Gas Appliances

Looking at switching to gas devices might be a good option to save money while seeing higher levels of ease, efficiency and performance.

Shale gas is in plentiful supply in the United States resulting in low, stable costs, and natural gas is considered the least polluting fossil fuel, consequently, it can be regarded as the most eco-friendly alternative.

If you already have a natural gas line at home, or are buying a new house you may wish to look at the likely gains of choosing natural gas and gas home appliances.

Learn more about gas appliances here from F&S Appliance Repair:

What are Natural Gas Appliances?

A gas appliance runs on gas as the main power source. These home appliances offer a great alternative to electrically powered home appliances for heating your living space, providing hot water, cooking food and even cooling your home and clothes drying.

Usually you will still need to plug in a gas appliance. The amount of electricity used depends on the type of appliance. E.g, a gas boiler will provide hot water even when there is a power outage, whereas a natural gas clothes dryer still needs electricity.

A List of Appliances That Run On Gas.

Natural gas could have many uses in your house.

Proving Heat

Heating your home with gas is generally less expensive than keeping warm with electricity. Your costs could halve depending on your fuel costs and efficiency.

Natural gas provides higher air temperatures and offers better reliability.This is a big plus if you if you get power cuts

An Indoor Fire

Apart from keeping your home warm natural gas is ideal for a fireplace.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 plenty of warmth without the fuss.

Keeping Cool

Natural gas air conditioners can offer an efficient way to keep your home cool, even if there is a power outage.

Natural gas powered air conditioning can be more expensive to install but is more cost effective to run and maintain meaning savings in the long term. Better effectiveness also has a positive impact on your carbon footprint.

Water Heating

Gas water boilers come in two styles, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Natural gas heaters are faster and more efficient than electric water heaters. On-demand heaters also give a continuous supply.

The fact that natural gas lines are generally underground and guarded from the weather ensures you still have hot water even when you don’t have electricity.

Cooking Food

Most people have heard the phrase “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line created to link the use of gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the phrase has stuck around because it is valid. A great many chefs and home cooks choose gas for the ability to vary the heat, and gas hobs also offer a more cost effective way of converting fuel into heat.

Dryers

Natural gas might not be the immediate thing you think of when it comes to drying clothes, however, natural gas clothes dryers are a great choice. Gas Dryers operate at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in less time.

Outdoor Living

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

delight your guests as soon as they arrive with driveway lights, keep them cosy on cool evenings and get dinner ready outside at the perfect temperature, when you like, 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 outdoor heaters set the mood as well as giving warmth for perfect outside living.

Benefits of Natural Gas Appliances

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

Choosing natural gas will cut your energy bills.
Gas home appliances tend to use less energy making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an environmentally responsible selection as it is the cleanest of the fossil fuels, contributing around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Natural gas lines are less exposed to the elements making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can continue to heat water even if you get a power outage.

Negatives of Gas Appliances

Gas home appliances generally have a higher initial outlay. Both the value of the appliance and the installation cost are likely to be higher.
Installing a new gas line if you don’t already have one can be costly. The price will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home.
Having a gas line moved or extended can also be expensive.
Safety first! Carbon monoxide can be an issue if natural gas appliances are not installed correctly or not maintained. making sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm is essential is you use gas in your home.

Is a Gas Appliance Right for You?

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

Currently gas is almost always cheaper than electricity, so if the cost is your main driver 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, converting to natural gas is expensive. Therefore, getting a quote for installing a gas line if you don’t currently have gas appliances is a good first step.

Another reason to choose gas is that you are less likely to get interruptions in supply. If power outages are common in your area then being able to heat water, heat or cool your home and cook during power cuts can count for a lot.

Lastly, the eco-friendly credentials of natural gas could be considered as relatively short term, as you can’t switch them to renewable sources like you can electrical goods. Installing solar panels or a heat pump could be less expensive and more eco-friendly options in the long run.