How to identify high- or low-pressure burners?

[hvjackson]

I have some banjo-style propane burners. I want to get a regulator for them and am not sure which style to get, 2psi or 30psi. Is there any way to identify the burners? I can't find any identifying marks on the burners like a model number that would help (although maybe I just don't know where to look).

 

[jakenbacon]

Now don't quote me on this but I believe most if not all propane applications are considered high pressure. I believe the low pressure regulators are mainly for natural gas use.... Maybe ....

 

[hvjackson]

Now don't quote me on this but I believe most if not all propane applications are considered high pressure. I believe the low pressure regulators are mainly for natural gas use.... Maybe ....

I don't *think* this is right (but I'm not sure either). E.g. here is a high-pressure banjo burner made by Bayou Classic, says it requires 30 psi:

Bayou Classic BG14 Banjo Burner 10 inch diameter


... and here is a very similar looking low-pressure burner by Hurricane that says it requires 11" WC (decidedly low pressure):

Hurricane Low Pressure Burner

 

[MindenMan]

Can you give us a measurement on the burners? Is the top of the burner 6" across or something larger? There is a somewhat confusing high pressure/low pressure output with quite a few of the burners solely based on the pressure of the regulators.

 

[MindenMan]

11" WC is the pressure of Natural Gas in your house. 23" WC is equal to 1 PSI, so the Hurricane burner is set up for Natural Gas, and the BG14 is for LPG.

The BG10 will produce 210,000 BTU with a 30PSI regulator and the correct orifice. That same burner set up for NG or 11" WC will produce 56,000 BTU. Does that help?

 

[hvjackson]

My burner is 10" in diameter.

Perhaps the Hurricane model I picked out is NG (although it doesn't say), but this one is clearly propane:
Hurricane Stove, and appears to be similar in shape.

 

[jackyl]

My burner is 10" in diameter.

Perhaps the Hurricane model I picked out is NG (although it doesn't say), but this one is clearly propane:
Hurricane Stove, and appears to be similar in shape.

It's all about the orifice size. You'll get less BTUs because NG burns cooler, but you can make practically any burner work from propane to NG if you increase the orifice size, and therefore the gas volume to the burner.

I have exactly that burner and converted it to NG - works great!

E: just realized you were asking about going the other way, sorry. I don't think you need a reg, since those also work for propane, just the correct (smaller sized) orifice.

 

[MindenMan]

I am now confused. Which exact model burner do you have, and what is the regulator pressure on the regulator you have?

 

[hvjackson]

I am now confused. Which exact model burner do you have, and what is the regulator pressure on the regulator you have?

You're confused, I'm confused, we're all confused.

Here's the situation: I obtained 3 banjo-style burners in a Craigslist buy, along with a bunch of other stuff. I know nothing about them. They didn't come with a regulator (or if they did, I lost it). I already have a 30 psi regulator and I would like to know whether I can use it or whether I need to get a low pressure (~2 psi) regulator. The high-pressure and low-pressure propane burners look superficially similar. The "Bayou Classic" BG14 is a high-pressure model but the Hurricane (and Blichmann, I believe) are low-pressure.

Can I measure the oriface to determine which pressure it's designed for? What exactly should I measure, the ID of the brass fitting? Does it really matter?

(Side note: I already have a 30 psi regulator from elsewhere so I can just hook it up and see what happens, but if these burners are designed for 2 psi I don't want to blast them with 30 without knowing I'm not going to cause an explosion. )

 

[day_trippr]

It's an adjustable regulator.

Just sneak up on it with enough pressure to light up a burner and if you can't turn it up while adjusting the air damper and have a nearly all-blue flame pattern you'll know pretty quickly which orifice you have.

fwiw, I'm pretty sure all of the "big banjo" burners were designed primarily for pressures well above that of domestic NG but someone figured out you can get acceptable performance in the right application using a larger orifice.

So, yes, it's all about the ID of that brass insert...

Cheers!

 

[MindenMan]

I agree with the "sneak up on it idea". The regulator is adjustable after all. Attach the gas line, light it and turn the pressure up VERY slowly. Here is an idea:if you have a set of drill bits check and see if the orifice sizes are all the same.

 

[hvjackson]

I agree with the "sneak up on it idea". The regulator is adjustable after all. Attach the gas line, light it and turn the pressure up VERY slowly. Here is an idea:if you have a set of drill bits check and see if the orifice sizes are all the same.

The only burners I have are these 3 unknown ones, so I don't really have anything to compare them to. I checked with a drill bit and all I can say is that a 1/16" bit (smallest I have) won't fit through the oriface, so they presumably are smaller than 0.0625". I will test the burners by adjusting the pressure this weekend. I guess part of my concern is that if the burners really are low-pressure, I don't know what that will look like once I turn the propane pressure above ~2 psi.

(For reasons that aren't germane, I am reassembling my home-brew setup from parts, and don't have all the pieces I used to, hence my current predicament.)

 

[jackyl]

If a 1/16th won't fit you have he high pressure orifice. You're fine.

 

[MindenMan]

I'm with jackyl, if the orifices are less than 0.0625 your burners are quite likely HP.