Going Crazy!! Need advice for converting my burners to natural gas

[GoCardinals09]

I have look all over the vast internet for the answers but have only found contradicting info. I have 3 of these burners Cast Iron Banjo Burner (burner only) - Burners - Equipment - Brewing : Northern Brewer and I am wanting to convert them to natural gas. I know it says they cant be converted but ive seen threads where people say they have converted them and it worked great. I would like more info on how to actually convert these burners if possible and how well they work on NG. I know you can get different orifices to screw into the burner but is that all you need to do?

Thanks all im going loco!!!:cross:

 

[nukinfuts29]

Great start

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/best-burner-hurricane-vs-jet-vs-banjo-156946/#post1810114

 

[RoadKing]

All I did was drill the orifice to 1/8'' .
I would start smaller in case you have a bit more pressure than I do
but 1/8 seems to be the number.

 

[GoCardinals09]

All I did was drill the orifice to 1/8'' .
I would start smaller in case you have a bit more pressure than I do
but 1/8 seems to be the number.

Do you know what the PSI is coming out of your NG line. im gonna call the gas company today and find out what I have.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Do you know what the PSI is coming out of your NG line. im gonna call the gas company today and find out what I have.

My house line is only 4 psi. I believe that is fairly standard. If it is a fairly new installation you should be able to find a yellow tag on your line with the pressure noted. Check near your appliances that use NG.

 

[crash1292]

My house line is only 4 psi. I believe that is fairly standard.

no way it is 4psi
1/2 psi after the regulator is standard

 

[GoCardinals09]

no way it is 4psi
1/2 psi after the regulator is standard

And a 1/2 PSI is enough to make my 10'' Banjo Burners burn hot?

 

[RoadKing]

No, I don't know the pressure I have (it's mearured in water colums).
When I originally built the stand, it was propane (different burners too)
and I used 3/4'' pipe for the manifold. If I were to change anything I would use 1''pipe
for the manifold for a little extra volume on the ocassion I have more than 1 burner
going.

 

[GoCardinals09]

no way it is 4psi
1/2 psi after the regulator is standard

And is 1/2 PSI is enough to make my 10'' Banjo Burners burn hot?

 

[PimpHandBrew]

I have worked with gas and propane for over 15 yrs. As with many water tanks and kitchen equipment and another systems that can be converted, the only thing that is changed is the size of the orifice in the gas valve. When your installing piping to feed the specific unit, the piping is stepped down as to keep up the pressure of the gasses feeding said unit over distance. If your gas feed from the street starts out as 3/4" or 1", the meter set takes in to consideration BTU's the house/business is going to use, i.e. oven, furnace and water tank. If your piping anything into your existing system, you need to know what your meter BTU output is for your house/business, what the rating of BTU's is for the unit you adding, and make sure you don't go above the set output of your meter or your will run into problems since most gas fired units have a specific BTU input rating.
I wouldn't know what you should open the orifice up to without seeing specifications, but if your piping it in, i would drop down the size of the pipe feeding the burner to half inch, which would keep up the pressure at the inlet.
This is just a rule of thumb, and hope it helps.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

I was wrong thinking 4psi. This is the tag I was talking about though. It reads 2psi.

 

[Bobby_M]

I think it depends on the area. Around here, residential secondary pressure is 7 W.C. or 1/4 psi. Commercial like restaurants get 2 psi to avoid pressure drop issues with multiple ports use. You can convert your burner but the orifice size will be smaller than the typical Nat gas one and slightly bigger than the propane. I bet you have a regulator just before the stove, water heater, furnace right?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Me? I don't think there is any regulator other than the outside meter and the thermostat on the water heater.