Gas Appliances

Thinking about gas home appliances could be a way to lower expenditures while seeing higher levels of performance and productivity.

There is a abundant supply of gas in the United States meaning that prices are low and stable, and gas is considered the cleanest non-renewable energy source, consequently, it can be regarded as the environmentally responsible option.

If you already have gas installed in your house, or are buying a new house you may wish to look at the probable advantages of gas devices and natural gas appliances.

Learn more about gas appliances here from Lynch Appliance Repair:

What are Natural Gas Home Appliances?

A natural gas appliance uses natural gas as the main fuel source. These home appliances are a viable alternative for electrically powered goods for heating your home, providing hot water, heating food and even cooling your home and tumble drying.

In most cases natural gas devices nevertheless will need an electrical outlet but use natural gas as the main source of power. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. E.g, a gas stove will still operate even if the power goes out, whereas a natural gas dryer still needs electrical components to make the drum turn.

A List of Appliances That Run On Natural Gas

Gas can have a great many purposes in your home.

Keeping You Warm

Providing heat with gas generally costs less than providing heat using electrical appliances. The reduction can be as high as 50% depending on your energy costs and efficiency.

Natural gas makes the air hotter in a shorter time and offers better reliability. This is due to gas lines being less exposed to the elements than power lines.

A Fireplace

Aside from general heating natural gas is ideal 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 real flames and plenty of warmth without the mess.

Cooling

Natural gas air conditioning can be an adept method to keep cool, even if there is a power outage.

Gas air conditioning requires a greater initial investment but is cheaper on an ongoing basis meaning savings in the long term. Superior performance has the added benefit of cutting your C02 emissions.

Hot Water

Natural gas water boilers come in two main designs, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Gas heaters are quicker and more productive than electric water boilers. On-demand heaters also offer a continuous supply. Invaluable if you have a big household that enjoys long showers.

The fact that natural gas lines are almost always hidden and sheltered from the elements ensures you will still have heating even if there’s a power outage.

Cooking

We’ve all come across the saying “cooking with gas”. A great marketing line conceived to link natural gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Regardless of the origin the saying is still around because it is valid. The majority of chefs choose natural gas for the ease with which you can vary the heat, and natural gas ranges provide a less wasteful way of turning energy into heat.

Dryers

You may not instantly think of using natural gas to dry your clothes, however, natural gas clothes dryers have many advantages. Gas Dryers heat the air a few degrees hotter thus clothes dry in less time.

Using Natural Gas Outside

Did you know you don’t just have to use natural gas inside your home? When it comes to outdoor entertaining, gas is a great power source for patio lights and outdoor cooking and can even be used to heat your spa.

Impress guests as soon as they arrive with driveway lights, keep them toasty on cool evenings and get the food cooking outside, whenever you are ready, and without the worry of remembering to fill up your propane bottles.

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

Pros of Gas Appliances

As in all things there are pros and cons to natural gas devices. Here are some of the benefits of choosing Natural Gas.

Choosing gas will cut your utility bills.
Gas devices tend to be more efficient making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an eco-friendly selection as it is the least environmentally damaging of the fossil fuels, emitting around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than coal.
Gas lines are less exposed to the elements making supply more reliable. This means you can continue to cook even if there’s no electricity supply.At worst you might need to find a match.

Cons of Natural gas Appliances

Gas devices generally have a higher initial outlay. Both the cost of the appliance and the installation cost are likely to be greater for a natural gas appliance when comparing to electrical goods.
Installing a new gas line if you don’t already have one can be expensive. 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 any decisions.
Moving or extending a natural gas line can also require a big outlay so this should always be added to any cost benefit analysis.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if natural gas appliances are not properly installed or not maintained. making sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm is essential is you use gas in your home.

Should You Choose Natural Gas?

Making the change between natural gas and electricity is not easy and the best choice for you probably won’t be the best choice for everyone.

Currently natural gas is almost always cheaper than electricity, so if the price 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 natural gas, retrospectively installing gas is expensive. Thus, getting a quote for installing a natural gas line if you don’t currently have gas appliances is a good place to start.

Another reason to choose natural gas is reliability of supply. If power cuts happen often where you live then having appliances that continue to work during outages can be a big plus.

Lastly, the environmental credentials of gas could be considered as relatively short term, as you can’t switch them to renewable sources like you can electrical appliances. Choosing renewable energy could be a better investment and more eco-friendly options in the long run.