Gas Appliances

Thinking about switching to natural gas home appliances could be a way to lower expenditures while experiencing increases in comfort, convenience and efficiency.

There is a abundant supply of gas in the US resulting in low, stable prices, and gas is relatively the least polluting fossil fuel, consequently, it can be viewed as the least environmentally damaging option.

If you already have gas installed in your house, or are building a new house you might look at the potential gains of natural gas appliances and natural gas household appliances.

Learn more about gas appliances below from L&G San Diego Appliance Repair:

What is a Natural Gas Appliance?

A natural gas home appliance employs natural gas as the dominant power source. These goods present a practicable alternative to electrical appliances for heating your home, heating water, cooking food and even cooling your home and clothes drying.

In general you will still need to supply electricity to a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. E.g, a gas furnace will still operate even during a power cut, whereas a gas clothes dryer still requires electricity.

Different Gas Appliances

Gas could have any number of purposes in your house.

Heating

Heating your home with natural gas is generally less expensive than providing heat using electrical appliances. Your costs could be cut in half depending on your energy tariffs and efficiency.

Gas heats the air in less time and is more reliable.This is a big plus if you if you get power cuts

An Indoor Fire

As well as heating natural gas is great for having a fire in your home.Forget the hassle of having to collect or buy logs or clean out the ashes. With a gas fire, you still get real flames and a focal point without the fuss.

Keeping Cool

Natural gas can be an adept method to cool your home.

Gas powered air conditioning requires a greater initial investment but is better value on an ongoing basis meaning cost savings in the long term. Superior effectiveness has the added benefit of cutting your carbon footprint.

Water Heating

Natural gas water heaters come in two main designs, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Natural gas heaters are quicker and more productive than their electric substitutes. On-demand heaters also give a continuous supply.

The fact that natural gas lines are usually hidden and protected from the elements means you still have hot water even when there’s a power outage.

Preparing Food

Most people have come across the phrase “cooking with gas”. A great commercial strategy designed to link the use of gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the saying has stuck around because it is valid. The majority of chefs and home cooks choose natural gas for the fact that they can control the heat, and gas ranges provide a more cost effective way of turning energy into heat.

Clothes Dryers

You might not immediately think of using gas to dry your clothes, however, natural gas clothes dryers have many advantages. They dry clothes at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in less time.

Outdoor Living

Natural Gas doesn’t just have indoor uses. Outside the home, gas is a popular choice for patio lights and food prep and can even be used to heat your pool.

delight guests before they even get out of the car with path lighting, keep them toasty even when the temperature falls and get food cooked outside at the perfect temperature, when you like, and without the worry of remembering to fill up your gas bottles.

Just like indoor heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as fast as an electric heater. And gas patio heaters provide atmosphere as well as providing warmth for luxurious outside living.

Benefits of Natural Gas Home Appliances

With any decision you make it makes sense to weight up the pros and the cons. First up the advantages of choosing Natural Gas.

Choosing gas will cut your utility bills.
Natural gas appliances tend to use less energy making them better for your wallet and for the environment.
Gas is an eco-friendly selection as it is viewed as the cleanest of the fossil fuels, with emissions of around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Gas supplies are generally more reliable and less susceptible to damage or interruption This means you can still cool your home even if there’s no electricity supply.

Negatives of Gas Appliances

Natural gas home appliances tend to have a higher initial outlay. Both the cost of the appliance and the cost to install are likely to be higher.
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 require a big outlay 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 properly installed or not maintained. making sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use gas in your home.

Is a Gas Appliance Right for You?

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

If your main driver is cost gas is at the moment the cheaper option. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, retrospectively installing 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 reason to choose natural gas is reliability of supply. If power failures are common in your area then being able to heat water, heat or cool your home and cook during power failures can be a big plus.

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. Opting for renewable energy could be a better investment and more environmentally responsible options in the long run.