Why does my gas fireplace burn differently after being converted between natural gas and propane?
In and around Brevard, propane is the rule out in the cabins and gated communities like Connestee Falls and Sherwood Forest, so the conversion problem we see most is a natural-gas fireplace reinstalled on a propane tank without re-jetting — it over-fires, soots, and blackens the logs. Propane needs a smaller orifice and a lower regulator setting than the unit shipped with.
Propane country, and the over-fueling that follows
Propane carries roughly two-and-a-half times the heat energy per cubic foot of natural gas and arrives at higher pressure, so a burner built for natural gas is badly over-fueled the moment you feed it propane — you get tall, lazy, sooty flames and black glass. The hand-built luxury units that anchor Brevard's timber-frame and mountain-modern homes are configured for propane from the factory; the trouble starts with a secondhand box that got connected to a tank but never actually converted. The manufacturer's LP kit resets the orifice, the pilot orifice, and the regulator.
Damp air compounds a dirty burn
Transylvania County takes 80-plus inches of rain a year, with a wet season from March into June that rusts dampers and spalls brick. A mis-converted unit sooting inside a moisture-prone chimney chase is double trouble — but the soot itself is a fuel-setup issue, fixed by the correct orifice and pressure, not by the flue. Don't chase the chimney when the burner is the problem.
Permitted with Transylvania, pressure-tested
Connecting or converting a propane appliance is licensed work in North Carolina. We pull the permit with Transylvania County, meet the inspector, and finish with a manometer reading that proves the burner pressure is right for propane. 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
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