Is This Really The End for Gas Stoves?

Recently, we have seen many news stories pertaining to the possible ban of gas stoves used for cooking. So why is a heating, air conditioning and plumbing company talking about gas stoves? Hold that thought! First of all, we wanted to try and cut through the hype, confusion and misinformation to share a review of the facts and only the facts:

Fact #1:

There are an estimated 40 million gas stoves in the kitchens of American families and no, “the Fed” is not coming for your gas stove. But several cities — and some states — are already moving away from natural gas as part of efforts to reduce emissions, especially in new construction homes. This will make it pointless to buy a gas stove, despite what lawmakers are talking about.

Fact #2:

Gas stoves have been the subject of arguments due to multiple recent studies that have suggested that emissions from gas stoves may be harmful to your health. Namely, leading to respiratory illness and asthma.

Fact #3:

The air inside our homes (and businesses) is much less than ideal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) references studies that indicate indoor levels of pollutants could be two to five times — and sometimes more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels.

Even though gas stoves may contribute to poor indoor air quality, they certainly are not the only culprit. Others could be:

• Occupants Within the Home: People and pets at home produce carbon dioxide (CO2), odors, tobacco smoke and pet dander (a common allergen).
• Other Combustion Appliances: Other fuel (or wood/oil burning) appliances such as space heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and water heaters.
• Building Materials and Furnishings: Paints, carpeting, fiberglass, particle board and fabrics may emit harmful substances known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), another common indoor allergen, through what’s known as “outgassing.”
• Cleaning Compounds: Household cleaning products may produce VOCs or other chemicals.
• The Soil: Radon gas and stormwater runoff may enter the home through the basement or crawl space from the soil surrounding the home.
• Well-Insulated Homes: While there are significant energy efficiency benefits, homes that are well insulated are “sealed up” and as a result won’t have as much infiltration from natural, outdoor air.

Fact #4:

There are well-known guidelines for residential ventilation and suitable indoor air quality (IAQ) levels. These guidelines are often referred to as the ASHRAE 60.2 standard. Local building codes have widely followed these standards to identify minimum ventilation requirements and other measures in an effort to minimize any harmful effects on your health, resolving both health and safety problems for the entire household.

That being said, the overall performance of your ventilation is not directly assessed or audited. Even if it was, it’s highly predicated on the local environment outdoors, the size of the home and other factors. The true ventilation performance in a typical home fluctuates widely.

Fact #5:

It’s still entirely your preference. You don’t have to say goodbye to your gas stove and replace it with electric, and you also don’t have to be forced to decide between your gas stove and the possibility for poorer indoor air quality. Proper and consistent ventilation is the real secret to this debate.

First, anytime you cook with a gas stove, you should use the fan on your range hood so the combustion byproducts like smoke and CO gas are properly released out of your home. But honestly: how often do any of us use the fan on the range hood?

Which leads to our next point. There are more suitable whole-home ventilation strategies that will dramatically improve your indoor air quality and home comfort while still enabling you to be the top chef in your home. Read on to find out more about the possible solutions for your home.

So, why is a HVAC company talking about gas stoves? Well, the “V” in HVAC stands for “Ventilation” and “There’s an Expert for That”! To learn more about these appliances and which solution might be best for your home, contact Service Experts at 260-557-1275.