# Roper gas stove convert to propane?



## Daryll in NW FLA (May 10, 2002)

Got it at a garage sale-$20 and in good shape. How do I convert it to propane? Called around and found out it doesn't need a conversion kit-just an adjustment iin the back. Well, I can't find anything to adjust. Any ideas?? Thanks, Daryll in NW FLA


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Best way is to have your propane guys do it for you, or contact the Roper company for information.

Did this on my old Stewart, and it got complicated real fast, as there was no such thing as a "adjustment on the back".


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

Your propaine delar has the profesionals to do the job for you. Probily won't cost anything but a service call about $30 doaalrs to get it fixed. Mine will fix it free if I bring it in.


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

The fuel orifices for natural gas are much larger than propane, the natural gas is under soft pressure, the propane is under high pressure. The orifices are threaded and easy to change.


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## ninny (Dec 12, 2005)

moopups said:


> The fuel orifices for natural gas are much larger than propane, the natural gas is under soft pressure, the propane is under high pressure. The orifices are threaded and easy to change.



Some orifices are actually adjustable. A nut mounted on the orifice will close the orifice down when tightened. Don't know if this is what he is talking about, maybe...

You're right about the press. differential between natural gas and propane. 


.


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## Daryll in NW FLA (May 10, 2002)

Thanks guys, figured it out. Just had to flip over the spring in the regulator so that the side marked propane was up. Thanks everyone!!


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Good for you, my old one was really a "gas"(pun). 
No body would touch it as there wasn't an adjustment on the regulator. Didn't make the orifices any more.

Had to figure out the orifice size for btu's for each burner and oven. (index drills), then look it up an the National Gas code, they have a chart to determin the size for propane.

Then solder up the holes, then drill it out to the new smaller size.
Worked, didn't blow it up.
Adjusting the valve in the back sounds a lot easier.


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## Namwen (10 mo ago)

Daryll in NW FLA said:


> Got it at a garage sale-$20 and in good shape. How do I convert it to propane? Called around and found out it doesn't need a conversion kit-just an adjustment in the back. Well, I can't find anything to adjust. Any ideas?? Thanks, Daryll in NW FLA


I know this is an old post and my reply is loooong. But after my own struggles for information and dum brain farts on install, as Im sure this poster found out, its not as simple as changing the regulator or the orifices. You can but its gonna be a S**t show unless all the below was considered and checked off. Its not either change regulator or orifices.. its both and a few more steps and EVERYONE needs to know this and why to avoid dangerous situations. This is for gas ranges, any age, any conversion direction between NG and LP. Its also very applicable to grills etc. You may not have an oven but most steps are needed. Itll take a bit of upfront sluthing and double checking but it not too horrible a task and your results will be stellar. Read this through. Prepare best you can everything you need to do or get upfront. Then call gas guy unless you really feel you can do it. Nothing is hard, maybe tedious over an afternoon of good prep work. But never skip WC verification.
_Get the right reader!!!_ Always Always measure gas to verify WC at where appliance will be FIRST. Note... gas is NOT measured by pressure! But in inches of water column. If you dont know how to verify this, call local gas company. Verify the gas/WC of regulator you have to match your range orifice needs. Make sure all hose lines and metal gas lines are sized right to appliance, to fit into each other and in good shape. Install an inline gas shutoff inside. After, check for leaks ideally before hooking up, Use sudsy soapy mixture and your nose if not a gas installer person but I'd highly recommend hiring one. Certainly check again right after install, including the range gas pipes and tubing in appliance. 


1. Natural gas is a low pressure gas. The NG regulator will allow 7 inches of water column (WC) of NG to the range. 

Propane is a high pressure gas. The LP regulator will allow 10 to 11 WC.

The regulator may be an interchangeable one between gases and requires a flip of a spring inside of it. Often people have dedicated NP or LG regulators that are only for the gas its indicated for. 

In a house, the regulator will be located on the gas line between shutoff and range itself, often nowadays right on its backside. 

In a trailer often its right near your gas tanks/canisters outside. One tube in from tank and the other side leaving to pipe on to your incoming gas line. It also will not hurt to have secondary regulator on back of stove, especially if feeding pressure to different appliances off incoming gas line. Especially true for NG range. Wont hurt LP to have as often new gas ranges come standard with one or two if conversion kit included to install on range back side. In either case, it wouldnt hurt to have a gas shutoff valve on gas line handy near range for safety. No one should be running outside to shut off tanks if needed suddenly. Some put inside bottom cupboard, running incoming gas line there, then shutoff reachable on cabinet wall, then the supplied hook up range gasline goes through cabinet wall at back to thread on bottom end of regulator/ secondary regulator that is finally threaded on to ranges own gas intake on its backside.
*Note which side of range gas intake is on, specifications for where safely gas line can be behind stove if newer ( under install directions) or if you have an older stove or just donr know, check with gas instalker. Good to know all of this when buying a new stove... clearances around stove, where gas line comes in, where gas intake is on stove, how regulator, shutoff and gas install line can be accomadated. So if range is new or new to you... make a note of all this while doing the rest listed here. Itll save some swearing and jury rigging stuff up. 

