Gas Appliances

Considering switching to gas devices may be an option to lower expenditures while experiencing gains in performance and productivity.

There is a high supply of natural gas in the United States resulting in low, stable equivalent prices, and natural gas is relatively the least polluting fossil fuel, therefore, it can be seen as the least environmentally damaging alternative.

If you already have a gas line in your house, or are building a new home you may wish to consider the potential gains of choosing gas and natural gas home appliances.

Find more information about gas appliances below from Power Appliance Repair:

What are Gas Home Appliances?

A gas home appliance makes use of natural gas as the main fuel source. These appliances are a great alternative for electrically powered home appliances for heating your home, heating water, heating your food and even cooling your home and drying your clothes.

In many instances gas appliances nevertheless require an electrical outlet but use gas as the major source of power. The quantity electric needed depends on the type of appliance. E.g, a natural gas furnace will still operate even when there is a power outage, whereas a natural gas dryer still requires electricity.

Types of Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas can have many purposes in your home.

Heating

Keeping yourself warm with gas usually costs less than keeping warm using electricity. Your expenditure could halve subject to your energy costs and relative efficiency gains.

Gas heats the air more quickly and offers better reliability.This is due to gas lines being better protected than power lines.

A Fireplace

As well as general heating natural gas is perfect for a log fire with real flames.Forget the hassle of having to collect or buy logs or clean out the ashes. With a gas fireplace, you still get all the ambiance and a focal point without the mess.

Air Conditioning

Gas air conditioners can be an effective means to keep your home cool.

Gas fueled air conditioning can be more expensive initially but is cheaper to run and maintain meaning a better return on your investment. Higher effectiveness has the added benefit of reducing your carbon footprint.

Heating Water

There are two types of natural gas water boilers, on demand and tank. Natural gas heaters are faster and more productive than their electric counterparts. Tankless water heaters also provide a continuous supply.

The fact that gas lines are almost always underground and sheltered from the weather means you will still have heating even if there’s a power outage.

Cooking Food

Everyone has come across the saying “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line created to link natural gas with effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the saying stuck because it is valid. The majority of chefs choose gas for the ability to control the heat, and natural gas ranges also offer a more cost effective way of turning energy into heat.

Clothes Dryers

You might not immediately think of using gas in your laundry room, however, gas clothes dryers can be an excellent choice. Gas Dryers operate at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in a shorter time.

Using Gas Outside

You have to restrict your natural gas use to indoor appliances. Outside, natural gas is often used for patio lights and food prep and even to heat your pool.

Impress guests as soon as they arrive with outdoor lighting, keep them warm even when the temperature falls and get food cooked outside, when you like, and without the worry of remembering to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like indoor heaters a pool or spa heater will get up to temperature twice as rapidly as an electric heater. And natural gas fire pits set the mood as well as giving warmth for the best outside living.

Benefits of Natural Gas Appliances

With any decision you make it’s best look at the pros and the cons. Here are some of the advantages.

Choosing natural gas will reduce your energy bills.
Gas appliances tend to use less energy making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an environmentally responsible choice as it is considered the least polluting of the fossil fuels, with emissions of around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Gas lines are generally run underground making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can still cool your home even if there’s no electricity supply.

Cons of Gas Home Appliances

Gas home appliances tend to have a higher initial cost. Both the price of the appliance and the cost to install are likely to be more for a gas appliance when looking at next to electrical goods.
Having a gas line installed can be costly. The amount will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home, so it is worth talking to your provider before making a final decision.
Moving or extending a gas line can also cost a considerable amount so this should always be added to any cost comparisons.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if natural gas devices are not installed correctly or regularly maintained. Having a carbon monoxide alarm is essential is you use gas in your home.

Should You Choose Gas?

Making the choice between natural gas and electricity is not straightforward and the right choice for you may not be the right decision for everyone.

Currently natural gas is almost always less expensive than electricity, so if the cost is your main motivation this can be a major factor in the decision-making process. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, converting to gas comes at a cost. With this in mind, getting a quote for installing a gas line if you don’t already have one is a good place to start.

Another key advantage of natural gas is reliability of supply. If power failures happen often where you live then having appliances that continue to work during power cuts can count for a lot.

Finally, the environmental credentials of gas may be relatively short term, as you can’t power them from renewable sources in the same way you can electrical devices. Installing renewable energy could be more cost-effective and more sustainable options in the long run.