How to Change a Propane Central Heating Unit to Natural Gas

Obtain a heating unit conversion kit from a commercial dealer who sells your model of furnace. Ask an HVAC professional, such as the furnace dealer, whether the kit contains all the necessary parts for proper outfitting; order any extra items, such as a regulator or burners. Many appliances, including central heating units, are not designed for internal modification, so conversion from propane to natural gas may not be possible.

Contact the natural gas provider in your area and request installation of a new service line to your home. Check with the provider's customer service agent about specific requirement. You likely need to have a pipe stubbed to the location of the new gas meter outside your home prior to the arrival of the gas company.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to connect all conversion kit parts. Meticulous installation is required to prevent system failure, which is usually caused by improper gas or air flow. To convert an HVAC unit to natural gas, you likely need to change the internal regulator, burners and air shutters or dampers.

Check the operation of furnace burners and the temperature inside the home. Observe whether the regulator is allowing an adequate flame inside the central heating unit. If the furnace is not having an effective impact on inside air temperature, you may need to check settings, make minor adjustments or obtain other replacement parts to increase the flow of gas.

Smell the air to confirm no natural gas odor is present; fumes are a sign of a leaking pipe or equipment malfunction. Turn off the main valve, ventilate the area and call an HVAC professional or the gas company immediately if you smell gas.