Gas Appliances

Considering gas home appliances may be a good option to save money at the same time as seeing higher levels of ease, efficiency and performance.

There is a high supply of shale gas in the United States resulting in low, stable equivalent prices, and gas is looked upon as the least polluting fossil fuel, thus, it can be seen as the environmentally responsible option.

If you already have natural gas installed at home, or are buying a new dwelling you should look at the likely benefits of choosing gas and gas appliances.

Find more information about gas appliances here from Stanley Appliance Repair:

What are Natural Gas Appliances?

A natural gas appliance uses gas as the primary fuel source. These appliances afford a practicable substitute for electrically powered home appliances for heating your home, providing hot water, heating food and even air conditioning and laundry.

Usually you will still need to plug in a gas appliance. The amount of electric used depends on how the appliance works. For example, a natural gas cooker can still be used even when there is a power outage, whereas a gas dryer still relies upon electricity to make the drum turn.

Different Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas has a great many purposes in your home.

Heating

Heating your home with natural gas usually costs less than providing heat with electricity. Your costs could halve subject to your fuel costs and relative efficiency gains.

Gas heats the air in less time and offers better reliability.

An Indoor Fire

Aside from keeping your home warm natural gas is ideal for having a fire in your home. With a natural gas fireplace, you still get real flames and plenty of warmth without the fuss.

Cooling

Natural gas can be an effective way to keep your home cool.

Natural gas powered air conditioning may be more costly to install but is cheaper on an ongoing basis meaning lower prices in the long term. Higher effectiveness has the added positive impact of reducing your carbon footprint.

Water Heaters

There are two styles of natural gas water boilers, non-tank and tank. Gas heaters are faster and more productive than their electric counterparts. Tankless heaters also provide a continuous supply.

The fact that natural gas lines are generally hidden and guarded from the weather means you still have hot water even if there’s a power outage.

Cooking

We’ve all heard the saying “cooking with gas”. A great marketing strategy designed to link the use of gas with effectiveness and efficiency.

Regardless of the origin the phrase is still around because it is true. Most chefs and home cooks choose natural gas for the ability to control the size of the flame, and natural gas stoves also offer a more cost effective way of turning energy into heat.

Tumble Dryers

You may not instantly think of using gas in your laundry room, however, gas tumble dryers have many advantages. Gas Dryers heat the air at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in a shorter time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Outdoor Living

Gas doesn’t just have indoor uses. Outside the home, gas is a popular choice for patio lights and cooking and even to heat your spa.

Wow your guests before they even reach the front door with outdoor lights, keep them cosy on cool evenings and get dinner ready outside at the perfect temperature, whenever you are ready, and without the need to remember to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like indoor water heaters a pool or spa heater will get up to temperature twice as quickly as an electric heater. And natural gas patio heaters provide atmosphere as well as offering comfort for perfect outside living.

Pros of Gas Appliances

As with anything there are pros and cons to gas devices. Here are some of the pros of choosing Natural Gas.

Choosing natural gas will save you money on your power bills.
Gas home appliances tend to be more efficient making them more sustainable for your wallet and for the planet.
Gas is an ecologically sound option as it is viewed as the least polluting of the fossil fuels, with emissions of around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less C02 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.

Negatives of Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas devices usually have a higher initial cost. Both the value of the appliance and the associated installation costs are likely to be greater for a natural gas appliance when comparing to electrical goods.
Installing a new gas line can be expensive. The price will vary depending on a number of factors, so it is worth talking to your provider before making a final decision.
Moving or extending a natural gas line can also be expensive so this should be added to any price analysis.
Safety comes first and carbon monoxide can be an issue if natural gas appliances are not installed correctly or not maintained. Having a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use gas in your home.

Should You Choose Gas?

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

If your main driver is cost gas is at the moment the least expensive 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. Thus, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t currently have gas appliances is a good place to start.

Another benefit of natural gas is that you are less likely to get interruptions in supply. If power outages are common where you live then having appliances that continue to work during power cuts can count for a lot.

Finally, the sustainability credentials of natural gas could be considered as relatively short term, as you can’t power them from renewable sources like you can electrical appliances. Choosing renewable energy could be a better investment and more sustainable options in the long run.