Natural Gas Range Nozzle on Propane- what could go wrong?

Result of a gas range hooked up to propane

What could go wrong when you hook up propane through a natural gas nozzle on a gas range?  Plenty!

The nozzle for natural gas is larger than the nozzle for propane.  If you’re using propane in your gas range, you need to make sure that you have the proper sized propane nozzle.

Not only does it pose a nuisance by guaranteeing uneven cooking, but consider the safety hazards that a larger-than-needed flame brings.

Let’s look at the potential issues a little closer.

Uneven cooking

Don’t ruin Thanksgiving or even a simple weekday meal by having the wrong nozzle on your gas stove!

The propane flame on a natural gas nozzle will be unstable because the gas is traveling through a nozzle that is too large.  More likely than not, you will have too much gas flowing and too much heat. You need less propane than natural gas to cook your food.

I recently found this issue at a home inspection I did in Boyertown, PA.  Thankfully, this was a vacant home.  The seller had recently purchased this appliance.  They didn’t realize it would be an issue to install the natural gas range to a propane hook up.

Thanksgiving was just a few days ago, so it’s a good thing the home wasn’t full of guests or it would have been an interesting holiday!

Natural gas nozzle hooked up to Propane can produce a dangerous flame

Safety Issue

The bigger issue of having a natural gas range hooked up to propane (without the proper nozzle) is a potential safety issue. You could damage the oven, have a flare-up, or have overheating.  This can be dangerous!

Propane has a higher pressure than natural gas.  When you have natural gas nozzles on a propane range, you have pressurized propane coming through a large natural gas opening.  Hence, the amount of gas coming through is far more than needed.

This can produce a large, dangerous flame.

What’s the Solution?

The Solution is relatively simple!  You need a natural gas to propane conversion kit.  There is a specific nozzle designed for the higher pressure of propane gas. A standard natural gas nozzle cannot regulate the higher pressure of propane.  The opposite is true when you buy a propane grill and want to connect it to the home’s natural gas.  You’ll need a propane to natural gas conversion kit to install on the grill.

If you want to install this natural gas to propane conversion kit, checkout the instructions from Sears Parts Direct.   However, we highly recommend to play it safe and hire a professional to install it properly.

Home Inspector in Reading, Philadelphia, Phoenixville & Surrounding

David Artigliere is a home inspector with ARTI Home Inspections LLC in Berks, Montgomery, Chester, Philadelphia, and Lehigh counties and Surrounding.  We offer home inspections 7 days a week.  Click to schedule a home inspection now!