Is This Really The End for Gas Stoves?

In recent months, we have seen a number of news stories concerning the potential ban of gas stoves used for cooking. So why is a heating and cooling company thinking about gas stoves? More on that question later! To begin with, we wanted to try and cut through the drama, confusion and misinformation to provide a recap of the facts and only the facts:

Fact #1:

There are an estimated 40 million gas stoves in the U.S. and no, “the Fed” is not coming for your gas stove. However, dozens of cities — and some states — are already moving away from natural gas as part of efforts to reduce CO2, specifically in new construction homes. This will make it worthless to buy a gas stove, despite what lawmakers are talking about.

Fact #2:

Gas stoves have been the target of controversy due to some recent studies that have suggested that emissions from gas stoves may be harmful to your health. Namely, it’s causing respiratory illness and asthma.

Fact #3:

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

While gas stoves may play a role in poor indoor air quality, they certainly are not the only culprit. Others may 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 gas (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 moisture may enter the home through the basement or crawl space from the soil around the home.
• Well-Insulated Homes: It may seem counter-intuitive, but homes that are well insulated are “sealed up” and as a consequence won’t have as much infiltration from fresh, outdoor air.

Fact #4:

There are formal standards for residential ventilation and satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) levels. These guidelines are more commonly known as the ASHRAE 60.2 standard. Local building codes have generally adopted these standards to identify minimum ventilation requirements and other measures so that you can minimize adverse effects on your health, resolving both health and safety problems for you and your family.

That being said, the final performance of your ventilation is not directly assessed or audited. Even if it was, it’s highly reliant on the weather outdoors, the square footage of the home and other factors. The actual ventilation performance in a typical home fluctuates widely.

Fact #5:

It’s still entirely your preference. You don’t have to rip out your gas stove and replace it with electric, and you also don’t have to choose between your gas stove and the prospect for lower indoor air quality. Proper and consistent ventilation is the real answer to this debate.

First, whenever you cook with a gas stove, you ought to use the fan on your range hood so the combustion byproducts like smoke and CO gas are properly ventilated out of your home. But let’s be honest: how often do any of us use the fan on the range hood?

Which takes us to our next point. There are much more effective whole-home ventilation solutions that will dramatically improve your indoor air quality and home comfort while still allowing you to be the #1 chef in your home. Read on to learn more about the available solutions for your home.

So, why is a HVAC company thinking about gas stoves? Well, the “V” in HVAC stands for “Ventilation” and “There’s an Expert for That”! To learn more about gas stoves and which solution might be best for your home, contact Service Experts at 601-852-3105.