Natural gas pressure - range not hot enough

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Jeff H Young

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At least one California supplier supports 2 psi at least for new residential construction. https://www.socalgas.com/for-your-business/builder-services/elevated-pressure I don't know if they support retrofits. It should be easy enough in most areas, because the regulator at the home is supplied by pressure much higher than 2 psi.
Its very easy yea like 60 psi coming in around here. You can bootleg it or go legal but Ill guarantee in my jurisdiction you dont just call gas company and tell them to jack pressure to 2 psi aint happening there is a process. how about those regulators dont you have to vent to outside ?
 

Mr tee

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My guess would be oven regulator not converter to NG or the screen on the regulator is clogged with something, perhaps Teflon (PTFE) tape.
 

Pktaske

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Old oven had low flame. New oven had low flame. New oven had regulator replaced under warranty-still low flame. All fittings say NG.

Question - would anyone recommend snaking the short run from the shut off valve to the tee to check for obstruction or water?
 

Jeff H Young

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Old oven had low flame. New oven had low flame. New oven had regulator replaced under warranty-still low flame. All fittings say NG.

Question - would anyone recommend snaking the short run from the shut off valve to the tee to check for obstruction or water?
youve got the guage coming so Id hold off. So id wait till tomorrow. just wondering what process youll be doing how much drop you will concider good?
 

Pktaske

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youve got the guage coming so Id hold off. So id wait till tomorrow. just wondering what process youll be doing how much drop you will concider good?
No idea. I'll be coming back here with my readings to ask. From what I understand, I need a reading with range off and range on (hence the need for the tee).
 

Jeff H Young

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No idea. I'll be coming back here with my readings to ask. From what I understand, I need a reading with range off and range on (hence the need for the tee).
right check close to stove and if excessive drop, check close to meter there usually is a tee at the meter on your side if that drop isnt excessive it tells you blockage is bettween those 2 points. If its still excessive drop at meter then its a gas company issue
 

Pktaske

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Update:

-I checked dryer and range line at cutoff valve. Removed flex hose. Both around 7". Pic.

-Moved back to kitchen. Preheated Bake to 350. 9 min. Much quicker.

-Burners higher but still look low to me. Someone said that's how the new ranges are designed. Pic.

-Could have all my flipping around knocked off some scale? And is this really fixed? Very unsatisfying ending here.
 

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Jeff H Young

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Check the screens at the regulator as Mr. Tee alluded to.
yep a lot of good ideas !
Ptaske what did you fix? I thought you tested pressure but have nothing to fix?
check pressure with the appliance burning did you check pressure drop?
 

Pktaske

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yep a lot of good ideas !
Ptaske what did you fix? I thought you tested pressure but have nothing to fix?
check pressure with the appliance burning did you check pressure drop?
Nothing. Performance got better than it was but I'm still not convinced. I'll do drop when I get the Tee.

This is the old regulator they took out. What does 1/2 PSI mean? Max or required? That's like 14" right?
 
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Pktaske

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pics of requirement and regulator they took out.
 

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Reach4

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John Gayewski

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That regulator with the green cap has what seems to me to be an odd paper label: "NAT 5 WC LP 10 WC"

If that same regulator can be used for both, I would think there would also have to be an orifice change, since LP has more BTU at a given pressure. Either that, or the burner just puts outputs less BTU on NG.

I am not a pro, and I may be missing something.

It just means the regulator can handle either and its meant to give it 5" wc for nat gas and 10" for lp. Which would require springs adjustment when switched.
 

John Gayewski

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Nothing. Performance got better than it was but I'm still not convinced. I'll do drop when I get the Tee.

This is the old regulator they took out. What does 1/2 PSI mean? Max or required? That's like 14" right?
Yes it's 14" max which is about 1/2 psi
 

Reach4

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It just means the regulator can handle either and its meant to give it 5" wc for nat gas and 10" for lp. Which would require springs adjustment when switched.
My thought was that the regulator would take either down to 3.5 WC, and the orifice was chosen as a compromise.

I did not find the difference between LP and NG BTUs at the same pressure. It is commonly stated that a cuft of propane has over twice the BTU of a cuft of natural gas. But I suspect the propane is at 11 inch WC and the natural gas is at 6 WC..
 

John Gayewski

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My thought was that the regulator would take either down to 3.5 WC, and the orifice was chosen as a compromise.

I did not find the difference between LP and NG BTUs at the same pressure. It is commonly stated that a cuft of propane has over twice the BTU of a cuft of natural gas. But I suspect the propane is at 11 inch WC and the natural gas is at 6 WC..
Usually a system designed for propane has smaller pipi g and is at higher pressure.
 

Pktaske

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If you use LP, you take out the brass 'nozzle' and flip it so the LP arrow is pointing in. Reverse for NG. Must adjust some kind of spring.
 

Jeff H Young

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If you use LP, you take out the brass 'nozzle' and flip it so the LP arrow is pointing in. Reverse for NG. Must adjust some kind of spring.
the ones I seen didnt have a nozzle that needed flipping. they have a rod that sets the pressure on a diaprahm you fip that and it changes the length and spring tension hence pressure change.
what the next step to fixing your range?
 
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