Help with gas line pressure for LP and Natural Gas cooking stoves

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jburb1

New Member
Hearth Supporter
May 19, 2007
1
I have a used stove, with electronic ignition, but am unsure if it is set up for LP or Natural Gas. I connected it to a LP source and stove top burners lit and seemed to perform normally, but the oven seemed to have a larger than normal flame. How can I safely put this stove into operation with Natural gas? Is the natural gas line pressure higher than the LP line pressure ? Sure would appreciate comment. Thanks. john
 
NG would have different orfices than LP. LP gas is heavier and more dense and the appliances usually run with a min of 11 inWC inlet pressure. NG runs usually with a min of 4 or 5 inWC pressure.
 
The stove should be convertable from one gas to the next;as mentioned above-you'll need the correct orifice sizes,proper spring in the gas valve,and necessary outlet pressure via said gas valve.
 
The question is... how do you end up with an appliance that you have no idea what gas type it is setup for?

If it has LP orifices and you hook it up to NG the flames will be very small.
 
Some stoves have a little pocket or cubby on the back or under the top that contains the parts needed to switch from NG to LP or vice versa, and the stove SHOULD be labeled as to which it is set up for.

Do you have a manual for it? Can you Google for an online version, or contact the mfgr? If all else fails, it is likely a good appliance parts place can help you out...

If the stove can be switched over (and AFAIK most can) the manual should have the directions on just what needs to be done, what parts are needed, and how to tell what you are currently set up with.

Among other things, I think most make a visible difference in the orifice design so that you can tell which is used.

Gooserider
 
There is a remote and somewhat dumb possibility that the stove is half converted. That is, the orifice is LP for the cooktop, but NG for the oven. Yes that would be dumb, but that's what Darwin awards are for. To be sure, I'd pull the oven and stove top orifices, label them and take them to a reputable appliance parts store for the stove. Compare the size of the orifice hole to the NG and LP parts to determine which it is.

Or just order a new LP orifice for the oven. This shouldn't be an expensive part.

If you are not used to working with gas parts, then have a gas repair guy come out and look at the oven flame, maybe it isn't too high or maybe there is an adjustment for it? Given the safety risk, that might be the best way.
 
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