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Cooking Outdoors

LP gas/natural gas, hook-up question

21 years ago

Just bought an Aussie grill. We had an extra LP tank left over from the previous house owners so I didn't mind not getting one with the grill. The tank has what I thought was the standard female coupling, but the grill's regulator also has a female end. Is an adapter missing? Is this something new? I have never seen a different style of LP tank coupling, so I'm puzzled.

The p.o.'s had gas run to the house just for a fireplace and grill (that's why they'd stashed the tank somewhere and forgot about it), and it makes me wonder - do LP grills burn natural gas with no conversion? That sure would be convenient!

Comments (5)

bsbbq
21 years ago
The older style LP tanks do use an internal left handed thread. The new tanks all have the "OPD" (overfill protection device) and they also have an external right handed "worm" type thread. You have two options: get an adapter at Walmart for about $10.00 or, check the date on the old LP tank you have, if it is twelve years or older, then when you have it refilled they will require you to have it re-certified. It is probably cheaper for you in the long run just to do a tank exchange for about $16-$18 bucks. That way you are good for another twelve years. As far as your question about running the bbq on NG, it won't work without a conversion. LP gas is at a much greater pressure than NG so, consequently the orifices are smaller for LP than NG. You can check with Aussie and see if they offer an NG conversion kit. If not, you can attempt to drill out the orifices by hand. There are some places on this discussion board as well as others on the net that talk about how to do this. If you do that, you can also get a 12' Natural Gas hose with a quick disconnect on the end that would fit (maybe without an adapter) on your existing stub from your house and the bbq. I just picked one up from Home Depot. It was made by Char Broil in the accessory area. In either case good luck and happy grilling.

bsbbq
Ripshod
Original Author
21 years ago
I've called around and found that the adapter does exist as you said, but Lowe's & H.D. don't have it. A grill specialty store in town has it and I think I'll get one tomorrow. I have a Coleman pole lamp which mounts directly to the tank, and hoses which run from it to other appliances (stove, etc.), so I'm not ready to completely change to the new connection yet. Since I generally don't use my grill and my camping gear at the same time, that might work out. In the long run, I might get a new tank some day, but I'm in no hurry.

I hate it when they change a standard like that.
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bsbbq
21 years ago
Well, maybe I should have also mentioned that the new tanks also have the internal threads as well, so you can use them for new or old stuff. Sorry, I guess I left that out! Good luck,

bsbbq
dwayneq
21 years ago
If you haven't picked up your fitting at the specialty store yet look at Wal-Mart. I looked everywhere for this same fitting and only found it online for about $20. The Wal-Mart one cost me $7.96.
StoneTower
21 years ago
When I got my Member Mark grill, it had the new style connector on the regulator. I had 4 old LP tanks that had the old style valves. Rather than getting the adaptor, I took the stub off the regulator from my old grill and replaced the new style connector on my new regulator with the old one. This way I did not have to buy 4 adaptors or change the adaptor from tank to tank.

As of March??? (maybe April) old style tanks without the overfill protection cannot be filled in California. Wall Mart had (has?) an offer to exchange and empty tank with an old valve for a new Full tank for $16.00. This new tank has the outside and the inside threads so one would no longer need the adaptor for the old tank or to modify the new regulator to fit the older style thread.

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