Propane To Natural Gas

Semolina Pilchard

I have a Metal Fusion brand turkey fryer that I am using as a burner for my wok. It is one of those lightweight types you can buy anywhere. I am running it off of a propane tank. I have a natural gas tap on my patio that I would like to use, but was told by someone who should know that the pressure will be too low to use with this type of turkey fryer. Any thoughts?

Celtic Wolf

Listen to them!!

FlaPoolman

You would need to change the regulator. Usually your gas company will change it at no charge to get you to natural. Really easy swap but I wouldn't do it without a manometer to measure water column inches.

Celtic Wolf

They'll do it on appliances. I doubt they will on a turkey fryer..

Best to leave it as it is.

Little Steven

Manometer,

Y'all just keep yer little toys in your tickle box. Now hold my beer and watch this.

Steve

FlaPoolman

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :evil:

Unknown

here's what i did (your mileage may vary)

there is an orifice in the burner. as others have said, the pressure in an LP tank is higher than in your home natural gas system. because of this, the orifice for use with natural gas must be larger than with LP.

you need to drill out the orifice.

hook up your burner to LP, open the valve all the way, and note the intensity of the flame.

then disconnect, and drill out the orifice one drill size larger than it is now. hook up to your natural gas line and see if the flame intensity is the same as with your LP tank. continue to drill out the orifice with increasingly larger drills until the intensity of the flame is the same as with LP.

FlaPoolman

If you can't measure water column inches your asking for trouble by drilling. A regulator and new orifice (if required) cost less than $10. Don't take chances with gas or electricity, thats what meters are for.

Charleston Dave

What is this "gas" of which you speak? :laugh:

Seriously, you need a new regulator. Stove burners for indoor ranges are sold for propane or natural. Try talking to the guys that sell gas grills at the pool store.

You're playing with fire here, if you'll pardon the pun. It's a false economy to put yourself and your cookmates at risk in order to save the cost of refilling propane tanks or buying the right equipment for natural gas, when it only costs a couple bucks to do it right. That's the kind of reasoning that wins Darwin awards.

You were planning on staying the gene pool, right?

DryFly

Maybe an urban legend, but someone told me that propane burns hotter than natural gas. Is that true?

Celtic Wolf

Two and a half times hotter per equal volume to be somewhat exact.

Which is why you need the bigger orifice in the nozzle.