A gas range is built and adjusted for one fuel at a time. In the city core most homes have natural gas lines, while some rural properties and outer-county estates rely on a propane tank, and the range has to match what is actually plumbed to it.
Why the two fuels are not interchangeable
Propane is delivered at a higher pressure than natural gas and carries more energy per cubic foot, so burners use smaller orifices and different air settings. Running the wrong setup gives a flame that is either starved and yellow or oversized and noisy, and it can create a real safety problem.
What a conversion involves
- Replacing or resetting orifices at every burner, including the oven burner.
- Setting the regulator for the new fuel.
- Adjusting the low-flame rate and air shutters.
- Testing every joint for leaks before the range is used.
Before you move, remodel, or switch tanks
Tell whoever installs the range which fuel is at the wall. A range that has been moved from a natural gas home to a propane property does not adapt on its own. Conversion is work for a technician, not a weekend task.
Questions to ask your installer
Ask which fuel the range was set for, where the shutoff valve is, and whether a regulator sits inside the range or on the wall. Write the answers on a card kept near the range. That card saves time later and helps anyone servicing the range avoid starting from guesswork.
Altitude is not a concern in Houston, but supply pressure still varies by neighborhood, tank level, and the length of pipe behind the wall. Those are the details a technician verifies with a gauge.
If you are unsure which fuel your range was set up for, we can confirm it during a visit and test for leaks afterward. Start from our range repair page or the Houston service area list.