Being a new homeowner brings with it a lot of firsts. Your first time entering your new home. Your first time switching on the hob to cook your first meal there. Your first time snuggling in front of the TV, watching the latest blockbuster with the heater on. Your first time inviting your friends over for a delicious BBQ on the roof. A heart-warming journey, for sure.
However, before you can get to all that, you need to focus on installing all the appliances, including gas appliances. When you’re looking for gas appliances for the first time, you might not know exactly what to look out for, but don’t worry, this blog’s aim is to help you identify exactly that.
When buying your gas stove or oven
Apart from the usual matters such as your budget and the space available for the appliance, there are other factors you should be considering. If we had to focus on a gas stove or gas oven, one of the main things to look out for is safety features that would come along with it.
Does it have an auto-shut off feature? Meaning that if it does not detect a flame but the gas is still running, it automatically turns off the stove. An alternative to this could be an auto-reignite feature that ensures that the burner flame never goes out while the gas is running. So, if for some reason, the flame goes out, it auto-reignites it to ensure there are no gas leaks in your kitchen. Something to look out for is whether the gas stove or oven has an electric type of ignition or a pilot one to activate and heat the burners. The electric type can be battery operated or electrically operated. The battery operated will always work as long as the battery is not flat. As for the electrically operated stove, this requires an electrical supply in order to activate and heat the burners. On the other hand, the pilot ignition would require you to use a match or a lighter to ignite the flame. The electric ignition is the most popular choice and it is the safer option of the two.
When buying your gas BBQ
Another favourite gas appliance for many is the gas BBQ. Especially during those hot summer months, a nice BBQ on the roof or terrace is something many look forward to. When buying your first gas BBQ, there are also several things you should look out for that go beyond price, material, and size.
Gas BBQs are the most common type of BBQs purchased and they can operate using an LPG cylinder allowing it the flexibility of placement of the BBQ wherever one likes. The gas BBQ should strictly and only be used outdoors.
When buying your gas heater and fireplace
Some people are sceptical or concerned of purchasing a gas heater or fireplace. However, there’s no reason to be concerned of using them, especially if you take the time to select one that is safe and reliable. You need to start by ensuring that the heater you buy is right for the space you need to heat. For instance, there are indoor and outdoor patio gas heaters and they’re called that for a reason. Therefore, one needs to make sure that they make use of the heater in the space it is made for.
Another thing to look out for is the safety features that come along with the heater such as having an automatic safety shut-off as well as tip-over protection. Other safety devices such as leak detectors and, carbon monoxide sensors can be installed in your home as stand-alone devices for further protection. Of course, for any additional safety features always seek professional advice from an authorised gas installer.
When buying a gas-powered water heater for your home
Gas-powered water heaters are recommended for your home by several guides because they bring with them several advantages such as heating water faster, unlimited instant hot water anytime, are more cost-effective in the long run (i.e. no standby losses), are safe to use and in case there’s an electrical power failure, you can still have hot water.
By using a gas-powered water heater you will also save money on your electricity bill as it keeps you in the lower electrical tariff range (ECO Reduction benefit).
The same guidelines on the previously mentioned gas-powered appliances apply here as well.Therefore, when you buy your LPG water heater look out for the presence of automatic safety shut-off as well as auto-reignite feature. Other safety devices such as, leak detectors, carbon monoxide sensors, can be installed in your home as stand-alone devices for further protection. As previously mentioned, always seek the advice of authorised gas resellers on professional safety features.
One final major point to take note of is that the gas appliance you’re about to buy has the CE mark on it!
…and you’re good to go!
Now that you’ve selected the safest appliances for your home, the next step for you is to ensure that the installation is a proper one. In fact, some appliances require the installation to be handled by a qualified installer. To know whether your appliance requires a professional installer, ensure to seek advice from an official gas appliances retailer. A list of qualified personnel can be found on the REWS website.
Make sure to check out our upcoming blogs for more information on the safest way to install and take care of gas appliances.
