It never fails; you can grill forever on a tank of gas when it's just for family, but as soon as you invite someone over for a cookout, empty tank. If you are lucky it happens when you are just getting started, but how often do you have that kind of luck? If you are tired of lugging those tanks back and forth to the store and yet you are not quite ready to invest in another grill, you may want to consider a gas grill LP conversion.
First, you'll need to know what the differences are between liquid propane and natural gas:
Propane has more energy than natural gas
Natural gas is lighter than propane
It takes twice as much natural gas to reach the same BTUs as propane
You buy propane by the tank, natural gas comes to your house via pipeline
What do these differences mean to you if you are thinking about a gas grill LP conversion? The two most obvious benefits of a gas grill LP conversion are savings and convenience. Natural gas is cheaper and even though you use more of it, about twice as much, you are buying in bulk and the savings versus buying by LP gas by the tank is substantial.
The other benefit keeps you from ruining a perfectly good steak by having it lie half-cooked on the grill while you run to the store for another tank of propane. And no, not everybody is so ill prepared, but accidents do happen, even to the most diligent of barbecue masters. A gas grill LP conversion saves you from having to remember if you cooked out twice last week or three times and saves you from relying on that tank gauge you picked up half-price at the hardware store.
The next question to address is whether it is worth the trouble and expense to do a gas grill LP conversion. While it is not an exceedingly difficult task, it will take a few hours, some regular household tools and a drill. Because the natural gas is lighter and more of it is required to achieve the BTUs that propane gets, the holes in the burners need to be bigger. This step of the gas grill LP conversion requires taking small steps, drilling a little at a time, testing and drilling some more.
If you think you will need a little more guidance than information from a website or magazine article, there are conversion kits available for many of the big-name brands of grills. Do keep in mind that a gas grill LP conversion will void your warranty and most manufacturers will advise against the conversion. On the flip side, remember, too, that they are in the business of selling grills and would much rather see you buy a new one than convert your old one.
A gas grill LP conversion makes sense if you find yourself running to the store for propane tanks more than once a month or if your grill has its own spot on your patio, deck or in your yard. Another sign it may be time for a gas grill LP conversion is that you have a bumper sticker (or apron!) that says, "I' would rather be grilling!"
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