Converting NG Water heater to Propane

sylvar · #1 04/11/06, 11:02 AM

What parts do I need to Convert an Natural Gas water heater to Propane? I just got a free water heater that I want to use to Pre-heat water for my chicken scalder. No NG service at the barn, so I just want to be able to hook a propane tank to it and kick it on when I need it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Shane

foxtrapper · #2 04/11/06, 01:46 PM

Normally it's just a nozzle size change. Any appliance store should be able to look it up for you.

sylvar · #3 04/11/06, 05:14 PM

Cool! that sounds cheap!

Thanks!

Shane

twohawlks · #4 04/12/06, 09:39 AM

My understanding on this is at one time you just changed the orfice
but a fed. law now prohibits this and you can not get the parts anymore.
twohawlks

foxtrapper · #5 04/12/06, 01:21 PM

Nope. Appliances are still routinely sold with the nozzles for both natural gas and propane in areas like mine where rural folk are on bottled propane and the city folk have natural gas lines.

chuckhole · #6 04/12/06, 04:58 PM

My stove was sold as both LPG and NG but my Water Heater is LPG only and cost about $60 more than the LPG.

Did they see me coming or is there a difference on some applliances but not others?

tyusclan · #7 04/12/06, 06:07 PM

Some appliances, such as gas stoves, can be converted from one to the other. Water heaters can not be legally changed.

jefferson · #8 04/13/06, 09:47 AM

"Water heaters can not be legally changed" Why??????

countrymech · #9 04/13/06, 01:29 PM

I installed a new 60 gallon waterheater last fall and it came with the orifices for both natural gas and propane. So did our new stove. I swapped them both over myself. Took about 15 minutes. As far as illegal, thats a new one. It might just be a local code thing. Now that I think of it, every appliance I've ever purchased for propane has come from the factory set-up for natural gas and had to be converted on site. Always ticks me off because they charge more for propane appliances and then I have to do it myself. Good luck.

tyusclan · #10 04/19/06, 09:52 PM

Okay, I wanted to be sure I was giving the correct information, so I checked with a plumbing rep who sells for a large wholesale plumbing company. According to him, and the guy HE checked with, commercial water heaters can be converted from one to the other, but residential cannot.