Gas Appliances

Looking at natural gas appliances might be an option to save money at the same time as seeing gains in comfort and efficiency.

There is a high supply of natural gas in the United States meaning that prices are low and stable, and gas is relatively the cleanest fossil fuel, consequently, it can be regarded as the greener alternative.

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

Read more about gas appliances here from Premiere Appliance Repair:

What are Natural Gas Appliances?

A gas device employs gas as the dominant power source. Gas goods afford a viable alternative for electrically powered appliances for heating your living space, providing hot water, heating your food and even air conditioning and clothes drying.

Usually you will still need to plug in a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. E.g, a natural gas water heater will produce hot water even if the power goes out, whereas a gas tumble dryer still needs electrical components to make the drum turn.

Different Gas Appliances

Gas has any number of purposes in your home.

Heating

Heating your home with gas generally costs less than heating using electrical heaters. The reduction can be as high as 50% subject to your fuel tariffs and efficiency.

Gas makes the air hotter in a shorter time and is more reliable.This is a huge benefit if you for winter power outages

An Indoor Fire

As well as keeping your home warm natural gas is perfect for a fireplace.Forget the hassle of having to collect or buy logs or clean out the ashes. With a gas fireplace, you still get real flames and plenty of warmth without the hassle.

Air Conditioning

Gas air conditioning can offer an efficient means to keep your home cool, even if there is a power failure.

Natural gas fueled air conditioning are often more expensive initially but is cheaper to run and maintain meaning a better return on your investment. Higher performance has the added benefit of lowering your C02 emissions.

Water Heating

There are two types of gas water boilers, on demand and tank. 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 generally underground and protected from the elements means you will still have heating even if there’s a power outage.

Cooking Food

Everyone has heard the saying “cooking with gas”. A great marketing line created to link gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the phrase is still around because it is accurate. Most chefs choose natural gas for the fact that they can control the heat, and gas hobs provide a much more efficient way of converting energy into heat.

Tumble Dryers

You might not instantly think of using gas to dry your clothes, however, natural gas clothes dryers can be an excellent choice. Gas Dryers heat the air at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in a shorter time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Outdoor Entertaining

Did you know you don’t just have to use natural gas inside your home? Outside, natural gas is a popular choice for lighting and food prep and can even be used to heat your spa.

delight guests before they even get out of the car with path lighting, keep them cosy even when the temperature drops and get a meal prepared outside at the perfect temperature, whenever you are ready, and without the having to go to fill up your gas bottles.

Just like domestic water heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as fast as an electric heater. And gas patio heaters set the mood as well as giving comfort for the best outside entertaining.

Benefits of Gas Home Appliances

With any decision you make it’s best weight up the pros and the cons. Here are some of the advantages of choosing Natural Gas.

Choosing natural gas will save you money on your energy bills.
Natural gas home appliances tend to be more efficient making them financially and environmentally viable.
Natural gas is an ecologically sound option as it is viewed as the least environmentally damaging of the fossil fuels, contributing around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than coal.
Gas lines are less exposed to the elements making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can still cook even if the power goes out.At worst you might need to find a match.

Disadvantages of Gas Appliances

Natural gas appliances tend to require a higher initial outlay. Both the ticket price of the appliance and the associated installation costs are likely to be more.
Installing a new gas line can be expensive. The amount will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home.
Moving or extending a natural gas line can also be expensive so this should always be added to any cost benefit analysis.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if natural gas home appliances are not properly installed or regularly maintained. Having a carbon monoxide alarm is essential is you use gas in your home.

Is a Gas Appliance Right for You?

Making the change between gas and electricity is not always simple and the right choice for you might not be the best choice for everyone.

Currently natural gas is almost always less expensive than electricity, so if the price is your main motivation this can be a big part of the decision-making process. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have natural gas, retrospectively installing gas is expensive. Therefore, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good place to start.

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

Finally, the environmental 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 may turn out to be less expensive and more environmentally responsible options in the long run.