Is This Really The End for Gas Stoves?

In the past few months, we have seen many news stories concerning the potential ban of gas stoves used for cooking. So why is an HVAC company talking 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 summary of the facts and only the facts:

Fact #1:

There are close to 40 million gas stoves in the United States and no, “the Fed” is not coming for your gas stove. Yet dozens of cities — and some states — are already transitioning away from natural gas as part of a growing decarbonization, particularly in new construction homes. This will make it worthless to purchase a gas stove, even if they haven’t been banned.

Fact #2:

Gas stoves have been the focus of controversy due to some recent investigations 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 found in our homes (and businesses) is much less than excellent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) references studies that indicate indoor levels of airborne pollutants can be two to five times — and on occasion more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels.

Even though gas stoves may play a role in poor indoor air quality, they certainly are not the only culprit. Others might 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 unhealthy substances known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), another common indoor allergen, through what’s known as “outgassing.”
• Cleaning Compounds: Home cleaning products may produce VOCs or other chemicals.
• The Soil: Radon gas and stormwater runoff may enter the home via the basement or crawl space from the foundation surrounding the home.
• Well-Insulated Homes: Naturally there are energy savings benefits, but homes that are well insulated are “sealed tighter” and as a result won’t have as much infiltration from fresh, outdoor air.

Fact #4:

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

That being said, the final performance of your ventilation is not directly tested or audited. Even if it was, it’s highly predicated on the weather outdoors, the size of the home and other factors. The precise ventilation performance in your average American 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 pick between your gas stove and the possibility for poor indoor air quality. Proper and consistent ventilation is the real secret to this debate.

First, whenever 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 discharged out of your home. But let’s be honest: how often do any of us use the fan on the range hood?

Which leads to our next point. There are better whole-home ventilation solutions that will significantly improve your indoor air quality and home comfort while still enabling you to be the #1 chef in your home. Read on to learn more about the possible solutions for your home.

So, why is a HVAC company writing 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 system might be best for your home, contact Service Experts at 303-647-5853.