Gas Appliances

Considering gas devices might be a good option to reduce your bills at the same time as seeing gains in comfort, convenience and efficiency.

Natural gas easy to extract in the US meaning that equivalent prices are low and stable, and natural gas is relatively the cleanest fossil fuel, thus, it can be seen as the least environmentally damaging choice.

If you already have a natural gas line in your house, or are completing a new home you may wish to consider the likely advantages of choosing gas and natural gas household appliances. Learn more about gas appliances below from Prime Nampa Appliance Repair:

What is a Natural Gas Appliance?

A natural gas appliance runs on natural gas as the primary fuel source. Natural gas devices offer a workable alternative for electrical goods for heating your house, providing hot water, cooking your food and even cooling your home and clothes drying.

Generally you will still need to plug in a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. For example, a natural gas boiler will produce hot water even if the power goes out, whereas a natural gas clothes dryer still requires electricity to make the drum turn.

Different Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas can have many uses in your house.

Proving Heat

Providing heat with gas is usually less expensive than providing heat using electricity. The reduction can be as much as 50% depending on your energy tariffs and efficiency.

Gas heats the air in less time and offers better reliability.This is a huge benefit if you for winter power outages

Fireplaces

Aside from general heating natural gas is perfect for a log fire with real flames. With a natural gas fire, you still get real flames and plenty of warmth without the mess.

Air Conditioning

Gas air conditioners can be an efficient method to cool your home.

Gas fueled air conditioning can be more costly to begin with but is cheaper to run and maintain meaning a better return on your investment. Superior performance has the added positive impact of cutting your carbon footprint.

Water Heaters

There are two types of gas water heaters, on demand and tank. Natural gas heaters are more rapid and more fuel efficient than their electric counterparts. Tankless heaters also provide a continuous supply. Invaluable if you have a big family that appreciates long showers.

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

Preparing Food

Everyone has encountered the phrase “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line created to link natural gas with effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the saying has stuck around because it is valid. Most chefs and home cooks choose natural gas for the fact that they can control the heat, and gas stoves provide a less wasteful way of converting energy into heat.

Clothes Dryers

Gas might not be the first place your mind goes when it comes to laundry, however, gas tumble dryers are a great choice. They dry clothes at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in less time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Using Natural Gas Outside

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

Wow guests before they even reach the front door with driveway lights, keep them toasty even when the temperature falls and get dinner ready outside, when you like, and without the having to go to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like domestic water heaters a pool or spa heater will get up to temperature twice as fast as an electric heater. And natural gas patio heaters offer ambiance as well as providing comfort for luxurious outside living.

Advantages of Natural Gas Appliances

With any decision you make it makes sense to 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 power bills.
Gas appliances tend to be more efficient making them financially and environmentally viable.
Natural gas is an eco-friendly option as it is the least polluting of the fossil fuels, contributing around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Gas lines are generally run underground making supply more reliable. This means you can still cool your home even if you get a power outage.At worst you might need to find a match.

Negatives of Natural gas Home Appliances

Gas devices tend to are subject to a higher initial investment. Both the ticket price of the appliance and the associated installation costs are likely to be greater for a natural gas appliance when looking at next to electrical alternatives.
Installing a new gas line if you don’t already have one can be expensive. The cost will vary depending on a number of factors.
Moving or extending a gas line can also require a big outlay so this should always be added to any price analysis.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if gas home appliances are not properly installed or not maintained. Having a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use gas in your home.

Is a Natural Gas Appliance Right for You?

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

If your main driver is cost gas is for the time being the cheaper fuel. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, retrospectively installing gas is expensive. Thus, 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 natural gas is stability of supply. If power outages are common in your area then having appliances that continue to work during outages can be a big plus.

Finally, in environmental terms, while natural gas appliances are generally more efficient you can’t switch them to renewable sources in the same way you can electrical goods. Choosing solar panels or a heat pump may turn out to be less expensive and more eco-friendly options in the long run.