Gas Appliances

Thinking about natural gas devices may be an option to reduce your bills at the same time as seeing gains in ease, efficiency and performance.

Natural gas easy to extract in the US resulting in low, stable prices, and gas is viewed as the cleanest fossil fuel, therefore, it can be viewed as the greener alternative.

If you already have a natural gas line in your house, or are building a new dwelling you may wish to consider the potential advantages of gas devices and gas appliances.

Learn more about gas appliances here from Cox Appliance Repair:

What are Gas Appliances?

A gas device makes use of gas as the primary fuel source. Natural gas appliances afford a workable alternative for electrically powered home appliances for heating your living space, heating water, cooking food and even cooling your home and drying your clothes.

In the majority of cases natural gas appliances nevertheless will need an electricity supply but use gas as the main fuel. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. For example, a gas water heater will still work even if the power goes out, whereas a natural gas clothes dryer still relies upon electricity to make the drum turn.

Examples of Natural Gas Appliances

Natural gas can have any number of uses in your house.

Heating

Heating your home with gas generally costs less than keeping warm using electricity. The reduction can be as much as 50% depending on your fuel costs and efficiency.

Natural gas provides higher air temperatures and offers better reliability.

An Indoor Fire

Aside from heating natural gas is ideal for a fireplace. With a natural gas fireplace, you still get that open fire feeling and plenty of warmth without the fuss.

Keeping Cool

Gas can offer an adept means to cool your home, even if there is a power cut.

Natural gas powered air conditioning requires a greater initial investment but is more cost effective to run and maintain meaning a better return on your investment. Better performance has the added positive impact of reducing your carbon footprint.

Heating Water

Natural gas water boilers come in two forms, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Natural gas heaters are quicker and more efficient than electric water heaters. On-demand water heaters also offer a continuous supply even with high demand.

The fact that gas lines are generally hidden and guarded from the elements means you can still have the ability to heat your home even if there’s a power outage.

Cooking Food

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

Regardless of the origin the phrase has stuck around because it is true. The majority of chefs and amateur cooks choose gas for the ability to control the size of the flame, and natural gas ranges provide a more cost effective way of turning fuel into heat.

Clothes Dryers

You might not instantly think of using natural gas in your laundry room, however, gas tumble dryers have many advantages. Gas Dryers operate a few degrees hotter thus drying clothes in less time.

Outdoor Entertaining

You have to restrict your gas use to indoor appliances. Outside, gas is a popular choice for lighting and food prep and can even be used to heat your pool.

Impress guests before they even get out of the car with outdoor lights, keep them cosy on cool evenings and get dinner ready outside, when you like, and without the need to remember to fill up your gas 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 outdoor heaters provide atmosphere as well as offering comfort for perfect indoor-outdoor entertaining.

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 advantages of choosing Natural Gas.

Natural gas is generally less expensive than electricity thus lowering your annual power bills.
Gas home appliances tend to use less energy making them more sustainable for your wallet and for the planet.
Gas is an environmentally responsible choice as it is considered the least environmentally damaging of the fossil fuels, emitting around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Gas lines are generally run underground making supply more reliable. This means you can still heat your home even if the power goes out.At worst you might need to find a match.

Disadvantages of Natural gas Home Appliances

Natural gas home appliances generally require a higher initial investment. Both the value of the appliance and the installation cost are likely to be greater for a natural gas appliance when comparing to electrical alternatives.
Having a natural gas line installed can be costly. The amount will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home, so it is worth talking to your energy company before deciding.
Having a natural gas line moved or extended can also be expensive.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if gas devices are not installed correctly or not maintained. making sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm is essential is you use natural gas in your home.

Is a Gas Appliance The Right Choice for You?

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

Currently natural gas is almost always cheaper than electricity, so if the price is your main driver this can be a major factor in the decision-making process. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, converting to gas comes at a cost. With this in mind, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good first step.

Another benefit of gas is reliability of supply. If power failures are common where you live then having appliances that continue to work during power failures can be a big plus.

Finally, in environmental terms, while gas home appliances are generally more efficient you can’t switch them to renewable sources like you can electrical goods. Choosing renewable energy could be a better investment and more sustainable options in the long run.