If you’re thinking about replacing your gas stove with an electric one, you’re not alone. A lot of people are making the switch these days, and for good reason. Electric stoves are a lot better for indoor air quality, and they’re more environmentally friendly than gas stoves. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of electric stoves and discuss how to make the switch! OHM Electrical Contracting can help you replace your gas stove with an electric. If you’re in the Seattle area, call OHM today: 206-973-9184.
The Pros of Electric Stoves
Replace your Gas Stove to Improve Indoor Air Quality
A main pro of electric stoves is that they’re better for indoor air quality. Most people spend most of their time indoors, so indoor air quality, especially in your own home, is a huge issue for you and your family. Gas stoves release pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, which can be harmful to your health.
Heather Price, an atmospheric chemist at North Seattle Community College, knows a thing or two about air quality. When her young son developed asthma, she started to worry that the gas appliances in her home might be making his condition worse. She found many articles pointing to research linking gas appliances with asthma in children. This was enough to prompt her to move, with her family, to a nearby home with all electric appliances. Her son’s asthma improved immediately. This article, “Kill Your Gas Stove,” from The Atlantic dives further into the story of Heather Price and her family’s journey, along with on the dangers of indoor air pollution and the connection to gas appliances–gas stoves in particular.
Electric stoves, on the other hand, don’t release any indoor air pollutants, making them a healthier option for you and your family. If you currently have a gas stove it makes sense to think about switching to electric, especially if anyone in your family has asthma.
Environment Impact
Electric stoves are also more environmentally friendly than gas stoves. How so? Well, gas stoves run on natural gas, and natural gas extraction and delivery methods are often very harmful for the environment. For example, over two thirds of natural gas in the U.S. is produced through fracking, which is a process that releases harmful chemicals into groundwater and can be devastating for the local environment.
Electric stoves, on the other hand, can be run on clean electricity. Here in the Seattle area, most of our electricity is produced through hydroelectric power plants, a much cleaner source than most other alternatives. Of course if you are lucky enough to have your own solar panels then you know your power source is clean and environmentally friendly.
Advantages of Different Styles
In addition to the major benefits highlighted above, certain types of electric stoves have additional benefits.
Ceramic Cooktops: Easier to Clean
Ceramic cooktops or flat top electric stoves are easier to clean than gas stoves or electric stoves with traditional coil burners. It’s impossible for food to fall down in the burner, pots and pans lay flat and cleanup is simple with a quick wipe across the smooth surface.
Induction Cooktops: No Burned Fingers
Induction cooktops heat only the pan itself. The burner never gets hot, making this a good choice for families with small children who might risk getting burned on a traditional stove even after a burner is turned off.
So how do you replace your gas stove?
If you’re ready to make the switch, you will most likely need to upgrade your electrical panel and the outlet to accommodate an electric stove. This is because electric stoves require more power than gas stoves. An electrician can help you upgrade your panel and install a 220 volt outlet for your new electric stove.
If you’re thinking about replacing your gas stove with an electric one, we hope this blog post has helped you make a decision. Electric stoves are more environmentally friendly, better for indoor air quality, and offer even more advantages over gas stoves. If you live in the Seattle area and are ready to make the switch, give OHM Electrical Contracting a call at 206-973-9184! Or use our online form to contact OHM today.
