Thinking about switching to natural gas home appliances might be an option to save money at the same time as seeing gains in ease, efficiency and performance.
There is a plentiful supply of natural gas in the United States meaning that equivalent prices are low and stable, and shale gas is viewed as the cleanest non-renewable energy source, consequently, it can be seen as the environmentally responsible choice.
If you already have natural gas installed in your home, or are buying a new dwelling you might consider the probable benefits of using more gas and gas household appliances. Learn more about gas appliances below from Gold Appliance Repair:
What is a Gas Appliance?
A gas appliance makes use of natural gas as the main fuel source. These appliances present a workable alternative for electrical home appliances for heating your living space, providing hot water, cooking your food and even air conditioning and clothes drying.
In general 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 boiler will work even during a power cut, whereas a natural gas tumble dryer still needs electricity to make the drum turn.
Different Natural Gas Appliances
Gas is not just for heating.
Proving Heat
Keeping yourself warm with natural gas is generally less expensive than heating using electricity. The difference can be up to 50% depending on your fuel prices and relative efficiency gains.
Natural gas provides higher air temperatures and offers better reliability.This is a big plus if you for winter power outages
An Indoor Fire
As well as heating 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 natural gas fire, you still get all the ambiance and a warm home without the mess.
Cooling Your Home
Natural gas can offer an efficient means to cool your home.
Gas powered air conditioning are often a higher price to begin with but is more cost effective on an ongoing basis meaning a better return on your investment. Superior effectiveness has the added positive impact of cutting your C02 emissions.
Water Heaters
Natural gas water boilers come in two styles, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Gas heaters are faster and more efficient than electric water boilers. On-demand water heaters also give a continuous supply. Invaluable if you have a big family that appreciates long showers.
The fact that natural gas lines are usually underground and protected from the weather means you still have heating even when you don’t have electricity.
Cooking Food
We’ve all encountered the saying “cooking with gas”. A great marketing strategy designed to link the use of gas with effectiveness and efficiency.
Clever marketing or not the phrase has stuck around because it is true. Most chefs and home cooks choose natural gas for the ability to vary the size of the flame, and natural gas ranges are also a much more efficient way of converting energy into heat.
Dryers
Gas might not be the immediate thing you think of when it comes to drying clothes, however, gas tumble dryers can be an excellent choice. They operate at a higher temperature thus drying clothes in less time.
Outdoor Entertaining
You have to restrict your natural gas use to indoor appliances. Outside the home, natural gas is often used for lighting and outdoor cooking and even to heat your pool.
delight your guests as soon as they arrive with outdoor lighting, keep them toasty on cool evenings and get the food cooking outside at the perfect temperature, whenever you are ready, and without the worry of remembering to fill up your gas bottles.
Just like domestic water heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as quickly as an electric equivalent. And natural gas fire pits offer atmosphere as well as providing heat for luxurious indoor-outdoor entertaining.
Advantages of Gas Home Appliances
As with anything there are pros and cons to gas appliances. First up the pros.
- Choosing natural gas will save you money on your utility bills.
- Gas home appliances tend to be more efficient making them financially and environmentally viable.
- Gas is an ecologically sound selection as it is viewed as the least polluting of the fossil fuels, with emissions of around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than coal.
- Natural gas lines are less exposed to the elements making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can continue to cool your home even if the power goes out. At worst you might need to find a match.
Negatives of Natural gas Appliances
- Natural gas home appliances usually have a higher initial investment. Both the price of the appliance and the cost to install are likely to be higher for a natural gas appliance when looking at next to electrical goods.
- 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 cost a considerable amount so this should always be added to any cost comparisons.
- 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 a must is you use natural gas in your home.
Should You Choose Natural Gas?
Making the choice between natural gas and electricity is not easy and the best choice for you might not be the optimal choice for everyone.
If your main driver is cost natural gas is for the time being the least expensive fuel. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, converting to natural gas comes at a cost. Thus, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good first step.
Another benefit of gas is that you are less likely to get interruptions in supply. If power cuts happen often in your area then having appliances that continue to work during power cuts can be a big plus.
Finally, in environmental terms, while natural gas home appliances are generally more efficient you can’t power them from renewable sources like you can electrical goods. Opting for solar panels or a heat pump could be more cost-effective and more sustainable options in the long run.