Complete Propane Home: How it Works Inside
Propane appliances can efficiently and effectively meet nearly all of your home’s major energy needs, inside and out, from space heating and water heating to outdoor flame lighting and firepits.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of several propane appliances that can be installed inside your home to help you live more comfortably and save you money in utility costs.
Aspects of a Complete Propane Home
Propane Space Heating
If you want a warm, cozy home even on the coldest, most blustery winter days, you can’t do better than a high-efficiency propane furnace. Its warm, comfortable heat simply can’t be matched by other kinds of heating systems when it comes to comfort.
Not all heating systems deliver air at the same temperature. In cold climates, electric heat pumps can deliver heat at or below your normal body temperature — 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit — for 65 percent of the heating season. That may be noticeably uncomfortable! Propane furnaces deliver warmer, more comfortable air — up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit — in any weather condition.
Radiant Floor Heating
Imagine stepping out of bed or walking into your bathroom and feeling a warm floor beneath your feet. Radiant floor heating can provide this luxury by pumping hot water through an in-floor tubing system. The hot water can be supplied by a high-efficiency propane tankless water heater.
Tankless Water Heater
There’s never a good time to run out of hot water, and that’s why tankless water heaters are such a great choice. They run continuously, on demand, and they have triple the hot water flow rate of electric heat pump water heaters.
Propane tankless water heaters are not limited by storage capacity, so you never have to run out of water. And because you’re not using energy keeping a tank of water hot, you can save more than $150 per year compared with typical electric storage water heaters.
Storage Tank Water Heater
A propane storage water heater offers superior value for your money. It delivers the same amount of hot water as an electric tank, which is much larger and takes up more space in the home. Energy Star propane units save about 13 to 16 percent in annual energy costs over standard electric and heating oil units.
Kitchen Range
If you’ve dreamed of cooking with gas like a professional chef, you’ll love the instant heat and temperature control of propane-powered ranges and ovens.
There are propane kitchen appliances to fit nearly any style of home, from sleek, modern steel to more classic designs, and sizes to fit the biggest commercial kitchens, the smallest galley kitchens, and every size in between.
Clothes Drying
It doesn’t matter whether you run a load a week or face a mountain of your family’s laundry every day. A propane-powered clothes dryer can make a big impact in your family’s budget, compared with electric models. Think of the wardrobe you can buy after saving 20 percent on annual energy costs.
Propane dryers are also packed with high-performance features. You’ll find models that include steam cycles to dewrinkle and freshen garments, drum lights to make it easier to see into the unit, LCD control screens for ease of use, and other time and labor-saving features.
Fireplaces
All of the pleasures of a real fire with none of the hassles; that’s the beauty of a propane fireplace. You get the atmosphere and warmth that only a real flame can provide, and a propane fireplace can be turned on and off with a thermostatic switch or remote control.
Unlike electric models, your propane fireplace can provide your family with heat and light during an outage. And unlike wood fireplaces, you’ll never need to throw another log on the fire.
Garage Heaters and Space Heaters
Your workshop doesn’t shut down just because it’s cold outside. A garage-zone heater delivers clean, dependable heat that will keep your garage warm year-round — and most will even work in an electrical outage.
Visit your local propane dealer to learn more about the advantages of propane and how easy it can be to install propane appliances in your home.