Eternal Hot Water Heater. Propane back to gas.

[Paul Kourkoulis]

Hello, I own a home with a Eternal Hot Water Heater. It operates on propane presently. I recently ran gas to my home. I would like to convert to gas. Installation guide states that conversion to propane from gas is a addition of an orifice. Can I merely remove orifice to convert to gas or is there anything else I need to do. Thanks.

 

[Plumber69]

Hello, I own a home with a Eternal Hot Water Heater. It operates on propane presently. I recently ran gas to my home. I would like to convert to gas. Installation guide states that conversion to propane from gas is a addition of an orifice. Can I merely remove orifice to convert to gas or is there anything else I need to do. Thanks.

You mean natural gas. Usually there's a little bag inside the unit with another orifice. Propane orifice is smaller and it can be drilled out for natural gas, with the right tools. The unit should say what orifice is required for both gasses. The unit may have a selection option to switch to natural gas to. This will have to be done to. Checking gas pressure when it's up and running should be done and adjusted to

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Eternal Hot Water Heater.

You probably already know that they are out of business for years now
and that their are basically no parts available to make repairs on these units.. much less
change one from propane to nat gas...
If you dont have the parts or the knowledge to actually do this ...

I would be careful with what you are fooling with.... I dont think any company is
gonna want the liability that goes along with messing with those dogs.
I would like to hear what the final outcome is if you proceed ....

I see a new tankless Navian water heater in your future.....

 

[Dana]

I agree with Mark that if there is no company around to indemnify it many contractors won't risk the liability of hacking in a fuel-change on this equipment.

In a dank basement in Saugus, MA a heat pump water heater might actually be a better choice than a Navien. A heat pump water heater does double-duty as a dehumidifier, often need 8-10 months out of a year to keep basements from smelling in that area. It'll drop the average temperature in the basement by a degree or two, but it'll drop the humidity by quite a bit, turning the heat of vaporization of the water in the air into sensible heat in the water in the tank, whereas a dehumdifier turns it into sensible heat in the room air. Operational costs are comparable to a gas-tankless, but lower than a tankless + dehumidifier.

I'm not sure if MassSave will subsidize converting from a propane water heater heat pump or natural gas, but it's worth investigating.

 

[minnermp]

Paul I have a natural gas unit and I can tell what kind of orifice is in it for NG. I am looking to covert mine to propane and need a propane orifice or if someone can tell me the exact size of the propane orifice so that I can fabricate one that would be awesome. thx

 

[Zack Miller]

Paul I have a natural gas unit and I can tell what kind of orifice is in it for NG. I am looking to covert mine to propane and need a propane orifice or if someone can tell me the exact size of the propane orifice so that I can fabricate one that would be awesome. thx

I have a GU32 I just pulled out due to a tank leak that I am salvaging parts from if needed. Everthing was functional prior to the leak. Let me know if you need anything off the unit.

It was set up for propane, but I think I have the NG orifice as well.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Some one just got indicted for manslaughter down in florida for rigging up a propane gas water heater...
.it blew up and killed the painter that was working on the house at the time...... they are gonna throw the
book at this pipe fitter.

its best you just throw it away and not offer it to anyone for parts cause you could get named in a lawsuit if
someone makes a bad error in judgement.....