Perhaps the house you’re purchasing has an electric range, and you’re thinking about switching to gas, or perhaps you love to watch cooking channels and now you’re ready to switch out your electric range to a gas model. Homeowners sometimes have questions about using existing gas lines or running new gas lines, building codes, if a licensed plumber is required or the need to use an electrical service or licensed electrician.
Regardless of the reason you’re looking to change to a new appliance, there are a few things to consider when switching from an electric stove to a gas stove.
Benefits of a Gas Stove
Why a gas stove instead of an electric stove? Why do so many prefer using a gas stove top versus an electric stove? Ask any chef, and they’ll tell you that they prefer to cook on gas stoves over electric stoves. Why? Because gas stoves are known for coming up to temperature more quickly, being easier to control that temperature, and then gas stove tops cool down faster, which is good if you’re the forgetful type or have young children in the house.
These benefits of gas appliances can allow for an easier time when preparing food for you and your family. Both natural gas and propane gas cooking allow for faster and more controlled heating, making for a better time in the kitchen.
Can You Switch From Your Electric to Gas Stove On Your Own?
If you pull your range out and discover that your home has electric and gas hookups, then you’re in luck. All you need to do is go to your nearest home improvement mega center or appliance store retailer like Home Depot or Lowes, and buy a new gas range or gas oven, or even a new stove with a dual fuel setup, with an induction cooktop and stainless steel.
On the other hand, if there is no gas that runs to the stove, but your home does have natural gas running in it, such as a gas water heater that has a gas pipe running to it or the HVAC system is using natural gas or propane, you’ll need a licensed plumber to check out your home and give you a price quote on tapping into an existing gas line or running a new gas line to install your new stovetop.
Often, people will contact us and ask us about converting from an electric range, electric oven or cooktop to gas. If the homeowner already has a gas pipe there, all we need to do is hook up the gas. However, if the cooking area does not have a gas hookup, our next step is to find the best way to get gas running to the range.
There has to be enough flow of natural gas going into the gas pipes to provide fuel to the gas appliances in the home. It is possible there may not be enough gas flow to sufficiently power both your water heater and a new gas range or gas oven.
Finding a way to route gas will have a lot to do with the size of the pipes in the home. Sometimes, people may say that their water heater is very close to it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s that simple.
So, we would schedule a service call, take a look at the house, determine the home’s current gas usage, what size gas lines the house has, and if we can draw gas to the range from there. Often, we are able to route gas from the attic, dropping it down the wall, behind the gas range.
Call A-1 Sewer When You Are Ready to Make the Switch
Converting from gas to electric is not a DIY project! It may be necessary to tap into the existing gas supply line in the attic, or in the basement because the house previously had an electric range and there was no gas valve behind the oven in the kitchen. It needs a professional to do the installation to prevent issues such as a gas leak, or carbon monoxide leak from improper installation.
Interested in converting from an electric range to gas? Contact A-1 Sewer & Septic Service Inc. for an estimate!
