Converting Gas Grill To Natural Gas?

Looking to get a new gas grill & trying to decide if it's worth it to get one with a conversion to nat. gas kit. (we have nat gas in the house &I like the idea of never changing propane tanks but don't like the idea of having to pay a plumber to hook it up)
The grill will be built into a small outdoor kitchen I am building on the deck, so it will be stationary.
Any recommendations?

It is just a jetting/orifice thing.
Most grills can go either way.
Find a grill you like and have it properly setup at purchase.
Remember you have a tether now!
The gas pipe should be where the grill will live.
The hose is usually 6-15 feet.

I wasn't worried about hooking up the conversion kit as I'm pretty handy. What I was talking about was having a plumber come to tie into the gas pipe to run it back outside & up to the deck. One thing I have never touched is gas!

I bet the price from the plumber will scare you.
BDD

And unless you have that gas license you should keep it that way.
Gas fitters make great plumbers.
Not all plumbers should be gas fitters!
Pay the fee, do it right, enjoy leak free grilling.
They will set the grill for NG or propane when you buy it.
Make it easy for the fitter to work, that is how to save yourself money.
Move the 'stuff' 5 feet away from the work area make his job easy.
You do not want to pay fitters rates to clean his work area!
I have at least 5 tanks of propane.
I have NG at the house.
I stick with propane because I have other propane fed devices.
Mosquito Magnet and 500,000 Btu weed burner.

Devil: We all have to go sometime so why not give it a shot. Running gas lines is not hard at all. Where I'm at we are allowed to use soft copper. You just have to flare the connections and then test your joints with soapy water.

Some things to think about.

How far you must plumb to the grill?
How many joints to be threaded?
Will you be running pipe through the homes plate/foundation/wall?

If it were me I would get a heating guy who installs NG furnaces.

I'm considering having my grill setup to run off my 500 gal home heat propane tank.

Good luck.
Al

chemung wrote:How far you must plumb to the grill?
How many joints to be threaded?
Will you be running pipe through the homes plate/foundation/wall?

There's a gas line about 8' from where the grill is located.
I'd have to tie into the gas line, run about 5' to & through an outside wall to get under the deck, 90* elbow up & through the decking & connect to the grill.
Pretty simple

When you buy black iron gas pipe at home depot, they will cut and thread it for free. Is there a "T" or some other fitting you can tap off of on your existing gas line? That would sure make it alot easier. If so, put a shut off inside and I'd put another at the grill. you can use a flex connector from that shut off to the grill. Test all your joints with soapy water. (No, not those kind of joints ) Make sure you use the correct type of teflon tape for gas lines.

Devil505 wrote:There's a gas line about 8' from where the grill is located.
I'd have to tie into the gas line, run about 5' to & through an outside wall to get under the deck, 90* elbow up & through the decking & connect to the grill.
Pretty simple

coalkirk wrote: put a shut off inside and I'd put another at the grill. you can use a flex connector from that shut off to the grill. Test all your joints with soapy water. Make sure you use the correct type of teflon tape for gas lines.

Ya, that sound simple enough. I use shaving brush and soap to test for leaks.

I haven't shaved since Jan. 6 1970 but I own a shaving mug, brush and soap bar. Go figure.

Good luck with the project.

Al

coalkirk wrote:Is there a "T" or some other fitting you can tap off of on your existing gas line? That would sure make it alot easier

No "T" or fitting where I would want to connect to Terry. Assuming I was crazy enough to try this myself, after shutting off the gas, how hard is it to cut the pipe & install my own "T" & shut-off to goto the new grill?
(I pretty much know how to check for leaks too........You just light a match & look closely, right? )

Edit: After looking at it again, I could use the kitchen stove fitting if they make a "Y" fitting to split off from it & go through the wall & up to the grill.

Had the plumber out yesterday & he quoted me $430.00 to run about 8' to connect up my gas hot water heater fitting!! No way!!
I'm buying a propane to nat. gas conversion kit for the grill I bought http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/naviga ... tem=377882

which comes with the grill fittings necessary & a 12' flexible gas hose. I will do the grill conversion & run the connecting gas pipe myself & get a few bids on how much to just have a plumber unhook my water heater , add a "T" for the grill & then hook it all up.
Question:
The plumber mentioned something about running larger gas pipe than the size I already have for the water heater due to the BTU rating of the grill?...This makes no sense to me as the grill conversion kit comes with a smaller diameter hose & the gas supply will only be as good as this hose will supply anyway!
Am I right here? (Would a larger diameter pipe, upstream of the smaller connecting hose, benefit me at all, or is it just BS to pad his bill??

Hi Devil
How many burners dose the gas grill have?
Adding a gas appliance to a existing line.
Most supplies have a dirt trap to catch sediment.
A tee with a nipple facing down to catch dirt and rust.
Shut off the gas let the hot water heater go out, remove the pipe cap and nipple on the bottom of trap add a close nipple and tee.
Your new appliance can come off the side of tee reinstall the dirt trap on the bottom of the tee.
If your going to penitrate the foundation use pipe before changing to flexable gas line .
good luck
BBD

Pipe size increase to handle total capacity of both devices.
The smaller pipe will only flow so many cfm of gas....
The total draw may be more than the pipe can handle....
so it could be choking when both devices are running.
I am sure you are aware that homeowners in MA are not allowed to do gas work unless they are licensed.

Q: Can I do my own plumbing and gas work?
No, the State Plumbing & Gas Code is specific that only a licensed plumbing/gas contractor can obtain a permit to perform that work.

If there is a problem and your work is at fault.....
Big trouble in Little China.....

In Mass
A gas fitter must bring anything that is not up to current code when he pulls a permit.
The inspector will look over the entire gas system before letting the gas company turn the gas back on.
I like your idear of adding a tee behind the stove.
BDD