Is Natural Gas Piping Different From Propane?

Understanding the Difference Between Two Different Gas Line Hookups

As a company that handles both propane delivery and natural gas hookups, the team at LG Jordan Oil Co. has a good background on the difference between these two fuels. Customers sometimes ask us if we use the same piping for both. WE DO NOT because natural gas and propane are different and require different lines to deliver fuel to your home’s heating, hot water, and appliances.

To get you more familiar, here is a rundown of how propane and natural gas differ…and how that affects the pipes that bring it to equipment in your North Carolina home.

How is Natural Gas Different from Propane?

While propane is a coproduct of natural gas extraction and production, they are quite different fuels under the microscope. Here are a few significant differences:

• Composition. Propane is denser than air and is compressed into a liquid for packaging and transportation. Natural gas—which is primarily composed of methane—is lighter than air.
• Delivery. Natural gas is delivered to American homes through a utility’s pipe system, so you need access to a utility. Propane travels in trucks and is stored in on-site tanks and cylinders.
• Heat Production. Propane produces more than double the heat per cubic foot as natural gas.

Natural Gas Piping vs. Propane Piping

That difference in heat production means that piping for natural gas is sized differently than propane piping. Propane piping has a smaller diameter because you use less of this fuel for the same amount of heat generation.

As a result, a home with propane piping is not equipped for natural gas. We would need to change it out for piping with a larger diameter. As you can imagine, this also affects the connections and valves for regulators and other hardware. They need to be replaced too.

Connecting a Home for Natural Gas vs. Propane

As mentioned before, you need access to a utility for a natural gas hookup, making this option a nonstarter for many rural area households. If you do have access to a utility, you can expect to spend at least $2,000 to connect your home—and likely even more than that. Plus, the more appliances you need to connect, the more expensive it gets. Installing and connecting a propane tank can be noticeably less expensive, especially if you’re leasing your tank from a propane company.

LG Jordan is Your Local Propane and Natural Gas Partner!

Whether you’re installing propane or natural gas connections in your home, you need to have trained, licensed, and experienced professionals handle the job. At LG Jordan, we’ve set up many families throughout Wake, Chatham, and surrounding counties with natural gas services.

We’ve also helped many households make the change to propane, too! Our technicians work with you to find the best propane tank for your family and ensure that it’s installed safely and quickly. Then, you’ll have an energy partner to make reliable provide propane tank refill visits, so you’re kept comfortable all year long.

Contact us for a free consultation on our propane or natural gas services. Our team is standing by and ready to get started.