Gas Appliances

Considering switching to natural gas appliances might be a good option to reduce your bills at the same time as seeing increases in ease, efficiency and performance as gas appliance repair is less common.

There is a plentiful supply of gas in the United States resulting in low, stable prices per unit, and natural gas is considered the cleanest non-renewable energy source, thus, it can be viewed as the environmentally responsible alternative.

If you already have gas installed in your house, or are buying a new house you should think about the likely gains of switching to gas and gas appliances.

Find more information about gas appliances here from Ward Appliance Repair:

What are Natural Gas Appliances?

A gas appliance employs gas as the dominant power source. These home appliances offer a viable alternative for electrically powered appliances for heating your living space, providing hot water, heating your food and even cooling your home and tumble drying.

In many instances gas devices nonetheless will need an electricity supply but use gas as the primary source of power. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. E.g, a natural gas boiler will work even when there is a power outage, whereas a natural gas tumble dryer still relies upon electrical components to make the drum turn.

Different Natural Gas Appliances

Natural gas is not just for cooking.

Heating

Providing heat with natural gas typically costs less than providing heat using electrical heaters. Your expenditure could be cut in half subject to your fuel tariffs and relative efficiency gains.

Natural gas heats the air more efficiently and is more reliable.This is a big plus if you if you get power cuts

Fireplaces

As well as general heating natural gas is perfect for a fireplace. With a gas fire, you still get that open fire feeling and a warm home without the mess.

Air Conditioning

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

Gas air conditioning requires a bigger initial investment but is better value to run and maintain meaning a better return on your investment. Higher performance has the added positive impact of cutting your C02 emissions.

Heating Water

There are two types of gas water heaters, on demand and tank. Gas heaters are faster and more efficient than electric water boilers. On-demand water heaters also offer a continuous supply even with high demand. Handy if you have a big family that indulges in long showers.

The fact that gas lines are usually hidden and sheltered from the elements means you can still have the ability to heat your home even when you don’t have electricity.

Cooking Food

Everyone has encountered the saying “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line designed to link the use of natural gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the saying is still around because it is true. Most chefs choose gas for the fact that they can vary the size of the flame, and natural gas stoves also offer a more cost effective way of turning fuel into heat.

Tumble Dryers

You might not immediately think of using gas to dry your clothes, however, natural gas dryers are a great choice. Gas Dryers operate at a higher temperature thus drying clothes in less time however gas dryer repair in Atlanta can be more costly than electric repair.

Outdoor Living

You have to restrict your gas use to indoor appliances. Outside the home, natural gas is often used for lighting and food prep and even to heat your pool.

delight guests as soon as they arrive with outdoor lighting, keep them cosy even when the temperature falls and get the food cooking outside at the perfect temperature, when you like, and without the having to go to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like indoor water heaters a pool or spa heater will get up to temperature twice as quickly as an electric heater. And natural gas outdoor heaters offer atmosphere as well as giving comfort for the best outside living.

Advantages of Gas Appliances

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

Choosing gas will reduce your power bills.
Natural gas devices tend to use less energy making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an environmentally responsible selection as it is considered the least environmentally damaging of the fossil fuels, with emissions of around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Natural gas lines are generally run underground making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can continue to heat your home even if the power goes out.

Cons of Natural Gas Appliances

Gas devices usually are subject to 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.
Having a gas line installed if you don’t already have one can be costly. The amount will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home.
Moving or extending a natural gas line can also be expensive.
Safety comes first and carbon monoxide can be an issue if gas home appliances are not properly installed or regularly maintained. Installing a carbon monoxide alarm is a must is you use gas in your home.

Should You Choose Natural Gas?

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

Currently natural gas is almost always less expensive than electricity, so if the cost is your main motivation 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 gas comes at a cost. Thus, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t currently have gas appliances is a good place to start.

Another benefit of natural gas is reliability of supply. If power cuts happen often where you live then having appliances that continue to work during power failures can count for a lot.

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 solar panels or a heat pump could be more cost-effective and more sustainable options in the long run.