What does a natural gas to propane conversion kit actually change?
Brevard is propane country — most homes outside the immediate downtown run off an LP tank — so a natural-gas-to-propane kit is exactly what makes a natural-gas fireplace safe here. It swaps in smaller burner and pilot orifices, a propane regulator or valve spring for the higher pressure, and resets the air shutter. The appliance, venting, and BTU output stay identical.
Why so many Brevard units need converting
We see this constantly in Transylvania County: a homeowner finds a used fireplace or moves one from a gas-main house in Asheville, brings it up to a Connestee Falls or Sherwood Forest cabin, and it's jetted all wrong for the propane it's now fed. Run that way, propane meets natural-gas-sized orifices, overfires, and blackens the glass. The kit corrects the fuel train so it burns clean.
Moisture is the local complication
Brevard takes 80-plus inches of rain a year, and crawl spaces and chimney chases here are prone to moisture damage — rusted dampers, spalled brick, corroded connections. When we convert an appliance, we're also eyeing the gas connection and venting for the corrosion this climate causes. A clean conversion sitting on a compromised line isn't finished work.
Licensed, permitted, tested
Connecting or altering a propane appliance is licensed gas work in North Carolina — a showroom or a handyman legally can't sign it off. We permit conversions with Transylvania County where required, pressure-test the result, and confirm the flame before we leave. Brevard is about 40 minutes southwest of our Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What is an orifice, and why are natural gas and propane orifices different?
- What's the mechanical difference between a natural gas and a propane fireplace?
- Why do natural gas and propane flames look different?
- What gas pressure does a fireplace need — what is manifold pressure?
- How does converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas actually work?