2.. Orifices are also either adjustable or dedicated to a gas type. A NG orifice caps hole size is almost double as large as a Propane hole. This is to moderate the gas pressure into your range elements so you get a proper flame size and colour.

The fellow above and a few responding are oblivious to a dangerous situation especially changing from NG to LP.

Since LP is high pressure, if you leave the larger NG orifice holes twice as large.. you will have flames shooting several inches up above your stove top, the oven will be an inferno of flames! Your pilot lights will be huge. 

The opposite is true if leaving LP orifices on a natural gas fed range. 

If you have an adjustable type, how can you tell? If you take off your orifice cap you will see one of 3 things. An empty hole in tube you threaded off of, a pin ... a small arrow tip with a hole drilled in to its point or a pointy pin with no hole in its point.

I know for certain, the pointy pin with no hole means regardless of hole size on the orifice cap, you can screw down the cap tightly, the point will push out a tiny bit from the hole. This tightening down restricts how much gas can flow out of orifice cap. This would be the LP position. For NG you would loosen way off, allowing more gas to escape. How much tightening or loosening? Your flame height and shape on each burner.. do one at a time... will tell you. Look up NG flame tip pic for NG or LP gas. They are different. NG is very blue and certain shape. LP has a small yellow top over blue flame. Emphasis on small tip of yellow. 

You have no pin? The gas pressure is purely regulated by the hole size of the orifice cap. One or even 2 for each burner and oven broiler. Look up Gas Orifice Capacity Chart- 

BTU Ratings. You will see drill size and decimal size of hole in first 2 columns then btu output for that size, often differentiated by WC ... 7 and under is natural gas, 7 being ranges most often ... 10 or 11 in LP. Note the pressure required and receive by your appliance. Get a regulator that matches this on the gas line. The measurements are very small. Youll notice that at the same size hole, the BTU output is significantly more in LP and less so for NG. There may be markings on the orifices that will tell you their size or a mark that if researched will also tell you its size. In lew of that, one fellow suggests using a needle, especially for pin holes and gently insert, marking the line flush with opening. Using a veneer caliper, you can measure hole size in decimals. Or got several orifice drill bits, mix n match to tell. If going from LP to natural gas, find right drill size which will be bigger and drill out to correct size re: btu for burner and WC gas- type found in gas capacity chart. PLEASE if you dont know what size is what and use a needle to insert into hole, dont damage the brass hole. Brass is soft and you could change its size if your aggressive about inserting needle. You can find replacement orifices at right size and thread to screw on orifice tube online. If vintage, www.grapevinesally is good place to start. If newer than 60s, your manufacturer can often help. If not... Need to solder and drill out to right size in existing orifice? See 3.

3. This bring us to holes in orifice caps AND holes in the pin points behind them in the orifice tube when removed. Im of the thought that if an empty tub can be regulated by the right orifice size cap so the same holds true here. So orifice hole size is key.
* You can melt solder in cap covering hole completely, pick *the right sized orifice drill bit A) for the gas type and correct WC for that gas and B) for the max BTU rated for each burner and broiler.'* so get that gas capacity chart and pull out your appliance specs or call the manufacturer if drilling a hole or replacing a cap to match gas type over hollow tube.. ie no pin.

4. Pilots often do not have these except 'sometimes' in the oven. They are regulated by a screw where they come out of the oven temp reg. Check under the stove top. Follow the pilot tubes back to your oven temperature regulator. Should be a screw for every pilot tube. Some stove top burners share a pilot. The oven always has its own. Tighter restricts, less opens up. You'll just have to light one and adjust as you watch it.

5. That brings us to air shutters. 

Found at the base of tubes going to the burners themselves. They regulate air flow only. This will affect the height somewhat of flame.. ie if restricted too much for the gas type you will starve your gas flame and itll sputter out. Too much air, much more yellow in flame and a bit bigger. Gas flow also effects flame height but not colour. Its a balance between these two you adjust after you got you regulator, pilots and orifices right, that dials in your flame colour, shape and height.

There is a distinct difference between the two gases in these 3 categories and different heights between burner flame height on top and 2 stage flame height in oven broiler(s) One height as its warming up and the small bead flame height when maintaining heat it gets to. Again search out pics or videos for both burner and broiler by gas type online. One fellow used a wrench, marked to height on it and used this to get up to oven flames to measure height. Smart idea.
So I think thats it. Now go cook something.


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