Propane Vs Natural Gas Comparison

Propane and natural gas - both have their own advantages and disadvantages. In fact, propane itself is derived during the processing of natural gas. So which one is better? A propane vs natural gas comparison can help you to decide which one has an edge over its counterpart. But before we move on to the propane vs natural gas comparison, let's try and get to know more about each of them in brief.

Propane Gas

An efficient fuel, propane is normally a gas that is compressible to a transportable liquid. This fuel is derived from the petroleum products during natural gas processing. Propane is most often used as a fuel for engines and portable appliances. The popularity of propane refrigerators and propane heaters seems to be soaring day by day. Read more on facts about propane.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is formed by methanogenic organisms in bogs and marshy areas. The fuel is closely associated with fossil fuels, and primarily consists of methane gas. Natural gas can be stored in the uncompressed form as well as compressed form. In compressed form it is stored as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). It is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, and hence harmful for the environment. Read more on natural gas facts.

Propane vs Natural Gas

In the propane vs natural gas comparison, several factors, including efficiency, cost and possible hazards, have to be taken into consideration. Let's take a detailed look at each of these factors.

Efficiency: Propane is more efficient than natural gas. Natural gas contains approximately 1,030 BTU per cubic foot whereas propane contains 2,490 BTU per cubic foot, which means, if a particular amount of natural gas provides 1000 BTU energy, the same amount of propane would provide 2500 BTU energy. (BTU or British Thermal Units is a scale used to measure heat.) Because of this, when shifting from one fuel to another, you have to alter some components of your machine. Conversion kits available in the market facilitate conversion from propane to natural gas or vice versa, with utmost ease.

Cost: Propane is processed from natural gas, while natural gas is extracted from the ground in a usable state. Owing to the extra processing i.e. separation and distillation, propane tends to become costlier than natural gas. Generally, propane is six times more expensive than natural gas, however the price may differ according to regions.

Portability: When it comes to portability, propane has a definite edge over natural gas because propane, which turns to liquid at - 46 degrees Fahrenheit, can be easily compressed and filled in tanks which can be transported to your homes. On the other hands, it is very difficult to compress natural gas, and therefore most often it is transported by the means of pipelines.

Risk of Explosion: Both propane and natural gas are prone to explosion, but propane being heavier than natural gas tends to settle down which makes it more vulnerable to large explosions. Natural gas is lighter and dissipates easily, hence there are relatively less chances of explosions.

Environment Friendly: Although, both propane and natural gas are considered to be clean burning fuels, natural gas is also considered to be one of the potent greenhouse gases. Propane is a non-toxic gas which won't pollute the environment even if it is released in air. Therefore, when it comes to being environment friendly, propane scores over natural gas and is thus referred to as a 'green fuel'.

On the basis of propane vs natural gas comparison, we realize that it's not always about propane versus natural gas. Both these fuels share several common traits, which makes it difficult to pin point which one is advantageous over the other. Propane and natural gas are also used as alternative fuels in vehicles. When it comes to emissions, both are considered to be clean fuels owing to insignificant amounts of emissions.

The propane vs natural gas comparison will continue to be debated for sometime, at least until one of them comes up with absolute advantage. Depending on your usage you can choose the fuel that is the most beneficial for you. Portable propane heaters and grills are available for home use. However, you should make a choice after taking into consideration several factors, the most prominent ones being safety, availability, and your usage. For instance, even though propane barbecues are available, people prefer natural gas to propane because propane barbecues tend to release pollutants which allegedly alters the taste of the food.