Can I plumb a natural gas patio heater into my outdoor gas line instead of using propane tanks?
Yes — a natural gas patio heater hard-plumbed into your outdoor gas line means never swapping or refilling propane bottles again. You get a permanent, always-ready heat source fed from your home's supply. It has to be a natural-gas model (or an LP heater converted with the right orifice), and the line, shutoff, and connection are licensed gas work we permit and pressure-test.
No more tank swaps
The whole appeal is that the fuel never runs out mid-evening. A propane bottle on a patio heater always seems to empty on the coldest night with a full deck of guests — then someone's hauling it off to a refill counter. Hard-plumb the heater into a permanent gas line and it's always ready: no lifting, no swapping, no running dry. On the natural-gas mains through Asheville and Hendersonville, that line comes straight off your home's supply.
Natural gas and propane heaters aren't interchangeable
One catch: the heater has to match the fuel. A natural-gas line needs a natural-gas heater, because propane and natural gas run at different pressures and use different orifices — put the wrong fuel through the wrong orifice and you get sooting or a bad flame. Many models can be converted with the correct orifice kit, which we handle. And if you're out in propane country — Fairview, Candler, Brevard, and the cabins — you can still ditch the little bottles by hard-plumbing the heater to your home's large propane tank.
The connection is licensed work
Running or extending that gas line is licensed work in North Carolina — a landscaper or handyman legally can't connect fuel, and a loose DIY fitting on a heater you stand next to isn't worth the risk. We run and size the line, set the regulator and pressure for natural gas or propane, add a shutoff, and pressure-test and permit the whole thing. Call (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- Can I tee off my house's existing gas line to feed a fire pit?
- Can a patio heater be used under a covered porch even if a fire pit can't?
- Is a fire pit or a patio heater better for keeping guests warm?
- Who runs an outdoor gas line — a plumber, HVAC company, or fireplace installer?
- Can my home's large propane tank feed an outdoor fire pit?
- How much does it cost to install a gas fire pit?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
Free assessments across Western North Carolina — no pressure, straight answers.

