Pros and Cons of Heating Your Home with Natural Gas This Winter

17.10.2019 GREEN LIVING 0.0 0

home heating system

One of the core parts of any home is that it keeps you warm. And you, of course, need a way to help it keep the cold away. Now, you might be building a new one, or you might be thinking of simply getting something different and affordable. Well, natural gas is definitely an option you should consider.

There are many aspects of heating your home, of course. The environment, efficiency, maintenance, and the general cost, it all needs to be accounted for. Understanding the advantages and the disadvantages of natural heating during the winter is vital if you want to make an educated decision. Read on to find out what is the best option for you.

Pro: Good for the environment

Gas heating systems are much better for the environment when compared to fossil fuels (coal and oil, mostly). While it is of course not as clean as solar or wind power, you can still be pretty certain that it’s good for the environment. It produces half the carbon dioxide that is produced when you burn oil, as well as producing no sulfur. It burns clean, creating no soot, ash, or any physical detritus.

Putting it into numbers, natural gas generates 45% less carbon dioxide compared to coal, 30% less compared to oil, and 15% compared to wood. It stands to reason that natural gas homes have a significantly lower impact on the environment.

Con: Chemicals and weaker heating

There is a chance that freezing can occur, so you need to get proper chemicals and antifreeze set up. Furthermore, gas lines don’t generate as much heat as other types of heating do, so you need to take that into consideration regularly.

Pros: Long-term expenses

Natural gas heaters are very useful when you take into account just how effective they are in the long-term. Namely, finances and money are the core issues that are on the mind of any homeowner, and of course, heating is one of those vital core costs. A natural gas heater, however, will help you save up some money because, compared to other options, they are rather cheap. When you account for the fuel costs, the amount of money you spend over a couple of years, the system pays for itself.

Con: Furnaces are expensive

However, you should note that natural gas heating does have one important flaw. Namely, the initial cost can be rather severe. You will need a natural gas heater, which then needs to be connected to a natural gas line. And of course, if you don’t have one, then you need to have it installed. It goes without saying that you need a professional to install it since trying to do so you are only asking for trouble.

And of course, hiring professional heating service repairs are also costly. Still, on that front, natural gas lines and furnaces are easier and cheaper to repair than other systems, so you got that going for you.

natural gas

Pro: Dependable

One of the greatest benefits of these systems is that if you run out of electricity, for example, your system will not be affected. These furnaces will still be on no matter what happens to your power grid, keeping you nice and warm constantly. There is just something warm and pleasant about the fact that even if the hardest, most severe storm occurs, you can stay safe knowing that your home heating system will be unaffected.

Furthermore, they are installed underground, which protects them from the weather and basically any accident that might lead to an electrical outage. It also obviously protects you form explosions and damage of that sort as well.

These are also reliable because the pipelines go directly to your home. You always have a constant supply of heat, whereas with propane or oil you will need someone to deliver the fuel to you.

Con: Need special safety precautions

These tanks are completely safe, but they need to be installed and placed correctly. One of the things that can be done is having them get buried underground.

You should also know that most often a gas leak is not detectable by smell. Regular maintenance is required for this very reason.

Pro: Efficiency

Gas heating also helps you heat up your home faster. It’s very efficient since the combustion, not the gas, allows your home to heat up a lot more quickly. You will notice it heats up your home much quicker than any electric heater would.

Conclusion

And there you have it folks, a couple of ways you can heat your home over the winter. Natural gas is very cost-effective, helping you save up some money over time. Gas heating is great for the environment. It is also a dependable, efficient, and all-around great investment.

Written by Ronald Wolf

About the Author

Ronald Wolf is a freelance writer and hobby designer with a passion for DIY projects.