Gas stoves and ovens are not designed to heat your home. They should only be used for cooking purposes. Using it for heating is not only dangerous but it can be fatal.

To safely use a gas stove or oven, it needs a vent or continuous ventilation. If you turn on your oven while the oven door is open, you will allow for toxic gas emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO).

Carbon monoxide is colourless, tasteless and odourless. It rises since it’s less dense than air. This gas can be toxic, even lethal if you’re exposed to large amounts.

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

• Persistent fatigue
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of consciousness

If you experience any of these symptoms while using gas appliances, stop immediately and locate to an area where you can get some fresh air and/or seek medical attention.

The risk of using your gas stove or oven doesn’t stop there. It is also a fire hazard. A fire can easily be started when a napkin or towel fall onto a burner or into the oven.

Additionally, if you have young children or pets in your home, accidental contact with a hot element could put them at risk for serious burns.

The truth is that ovens aren’t really that effective for heating your home anyway. It is best to stay with safe options such as a gas fireplace or gas heaters. It is also vital to do regular maintenance on any gas appliance in your home to reduce the risk of malfunction.

When you use indoor gas appliances according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, you won’t put yourself or your family at risk.

Get more information on how to safely use gas appliances from Action Gas, professional gas installers Johannesburg. Or give them a call for a free quote today.

Winter is here and we can finally snuggle up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a book with the fire burning in the background.

While an actual wood fire is great for outdoor purposes, it can affect the indoor air quality, not even mentioning the cleaning you’ll have to do afterwards. Here’s why you should have a gas fireplace instead.

1. It looks good

Gas fireplaces come in various designs and finishes. Not only is it more practical but it’s more pleasing to the eye than a wood fireplace.

2. It’s faster

Not only does it eliminate the time to get a fire started – you just push the on/off button and you’re set – it heats your home even quicker. You’ll appreciate this on a cold morning or when you come home from work tired and cold.

3. No cleanup necessary

As appealing as wood fire might sound when you’re done you have to clean up the ashes. Gas fireplaces require no clean up except for the usual dusting now and then.

4. You don’t have to store and prepare wood

Storing firewood comes with its own set of challenges. You have to keep it dry and far away from your home since spiders and termites love to use it as a breeding ground. As for preparing wood, it is hard work. And even if you don’t have to cut it yourself, fetching wood outside when it’s raining is no fun at all.

5. Better indoor air quality

A gas fireplace has no indoor emissions. The combustion gas is taken outside through vents. Contrary to smokey fireplaces of course.

If you’re in the market for a gas fireplace, make sure you use reputable gas installers Johannesburg. Get in touch with Action Gas today for a free quotation.