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In the past few months, we have seen several news stories concerning the potential ban of gas stoves used for cooking. So why is a heating and cooling company writing about gas stoves? More on that question later! First, we wanted to try and cut through the drama, confusion and inaccurate info to provide a summary of the facts and only the facts:

Fact #1:

There are聽close to聽40 million gas stoves in the聽United States聽and no, “the聽government” is not coming for your gas stove.聽However,聽dozens of聽cities — and some states — are already聽transitioning聽away from natural gas as part of聽a growing decarbonization,聽especially聽in new construction聽properties. This will make it聽pointless聽to聽buy聽a gas stove,聽whether or not they are actually banned.

Fact #2:

Gas stoves have been the聽target聽of聽debate聽due to聽multiple聽recent聽investigations聽that have聽indicated聽that emissions from gas stoves may be聽hazardous聽to your health. Namely,聽leading to聽respiratory illness and asthma.

Fact #3:

The air聽within聽our homes (and businesses) is much less than聽ideal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)聽references studies聽that indicate indoor levels of聽pollutants聽could聽be two to five times — and聽occasionally聽more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels.

Even though聽gas stoves may聽contribute to聽poor聽indoor air quality, they聽are definitely not the only factor. Others聽might聽be:

• Occupants Within the Home:聽People and pets at home produce carbon dioxide (CO2), odors,聽tobacco聽smoke and pet dander (a common allergen).
• Other Combustion Appliances:聽Other聽fuel聽(or wood/oil burning) appliances such as space heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and water heaters.
• Construction聽Materials and Furnishings:聽Paints, carpeting, fiberglass, particle board and fabrics may聽emit聽harmful聽substances known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), another common indoor allergen, through what’s known as “outgassing.”
• Cleaning Compounds:聽Many popular聽cleaning products may produce VOCs or other chemicals.
• 罢丑别听厂辞颈濒:聽Radon gas and聽humidity聽may enter the home聽through聽the basement or crawl space from the聽soil聽surrounding聽the home.
• Well-Insulated Homes:聽While there are significant energy efficiency benefits,聽homes that are well insulated are “sealed tighter” and as聽a result聽won’t have as much infiltration from聽natural, outdoor air.

Fact #4:

There are聽formal聽practices聽for residential ventilation and聽acceptable聽indoor air quality (IAQ)聽levels. These guidelines are聽often referred to聽as the ASHRAE 60.2 standard. Local building codes have聽widely聽adopted聽these standards to聽determine聽minimum ventilation requirements and other measures聽so that you can聽reduce聽any negative聽effects on your health, resolving both health and safety problems for聽everyone.

That being said, the聽final聽performance of your ventilation is not directly聽measured聽or audited. Even if it was, it’s highly聽reliant聽on聽the local environment聽outdoors, the聽square footage聽of the home and other factors. The聽precise聽ventilation performance in聽a typical聽home聽may vary.

Fact #5:

It’s still entirely your聽preference. You don’t have to聽say goodbye to聽your gas stove and replace it with electric, and you also don’t have to聽pick聽between your gas stove and the聽prospect聽for聽lower聽indoor air quality. Proper and consistent ventilation is the real聽answer聽to this debate.

First,聽each time聽you聽prepare a meal聽with a gas stove, you聽should聽use the fan on your range hood so the combustion byproducts like smoke and聽CO gas聽are聽properly聽ventilated聽out of your home. But聽let's be honest: how often do any of us use the fan on the range hood?

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

Reviewing聽Whole-Home Residential Ventilation Options