My dad is about to be 82 and loves to grill, but changing the tank is too much for his back. After much thought, the only good option is natural gas, but he had one in the past and hated it--said he could never get good flame from it.
My research tells me all household appliances operate on .25 psi, but I can't find what a grill needs to operate properly/well.
I am assuming that the regulator outside your house supplies .25 psi to any/all appliances that are in use at any given time, so adding a line to a grill would not be an issue.
Of course, I don't know what I don't know.
Also, any recommendations on grills, like a nice three burner?

We had a NG plumbed Grill at my folk's house growing up, and it worked great for years and years, and was nothing fancy or expensive. Big flame, small flame, and in between.

Are you planning on using an existing propane grill and running NG to it in place of the propane tank? If so, that is a no go.

Before my wife moved in with me she had a natural gas grill in the backyard of her house. Just before she put the place up for sale we replaced the grill. What she explained and I didn't know (I don't do gas grills) is a propane grill grill needs the burners replaced with ones designed for natural gas.

Could all your dad needs are the burners replaced with a set made for natural gas?

I'm not a fan of conversions, so this will be a new grill made for NG

I was skeptical when I bought my Weber/Ducane NG years ago.
I am a believer.

I can get up to 525 degrees in summer.

Usually the dealer will supply a factory NG unit. Everything is the same except the orifices at the burners. The little holes the gas finally shoots through before getting to the burner is bigger in NG than LP for the same BTUs. That's because NG runs at a lower pressure. There will be a sticker on it making it very clear to the layperson that it is an NG grill.

If your dad had issues it may have been because the orifices were wrong. Propane orifices with NG supply will make less BTUs.

As far as flames, seeing flames, in a properly-set unit, you do not see much flame at all. Unless there is flare-up.

The manufacturer may tell you to install a regulator at the gas supply; regulators are sized according to maximum BTUs you want. Here near Philly, gas is delivered at a pretty low pressure; I can blow air through a straw at higher pressure. Then there is the gas meter, metering flow. The last big grill I connected has no regulator on it. I hear appliance makers are going over to the idea that NG is supplied at such a regulated pressure that one on the grill is redundant.

I'd get a Genesis by Weber. With cast iron grills - an option when I got my dad that grill 10+ years ago. It is about 40k BTUs. I'd have to check a chart, but depending on the length of the run, ½ steel may be fine. Whether you put a regulator on it is up to local codes.

I've been grilling on a NG Weber for over 12 years. The first one I converted form propane, and the new one I bought about 5 years ago.

They cook great. I saw no difference in heat when I converted the first grill from propane to ng. The basic difference in the conversion is the ng has larger Orpheus. If you don't increase this size there will naturally be a drop off in BTUs.

The trick is you need to turn them on 10-15 before cook time, put them on high with the lid closed. Then just regulate the heat as needed.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
Usually the dealer will supply a factory NG unit. Everything is the same except the orifices at the burners. The little holes the gas finally shoots through before getting to the burner is bigger in NG than LP for the same BTUs. That's because NG runs at a lower pressure. There will be a sticker on it making it very clear to the layperson that it is an NG grill.

Its not just the lower pressure:

Natural is feed from a supply regulator at 5-7" WC. Then the appliance regulator reduces it again to 3.5" WC.
LP is feed from the supply tank regulator at 10 lbs. Then the secondary regulator reduces it to 11-14" WC. Then the appliance regulator reduces it again to 10" WC.

Natural has 1000 Btu per CF
LP has 2544 Btu per CF

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
I hear appliance makers are going over to the idea that NG is supplied at such a regulated pressure that one on the grill is redundant.

See above, it wouldn't be redundant, it would be required to reduce the pressure;

Natural from 5-7" WC to 3.5" WC
and
LP from 11-14" WC to 10" WC.


** One PSI = 28.8" WC
*** As always, refer to the appliance tag 'specs' as the above is 'most common', but sometimes the operating pressures differ slightly.

I have a Weber Spirit, it can hit 700 degrees any day of the year on NG. I like it a lot, though honestly prefer my BGE for everything except burgers, dogs, and searing steaks after sous vide.

Woodsman pretty much covered it.
I sold them back in the 70's and back then they were natural gas and propane was a special thing you had to order.
Orifice size was about the only difference.
Later they came with both sets and the customer had to change to his preference

Thank you gentlemen very much. I feel much better about it all.

You want a loud timer as reminder to shut off the grill. I sadly admit to once melting a set of aluminum grates.

quote:

Originally posted by Poacher:
I'm not a fan of conversions, so this will be a new grill made for NG

The conversion isn't really a conversion per se. Think of it more in-line of selecting the option to have wider wheels really sticky tires on a corvette once it leaves the show room because you will road race it.

The grill, like the car, is built to do it, just need the right option seldcted/added. Call or go to a "BBQs and More" or similar and ask.

The grill, like the car, is built to do it, just need the right option seldcted/added. Call or go to a "BBQs and More" or similar and ask.[/QUOTE]

Will do. Thanks