# Equipment help



## Fernando Araiza (Apr 8, 2018)

Hello, 

I just bought a 36 inch grill to use in catering events It has already been converted to lp.however I don't know how to connect it to a propane tank. It has a 3/4 inch nipple.

Thanks


----------



## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Get a plumber or gas fitter to do that, please?


----------



## Fernando Araiza (Apr 8, 2018)

foodpump said:


> Get a plumber or gas fitter to do that, please?


I think that's a bit much. I usually don't get one to connect my backyard grill to the propane tank. I know this is at higher volume but it should essentially be the same thing.


----------



## sgmchef (Sep 30, 2006)

Hi Fernando,

I think safety, for you and the guests, overrides the expense in this case. 

Dealing with pressurized, explosive gas is not the time for a duct tape and bubblegum approach. 

Pay someone reputable to do the work. It might just be as simple as changing the nipple but I would not risk my life trying to do it myself. I'm a chef not a steamfitter...

Good luck on your choice that could impact hundreds of lives!


----------



## halb (May 25, 2015)

That's not the right attitude to have regarding something like this. You are going to need materials that you won't have access to and won't know how to use. If you want your grill to operate properly and safely get your propane supplier or a plumber to set it up for you.


----------



## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

Who said anything about duct tape and bubblegum? 
It's one fitting, guys, and some approved tape or sealer.

OP, who did the propane conversion, you or a factory, or a plumber?
Whats the extent of your plumbing experience?


----------



## halb (May 25, 2015)

What about the proper regulator and adjusting it for the correct pressure? What hose is he going to use and what adapter to 3/4" pipe thread is he going to need? (I assume this whole thing is going to be portable?) These are all things that you don't get at the local hardware store or Home Depot like you can with BBQ parts.


----------



## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

I dunno meez,

Catering is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get.

You could be doing a bbq for a bunch of plumbers, who would pick out the difference between white Teflon tape (illegal for gas fitting) and yellow tape on the connections from 20 feet away. Or you could cater for a bunch of lawyers, who would use any excuse not to pay full price.

But usually home-made gas fittings on commercial eqpt get junked at larger events. I've witnessed at least two gas equipment expulsions and one lighting/wiring nightmare get the boot. Because almost always all vendors and their equipment get inspected hours before the event starts.

And then there's the question of insurance. Obviously you're gonna have liability insurance as a caterer, but if anything equipment-wise happens and the insurance boys "deduce" that you didn't have equipment installed/maintained, you're gonna wish you'd never been born.


----------



## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

I'm sorry but that seems a little overly cautious to me...
this is coming from somebody ...myself ...who has installed hundreds of gas fittings on commercial equipment as well as residential for over 20 years.
@halb, your "what about" list is spot on, you pretty much spelled it out.
This is why, if youll go back and reread, i specifically mentioned approved tef tape, or approved sealer. Also why I asked the OP specifically, about their personal plumbing experience.
So the answer is, plumbers eating your steaks cant spot whats not there. No white tape. Cuz its.....wrong.

Hoses? Regulators? Home made fittings?
Ergh. So...you have say, a 5 gallon propane tank.To which you attach a commercially purchased regulator--hose, fittings and all. You go to your local plumbing supply, not home depot, show them the dangling end of your hose and tell him you want to attach it to a girll that has a three-quarter inch iron pipe nipple sticking out. He sells you an adapter, to which you apply 2 full winds of gas approved (usually yellow) tef tape or gas approved goop. Tighten, turn on 1/4 turn, check for bubbles with leak check.
The only other considerations that I can think of is number
one , that nat gas to LPG conversion HAS to have been done by an approved technician...no room for compromise there.
The second important question, is the grill now a high pressure propane appliance or a low pressure one. It's two different regulators-- you need to be sure to get the right one. The best way to find out for sure is to ask the guy that converted your appliance and sold it to you.

Doing it the safe way is not difficult and you don't need special equipment , you need a properly fitting wrench and the proper sealer and the proper adapter and the proper regulator.

Back to the O.P.
If you check with plumbing supply and in any way feel underconfident or unsure about doing it yourself, I suggest you hire a professional, or take your equipment to one.
You also should look into any codes in your area that might render this illegal to 
undertake as a DIY task.


----------



## sgmchef (Sep 30, 2006)

Hi Meez,

I'm the guy that mentioned duct tape and bubblegum.

I hope Fernando can see we all ended up agreeing that a professional get involved!

The OP statement of "_I don't know how to connect it to a propane tank_." is the clue most of us picked up on and went straight to "hire a pro" because he doesn't know how to do it. Safety first... Lawyers last...

Wish I would've had someone with your knowledge on fittings and such more than once in my career!


----------



## chefandrewl (Jun 25, 2017)

There are two kinds of conversion kits for natural gas to propane and not all equipment can be converted. Most internal equipment that will run on LP from a fixed tank uses a type 3 connection or 3/4 in pipe, however if it it something that will be used outdoors and from a portable tank it must have a type 1 connection with a 1/4 in line. All portable LP tanks have a type 1 connection and are 1/4 in diameter. If there is a 3/4 in fitting on your grill, then it has not been converted for portable LP tanks and you cannot just step down the diameter. It will require a different regulator and should be installed by a professional. I would first google your model of grill and see if it can even be converted to a type 1 LP connection.


----------

