# Forum Home Renovation Heating & Cooling  Rinnai LPG heater conversion

## Frankie41

So a few months ago my 18 month old stuck a bunch of plastic toys and crayons through the vents of our Rinnai natural gas heater, my partner turned it on without realising, thus melting whatever he's stuck in there. 
My neighbour was throwing out the same heater, only it's fitted for LPG, so I picked it up in the hope that I can install it. 
Is there any way I can:
a) change the fittings, either with a conversion kit, or even using the hose and fittings on the old heater 
                        OR
b) get into the vents to clean out whatever is in there. 
It's a pretty old heater, so I'm concerned as to whether or not I'll be able to find a conversion kit to suit it. 
It's very similar to the photo I've attached, but ours have the dials down the side.

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## Pulpo

I know bbqs have conversion kits. 
I just changed the hose and regulator and drilled the jet nipple holes larger. 
I also changed a gas heater from natural to lpg. 
But this thing was to be used for the shed. 
Ventilation is a problem. 
Could it be done probably. 
Pull it apart to see where the jet is feeding the gas. 
This has to be increased in size. 
Then buy new hose and regulator. 
BEWARNED this should be tried out in the shed. 
Soapy water will check for leaks. 
I have no kids or wife to worry about. 
Most will say dont bother but I know what it feels like to be broke. 
Make sure the heater is currently working. 
Good Luck 
Pulpo

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## Frankie41

Thanks for your reply.
Yeah, there's no way I'm going to risk doing it myself since I have two little ones, but I'm hoping I can find a professional who's not going to take advantage of my little knowledge and make as much money as they can from me. I'm hoping that they can just use the parts on the other heater and just switch them around or something (safely). 
The neighbour said the heater works fine, and that the only reason he's getting rid of it is because of the natural gas Vs LPG.

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## Smurf

Generally speaking, it shouldn't be a problem to remove the natural gas jets from the broken heater and fit them to the working heater in place of the LPG jets it has now. Then, depending on the design of it, there may also need to be an air adjustment as well. 
Alternatively, the LPG jets can be drilled out (enlarged) to suit natural gas. This is a legitimate practice, provided that the proper drills are used and it's done by someone who knows what they're doing. A small difference in the hole size makes a big difference to gas flow so it's important to get it right. 
But since you have access to a full set of the required natural gas jets, you'd be better off using them instead. No messing about that way. 
Any decent gas fitter should be able to do this. It's just a matter of unscrewing some bits and swapping them over (unless there's something unusual about this particular heater).

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## China

To be honest on a heater that old, you would be wasting your money, you would be better off finding a second hand heater that is similar and replace it, they sell for much less than it will cost to have a gas fitter modify it, pity you are not in SA I have a later model unit gathering dust in the shed.

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## Drewster

I have an old rinnai heater I saved from a scrap bin.  It is jetted for Natural Gas.  Inside my heater is a sticker with the details of what sized jets are required for LPG or Natural Gas.  It should be a simple job to change the jets (Pilot and burner jets) over as long as they are compatible.  (i.e. same type of jets, the only difference being of course being the orifice size)  You will have to change the regulator too if fitted as LPG and Natural Gas run at different pressures.  Spray soapy water over all your connections once you connect up to gas to check for leaks on all the connections you have fiddled with during the conversion.  You could just try to clean out your old heater though it may be easier.  If you are going to bin any parts you don't want for the LPG heater I would be interested in buying some bits off you to convert mine to LPG. I need the pilot jet, the three burner jets and the regulator and hose.   Hope this helps.

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## crest4132

Hi Frankie41
i have the same type n.g heater with me and i want to convert it into lpg. if yu find any best method please pass it on. in the mean time, if i find some method , i will pass it on to you
thanks

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## Peeeeda

I've scraped off a million melted biro pens posted through the grills of gas fires in the last 30 years.  Just undo the bolts or screws from the bottom, remove the control knob and pull off the case to expose the inner workings.  Should the plaques/radiants be so bogged with melted crayon goo that the fire can't be used, just swap the radiant/plaques over.  Or am I missing something here?

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## Smurf

Reminds me that I "posted a letter" into the oil heater we had when I was a child. Only reason I remember it is because it smoked the whole house out...  :Biggrin:

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