Connecting A Natural Gas Grill To Stub-Out

Summertime gets us in the mood for home grilled food and pool parties, so we have some tips to get your summer fired up by connecting your natural gas grill to your home’s stub-out.

The Difference Between Natural Gas And Propane

We are using the term natural gas to distinguish it from propane gas which is for entirely different grills. Some propane grills have converter kits so you can use your natural gas stub-out and leave those canisters behind, but it is not safe to convert it yourself. It is always recommended to use one supplied by the manufacturing company for your specific grill. 

Natural gas is the same gas you have for your water heater and probably a gas stove, furnace, or fireplace in your house. It is provided as a utility so if you aren’t currently using it you will set that up first. If you have a natural gas line that goes outside to be used for pool heating or grilling, you will see a capped “stub out” protruding from an exterior wall.

Connecting To The Natural Gas Stub-Out

Basically, a stub out is the part of a pipe that extends out from the wall that allows you to connect a device to it. It is safe to leave it capped until you need it, and some of them are never used. Once your gas is turned off, you will uncap the stub out and safely attach your gas grill line to it. Here is a quick rundown of the steps to do that, but first, you already know working with gas lines is dangerous, so it bears repeating frequently, turn off the gas first and follow all safety protocols. If this isn’t your comfort zone, reach out to a professional company like ours to help. 

Step connect your natural gas grill to the stub out:

1. Safely turn off your gas to the home.
2. Turn off the shut-off valve at the location. Attach a shut-off valve if the stub out doesn’t already have one attached. In some cases, this is required by code.
3. Uncap the stub out. You can use two wrenches, one to hold the valve and the other to unscrew the cap to prevent leaks.
4. Connect the stub-out gas valve to the connection on your grill using a hose made for this exact purpose. The best hoses are stainless steel coated with polymers. If you are providing your own you want to know that it should extend as straight as possible. You don’t want it too long so that it curves or bends. Use a pipe compound formulated or safe for use with natural gas on the threads.  
5. After you’ve connected the grill, you should do a leak test on all connections. Please research this for safety and efficacy, but one common test is to have soapy water on the fittings so that when you turn on the gas you can see if any bubbles are forming. A leak will form bubbles. 

Safety is paramount. Do not allow smoking or flames anywhere near and never bang on things that can spark. Be very careful about the shut-off mains and valves and be very alert to any leaks.

According to Weber, “If fittings are needed on your gas line it is important to use straight pipe nipples as opposed to flare fittings”. The reason this is vital to know is that you want to avoid anything that could cause an explosion.

Weber also recommends having both an inside and an outside shut-off valve that should be in the on position while grilling and off position all other times.

Hire A Pro For Safety And Peace Of Mind

The risk of gas explosion means this is a risky choice and you should only take on this task if you are confident in your skills. What we have shared here is the freely available information on the internet, but we do not recommend any of these steps be taken by anyone without proper skills and experience. If you want to have this work done by pros who can get it done quickly and safely, just reach out to us by calling 480-388-6093.