Gas Appliances

Considering gas appliances may be an option to reduce your bills while experiencing higher levels of comfort and efficiency.

Natural gas easy to extract in the United States meaning that prices are low and stable, and natural gas is viewed as the cleanest non-renewable energy source, thus, it can be regarded as the greener alternative.

If you already have natural gas installed in your home, or are building a new dwelling you should consider the possible gains of choosing gas and gas appliances. Learn more about gas appliances below from Victory Indio Appliance Repair:

What are Natural Gas Appliances?

A natural gas appliance makes use of natural gas as the primary fuel source. Gas appliances offer a viable substitute to electrically powered appliances for heating your house, heating water, heating your food and even air conditioning and clothes drying.

Generally you will still need to supply electricity to a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. For example, a natural gas furnace will still work even during a power cut, whereas a gas dryer still requires electricity.

Examples of Natural Gas Appliances

Natural gas has any number of purposes in your house.

Heating

Heating your home with gas is usually less expensive than heating your home using electrical appliances. Your costs could be cut in half subject to your fuel tariffs and relative efficiency gains.

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

A Fireplace

Aside from general 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 natural gas fire, you still get all the ambiance and a warm home without the hassle.

Cooling

Gas air conditioning can offer an adept way to keep your home cool, even if there is a power failure.

Gas powered air conditioning requires a higher initial investment but is more cost effective to run and maintain meaning cost savings in the long term. Superior effectiveness has the added upside of lowering your carbon footprint.

Water Heating

Gas water heaters come in two main designs, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Natural gas heaters are faster and more fuel efficient than their electric counterparts. Tankless heaters also offer a continuous supply even with high demand. Invaluable if you have a big family that appreciates long showers.

The fact that gas lines are usually hidden and sheltered from the weather ensures you still have the ability to heat your home even if you don’t have electricity.

Preparing Food

We’ve all come across the phrase “cooking with gas”. A great marketing strategy designed to link the use of gas with effectiveness and efficiency.

Regardless of the origin the phrase stuck because it is valid. Most chefs choose natural gas for the fact that they can control the heat, and natural gas stoves also offer a much more efficient way of turning fuel into heat.

Tumble Dryers

You may not instantly think of using natural gas to dry your clothes, however, natural gas clothes dryers have many advantages. They operate a few degrees hotter thus drying clothes in less time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Outdoor Living

You have to restrict your natural gas use to indoor appliances. When it comes to outdoor living, natural gas is a great power source for patio lights and outdoor cooking and even to heat your spa.

Wow your guests before they even get out of the car with outdoor lights, keep them cosy on cool evenings and get a meal prepared outside at the perfect temperature, whenever you are ready, and without the having to go to fill up your gas bottles.

Just like indoor water heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as rapidly as an electric heater. And gas fire pits provide ambiance as well as offering comfort for luxurious indoor-outdoor entertaining.

Advantages of Natural Gas Appliances

As with anything there are pros and cons to gas appliances. Here are some of the benefits of choosing Natural Gas.

Natural gas is generally cheaper than electricity thus lowering your annual power bills.
Natural gas appliances tend to use less energy making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an ecologically sound choice as it is viewed as the cleanest of the fossil fuels, contributing around 27% less carbon dioxide 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 still cool your home even if you get a power outage.

Disadvantages of Gas Appliances

Natural gas home appliances generally have a higher initial investment. 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 cost will vary depending on a number of factors.
Moving or extending a natural gas line can also require a big outlay so this should always be included in any price analysis.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if natural gas home appliances are not properly installed or regularly maintained. Installing a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use gas in your home.

Is a Natural Gas Appliance Right for You?

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

If your main driver is cost gas is currently the lower priced fuel. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, switching to gas comes at a cost. Therefore, getting a quote for installing a natural gas line if you don’t already have one is a good place to start.

Another benefit of natural gas is reliability of supply. If power failures are common where you live then being able to heat water, heat or cool your home and cook during power cuts can count for a lot.

Lastly, in environmental terms, while gas devices are generally more efficient you can’t power them from renewable sources in the same way you can electrical goods. Installing renewable energy could be more cost-effective and more sustainable options in the long run.