyor of propane and propane accessories.
posted by harkin banks at 6:36 PM on August 22, 2008