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Thread: Convert grill from bottled propane to home propane system???

  1. #1
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    Convert grill from bottled propane to home propane system???

    I have a Weber 420S Summit grill I want to convert from bottled propane and tie it to the home propane system. Do I need a pressure regulator or just tie in directly to house system? Thanks.

  2. #2
    I'm pretty sure you'll need a pressure regulator. We just had our house propane supplier hook up our Weber grill. Safe and it works great!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gilbert Vega View Post
    I have a Weber 420S Summit grill I want to convert from bottled propane and tie it to the home propane system. Do I need a pressure regulator or just tie in directly to house system? Thanks.
    I guess it depends on the pressure your home is running at. But most BBQ's run at less than 0.5 PSI, I'm told, and having a cheap low-pressure regulator in line might be easier than analyzing your house pressure. (I'm assuming your home has a regulator and is running propane gas. I've never heard of liquid propane for stoves or heaters. Liquid propane, your tank contents, definitely requires a regulator to convert to gas.)
    Last edited by David Bassett; 09-13-2017 at 6:11 PM. Reason: typos

  4. #4
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    I assume that they installed a regulator at your grill?

  5. #5
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    Definitely doable. Most homes have a low pressure regulator ... whether or not you can leverage that is likely up to the building inspector. I would reach out to your qualified plumber.

    It is a great convenience, but comes with certain risks. You might forget to turn off the propane to the bbq and drain the home's entire supply of propane. Probably more fuel available in case the bbq decides to go out of control. It would also be more challenging to remove from near the home (no longer self-contained) in event of a fire. I believe there are quick disconnects for low pressure that might address at least that last concern, certainly would make it easier to move for maintenance and cleaning.
    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gilbert Vega View Post
    I have a Weber 420S Summit grill I want to convert from bottled propane and tie it to the home propane system. Do I need a pressure regulator or just tie in directly to house system? Thanks.
    Gilbert

    Each state is different with their application and adherence to the standards for propane, so you would really have to check.
    Short answer is that it is very commonly done.
    My house is propane and the pressure is 11"-14" of water column. My grill is propane but runs at 2psi. In order to just "tap in" ,your grill has to run at the same pressure as the house just to start with.
    To further complicate matters some states allow 2psi into the house and then step it down to 2psi, and the regulator vent requirements also vary.
    You would really need to get ahold of whatever license in your area that could do the work for you. Without seeing your current setup and knowing the applicable codes that exist, it would all be just a guess.

    If you are running out of propane quicker than a 20lb. bottle can keep up with, or it is inconvenient, you might just want to increase the size of the tank, buy your own regulator, if needed, POL adapter and hose.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  7. #7
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    Some people use "propane" and "natural gas" interchangeably. They are not the same thing (one has more energy than the other and that can cause problems if you try to use something designed for one with the other fuel). We had a house in our area explode earlier this year. Still under investigation last I heard, but it was thought to be a problem in the propane system. Definitely not something you want to "learn by doing."

  8. #8
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    Another thing to consider - your BBQ grill needs to be anchored to one spot if you connecting it to house propane line, and it is must be copper line, according to code in my area.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nicholas Lawrence View Post
    Some people use "propane" and "natural gas" interchangeably. They are not the same thing (one has more energy than the other and that can cause problems if you try to use something designed for one with the other fuel).

    This is a good point...if the house gets gas from the street, that's Natural Gas, not Propane. If the house gets it's gas from an on-property tank, it's Propane. NG certainly can be used to power a grill system, but the grill will need to be stationary, properly plumbed in and also need the gas jets, etc., changed out from Propane parts to Natural Gas parts.
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  10. #10
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    First off, I am talking of propane as there is no natural gas lines in this area. When we built the house 2 years ago, we added a 125 gal buried tank for use on the cooktop, gas starter for fireplace and a roughed in supply for the bbq grill.
    I talked to the propane supplier today as someone suggested and he said they would do the final tie-in. No pressure regulator is required other than the one going i to the house. They said code requires a rubber (vinyl?) coated corrugated flexible pipe.
    I haven't decided how to anchor (or whether to) the 14 ft island as it will have a 1" sq steel tube frame, sink, grill, stainless drawer unit, outdoor fridge, stone surround and a 3cm granite countertop.

  11. #11
    The propane in a 500 gallon pump facility tank and the propane they pumped from it into your 20# BBQ tank is all under the same pressure. The regulator that came with the BBQ is all you need.
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  12. #12
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    Gilbert, I think you are set, other than the locational/stationary decisions.
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