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Heating · Fuel ConversionPropane to Natural Gas Conversion
Propane to natural gas conversion is done one appliance at a time: the furnace, water heater, range, dryer and fireplace are each converted with the manufacturer's kit or replaced, and the house piping is re-checked for natural gas, which arrives at about 7 in. w.c. instead of propane's 11. The rule we work to: convert what has a kit and years of life left, replace what has neither.
This job usually starts with a notice from Enbridge Gas. A main gets extended down a rural road in Flamborough, Carlisle, Kilbride, Campbellville or Caledon, and houses that have run on a propane tank for decades can finally apply for a service line. Enbridge brings the pipe to the house and hangs the meter. Everything on your side of that meter is a licensed contractor's work, and that is the part we do.
Nothing in the house can simply be reconnected. A propane burner runs at about 10 in. w.c. through small orifices; natural gas runs at about 3.5 in. w.c. through larger ones, so an unconverted propane appliance on natural gas makes a weak, starved flame that may not light reliably. Each appliance gets its maker's natural gas kit: orifices, a regulator spring or valve conversion, sometimes a pilot orifice and an air-shutter adjustment. Its pressure is then set and a new conversion label goes on beside the rating plate.
The piping is the part people do not expect. Natural gas carries well under half the heat of propane per cubic foot and is delivered at lower pressure, so a pipe that fed a propane furnace comfortably can be too small for the same furnace on natural gas. We total the connected load, check every run against the CSA B149.1 sizing tables and upsize what fails, the same exercise as any gas line installation. The system is then pressure-tested and tagged before Enbridge sets the meter and the gas is turned on.
The propane side gets closed out properly as well. In most contracts the tank and its regulators belong to your propane supplier, so they disconnect and collect the tank and settle up for the fuel left in it. The old supply line is disconnected and capped, not left tied into the new system. Before you sign with Enbridge, send us your appliance list with model numbers so we can check which kits still exist.
What gets converted, and what usually gets replaced
- Furnace: converted with the maker's natural gas kit, unless it is old enough that the labour belongs in a new one
- Tank water heater: many models are not field-convertible, so the manufacturer's answer is a new natural gas tank
- Range or cooktop: most have convertible orifices and a reversible regulator, and the kit often shipped with the appliance
- Dryer: converted with the manufacturer's burner orifice kit
- Gas fireplace: main and pilot orifices and the valve regulator changed with the model-specific kit, then the flame pattern checked
How it works
Model and serial numbers recorded, kit availability checked with each manufacturer, the connected load added up and every pipe run measured. The quote lists each appliance as convert or replace, with the reason.
House piping is extended to the new meter location, which is often a different wall from where the propane line came in, upsized where the tables require it, then pressure-tested and tagged.
Once the meter is live, each appliance is converted, its manifold pressure set, the furnace combustion-tested and every flame checked. Conversion labels are fitted and the propane supplier collects the tank.
Common questions
Can I run propane appliances on natural gas without converting them?
No. The orifices are too small and the regulator is set too high for natural gas, so burners underfire, light late or do not light at all, and a furnace may trip its safeties repeatedly. Going the other way is worse and dangerous. Each appliance has to be converted with its maker's kit by a licensed gas technician, or replaced.
How long is the house without heat and hot water?
For a house with a furnace, a water heater and a range, we plan the changeover as one working day once the meter is set; a fireplace, a dryer or long piping runs add time. The re-piping is done ahead of that day while you are still on propane. Booking the switch between May and September takes the heating risk out of it.
Is it worth converting an old propane furnace?
A furnace under about 12 years old with a kit available is worth converting. Past 15 years, the conversion labour is better spent on a new furnace, which arrives set up for natural gas and meets the current 95% AFUE minimum. Between the two it depends on condition, and we give you both numbers. A propane furnace repair history is a useful guide.
Can my propane barbecue be converted?
Only if its manufacturer sells a natural gas kit for that exact model, and most propane barbecues have none. The usual route is a natural gas barbecue on a quick-connect at the deck, which is a short branch off the new piping and is easiest to add while the rest of the house is being re-piped. A gas range hookup follows the same logic.
Who applies to Enbridge, and who removes the propane tank?
You apply to Enbridge Gas as the account holder, and we supply the connected-load figures they ask for so the meter is sized for every appliance. Your propane supplier removes their tank and regulators. We handle what sits in between: the house piping, the conversions and the test paperwork. Heating services lists the equipment we work on.