Gas Appliances

Considering gas home appliances might be an option to lower expenditures while seeing higher levels of comfort and efficiency.

There is a plentiful supply of natural gas in the United States resulting in low, stable prices, and gas is considered to be the least polluting fossil fuel, thus, it can be viewed as the greener option.

If you already have a natural gas line in your home, or are buying a new house you may wish to think about the possible gains of choosing gas and natural gas household appliances.

Read more about gas appliances below from Moreno Valley Appliance Repair:

What is a Gas Appliance?

A gas home appliance uses natural gas as the dominant power source. Gas home appliances are a practicable substitute for electrical goods.

Generally you will still need to supply electricity to a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. For example, a gas boiler will still work even during a power cut, whereas a natural gas tumble dryer still relies upon electricity to make the drum turn.

A List of Home Appliances That Use Natural Gas

Gas has any number of purposes in your house.

Heating

Keeping yourself warm with gas typically costs less than keeping warm with electricity. The difference can be as much as 50% depending on your fuel tariffs and relative efficiency gains.

Gas makes the air hotter in a shorter time and offers better reliability.This is a huge benefit if you if you get power cuts

Fireplaces

Apart from general heating natural gas is ideal for a log fire with real flames. With a gas fireplace, you still get real flames and a warm home without the fuss.

Keeping Cool

Natural gas air conditioning can be an efficient way to cool your home, even if there is a power failure.

Gas fueled air conditioning could be more costly to begin with but is more cost effective on an ongoing basis meaning lower prices in the long term. Higher performance also has a positive impact on your carbon footprint.

Hot Water

There are two styles of natural gas water heaters, on demand and tank. Gas heaters are more rapid and more efficient than electric water heaters. Tankless water heaters also offer a continuous supply.

The fact that gas lines are usually underground and protected from the weather means you still have hot water even if there’s a power outage.

Cooking Food

We’ve all encountered the saying “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line created to link natural gas with effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the phrase stuck because it is valid. The majority of chefs and amateur cooks choose gas for the ease with which you can control the size of the flame, and natural gas hobs also offer a less wasteful way of converting fuel into heat.

Tumble Dryers

Natural gas might not be the immediate thing you think of when it comes to drying clothes, however, gas clothes dryers are a great choice. Gas Dryers dry clothes a few degrees hotter thus drying clothes in less time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Outdoor Entertaining

You have to restrict your gas use to indoor appliances. Outside, gas is often used for lighting and food prep and even to heat your spa.

Wow guests as soon as they arrive with driveway lighting, keep them toasty even when the temperature drops and get a meal prepared outside, whenever you are ready, and without the having to go to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like indoor water heaters a pool or spa heater will get up to temperature twice as rapidly as an electric equivalent. And natural gas fire pits give ambiance as well as offering heat for perfect outside entertaining.

Pros of Gas Home Appliances

With any decision you make it makes sense to weight up the pros and the cons. Here are some of the benefits.

Gas is generally less expensive than electricity saving you money on your annual energy costs.
Gas devices tend to be more efficient making them more sustainable for your wallet and for the planet.
Natural gas is an environmentally responsible choice as it is the least environmentally damaging of the fossil fuels, contributing around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than coal.
Natural gas lines are generally run underground making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can continue to cook even if you get a power outage.At worst you might need to find a match.

Negatives of Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas appliances usually are subject to a higher initial cost. Both the price of the appliance and the cost to install are likely to be higher.
Installing a new gas line if you don’t already have one can be expensive. The price will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home.
Having a natural gas line moved or extended can also cost a considerable amount.
Safety first! Carbon monoxide can be an issue if gas devices are not installed correctly or not maintained. Installing a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use natural gas in your home.

Is a Natural Gas Appliance Right for You?

Making the choice between natural gas and electricity is not easy and the optimal choice for you may not be the best decision for everyone.

If your main driver is cost natural gas is at the moment the lower priced fuel. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have natural gas, converting to gas comes at a cost. With this in mind, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good first step.

Another key advantage of natural gas is stability of supply. If power cuts are common where you live then having appliances that continue to work during power failures can be a huge benefit.

Lastly, the sustainability credentials of gas may be relatively short term, as you can’t power them from renewable sources in the same way you can electrical appliances. Installing solar panels or a heat pump may turn out to be a better investment and more environmentally responsible options in the long run.