If you’ve purchased a new range or moved to a home that uses propane instead of natural gas, you’ll need a gas conversion before you can use it safely. Most natural gas appliances cannot run on propane without modification — the orifices (the small jets that control gas flow) are different sizes for the two fuel types.
We perform natural gas to propane conversions in the Edmond and OKC metro area, typically for the cost of a standard service call.
Why You Can’t Just Plug In a Natural Gas Range with Propane
Natural gas and propane have different pressures and energy densities. Propane burns hotter and requires smaller orifices to deliver the same BTU output at the correct air-to-fuel ratio. If you run propane through natural-gas orifices:
- Burner flames will be excessively large and yellow (not blue)
- You risk incomplete combustion and carbon monoxide production
- The appliance will likely fail to operate safely
This is a safety issue, not just a performance issue.
What the Conversion Involves
Most new ranges and ovens (gas) come from the factory set up for natural gas but include a propane conversion kit in the box. The kit typically includes:
- Smaller orifices for all surface burners
- A smaller orifice for the oven broil and bake burners
- A pressure regulator adjustment or replacement regulator
- Instructions specific to your model
If the conversion kit isn’t in the box, it’s available from the appliance manufacturer or an authorized parts distributor for $20–60 depending on the brand and model.
The actual conversion process:
- Turn off the gas supply
- Remove and replace each burner orifice (requires a nut driver or small wrench — the orifices unscrew from the valve body)
- Adjust or replace the pressure regulator
- Reconnect and test each burner for proper flame color (should be blue with possible small yellow tips) and appropriate height
- Test the oven at multiple temperature settings
What It Costs
For a straightforward conversion using the included factory kit, this is typically a one-hour job — about the cost of a standard service call. If the conversion kit is missing and needs to be sourced, we’ll let you know the parts cost up front before we start.
What About the Reverse? (Propane to Natural Gas)
Yes, we also do propane-to-natural-gas conversions if you’re moving from a propane home to one with natural gas service. The process is the same in reverse — larger orifices and regulator adjustment.
Brands We Convert
We’ve converted ranges and cooktops from all major brands including:
- Whirlpool / Maytag / KitchenAid
- GE / Profile / Café
- Samsung
- LG
- Frigidaire / Electrolux
- Viking (requires specific OEM kit)
- Jenn-Air
Schedule a Conversion in Edmond or OKC
If you just bought a new range and need it converted from natural gas to propane (or vice versa), call us at 405-730-9131. We’ll confirm over the phone what kit is needed, get it on order if necessary, and schedule a time to come out and make the conversion.
In most cases we can do it in one visit, same or next day.
Common Questions
Can every gas range be converted to propane?
Most modern ranges can, but not all. Convertibility is a design decision the manufacturer made, and a range built for one fuel with no published conversion kit should not be converted by improvising orifices. Check the rating plate and the installation manual — a convertible unit says so.
Where is the conversion kit that came with my range?
Usually taped inside the storage drawer, in the burner box, or in the literature packet with the manual. It is a small bag of brass orifices and a regulator part, and it is the single most commonly discarded item in a new range delivery. If it is gone, the manufacturer sells a replacement kit for the model.
Can I convert a range myself?
The mechanical steps are simple, which is exactly what makes this a bad DIY candidate. An orifice a size off produces a flame that looks acceptable and burns rich, and incomplete combustion in a closed kitchen produces carbon monoxide you cannot smell. Many jurisdictions also require the work be done by a licensed installer.
How do I tell if a range is running on the wrong fuel setup?
Look at the flame. Propane through natural gas orifices burns tall, lazy and yellow-tipped, and it will soot the bottom of a pan. Natural gas through propane orifices gives an undersized flame that struggles to hold and may lift off the burner ports. A correct flame is compact, blue, and steady.
Does the oven burner need converting too, or just the cooktop?
Everything that burns gas — every surface burner, the bake burner and the broil burner — plus the pressure regulator. A conversion kit includes orifices for all of them. Converting the cooktop and leaving the oven is not a partial job, it is an unsafe one.
Is the conversion reversible?
Yes. Propane back to natural gas is the same procedure with the original orifices and the regulator returned to its other setting. Keep the parts you take out — they are the kit for converting back, and they are model-specific.