There are two types of gas used for homes appliances.
- Natural gas, which is supplied to the home in a pipe directly from the utility company.
- Propane which is Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), comes in cylinders for gas grills, or by truck and a tank on the property is filled.
Extreme care must be taken when moving from an area that has city gas (Natural gas) to an area where propane (LPG) is used or vice versa, since the two gasses are different and the equipment is not compatible.
Clothes dryers, hot water tanks, furnaces, boilers, Grills etc. that use natural gas or propane are set up to use that particular fuel. They can only be can only be used on the alternative type of gas after the burner orifice has been changed.
In many cases equipment (furnace, water heaters) is only made for use with natural gas but can be converted to propane using a conversion kit. If an appliance has been used with propane the orifice may have been changed at the original time of purchase/ installation, in which case the originally supplied natural gas orifice may be inside the unit (often in a bag/envelope). This is left so that it can be converted back to natural gas if you move or natural gas comes to your area.
Failure to modify the burner orifice for the appropriate fuel could result in an explosion and a loss of life.
Every time an appliance is moved the old flexible gas line connector should be discarded and a new flexible gas line used to connect the appliance to the gas pipe. All connections, valves and couplings should be checked for gas leaks before use.
NOTE: When purchasing new gas appliances, care should be taken to make sure that the appliance is set up for the gas type needed for safe operation in the house.