The very first thing he has to do is find out from Briggs, the volume of natural gas that the engine takes to operate, then contact the natural gas supplier to see if his service has the capacity to handle it. If he is in an area that has 1/4 pound of pressure he may have to install a larger service line. If he is in an area where his service has a gas pressure regulator, then a double regulator set-up will get him going.

Slightly off-topic, but pertinent to greenhouse applications - the use of propane vs NG is a common debate on boating forums - more typically among sailors in cruising communities. Propane was installed by the mfg of my last boat to fuel the on-demand hot water heater, cook-top and oven. This is the most popular fuel for boaters, since it's readily available around the globe. Some proponents of NG however, in spite of questionable availability, choose it because of it's safety, relative to propane - which is heavier than air. Therefore, the gas could settle in the bilges if a leak ever occurs, risking explosion. Unless it is piped directly to the home as an underground utility, sources of NG are sometimes difficult to find. Additionally, if proper exhaust vents, auto-detect shut-off valves and propane sniffers are installed, propane is a very safe fuel. We've never had any problems in the 25+ years of using it on our boats and if NG was not available, I would not hesitate to select it as a heating fuel for my greenhouse - if/when we ever build one.

I was told that the plumbing was different throughout for the different gases if you didn't want BTU loss in a conversion, which is why Wolf and BlueStar have different models for the different gases. I know that DCS and others that create their ranges for NG do have lower BTU ratings on the higher output burners for LP after the conversion. Why do you want to convert rather than order for what gas you have?

I don't have any experience with these expensive stoves. However, my impression is that they are designed like old classic simple stoves and therefore would probably only need a specific gas regulator designed for propane. I looked on the Bluestar site and their install manual is listed. Here is what appears to be the answer I expected for you. This appliance can be configured to work with either natural gas or LP gas. Verify that the appliance and the incoming gas supply are compatible. Check the rating plate. 3. The gas supply line must be the same size or larger than the gas inlet of the appli- ance. Your appliance has either a ýâ NPT or þâ NPT gas inlet connection. We recommend the supply line be üâ NPT larger than the gas inlet of the appliance. 4. Sealant used on pipe joints must be resis- tant to LP gas. 5. An installer provided manual shut-off valve must be installed in the gas supply line ahead of the appliance. This shut-off must be easily accessible in case of emer- gency. 6. All gas cooking equipment must have a pressure regulator on the incoming service line for safe and effi cient operation. This appliance is equipped with such a gas pressure regulator. Incoming gas pressure should be checked with a manometer. The correct manifold pressure for natural gas is 5.0â wc. For LP gas the correct manifold pressure is 10â wc.