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Old 11-14-2019, 09:12 PM   #1
bigdog
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Default Gas stove or Electric ?

I need to purchase a new stove, and would like folks opinion.
Gas or Electric stove, which is more efficient ?

I currently have an electric stove, (which has just died), but with the electric rates in NH the highest in the country, I was thinking of switching over to gas.

FYI, I am the third owner of this house, and apparently there was originally at some time, gas stove installed, because there is a gas pipe behind the current electric stove.

FYI, the gas is already there, as I am heating the house with propane.

Your suggestions are much appreciated !
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Old 11-14-2019, 10:24 PM   #2
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From a cooking standpoint, gas far outweighs electric. All restaurants and home chefs have gas stoves. As far as efficiency, no idea.
If our electric ever bites the dust, I would most likely make the switch as I also heat with propane.
I would also upgrade to a 500 gallon tank instead of the 3 120 gallon tanks we have now.
The more propane you buy, the cheaper you can get it.
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Old 11-15-2019, 04:25 AM   #3
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Default I've got gas....

....so to speak Both my wife and I enjoy cooking, and once we made the switch to gas many years ago, there was no looking back. You can control the heat, (i.e., flame), essentially real-time, while there is a delay with an electric burner. And according to a guy at Powers Generator who just sized up our new digs for a generator, the electric oven/stove is one of the biggest electricity draws in the whole house.
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Old 11-15-2019, 05:37 AM   #4
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The thing I worry about with gas is cleaning. It seems much harder to clean gas stoves. Are they better now?
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Old 11-15-2019, 06:22 AM   #5
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Gas is better for cooking, electric is better for baking--they make dual stoves for this reason. We grill most of the time and only boil, etc. with our range, so we have an electric.

A side note: I love my all electric house--we have the fastest, most flexible, and cleanest heat; simple-to-replace appliances (we just unplug and replace); and only one bill/utility to deal with.

The issue is twofold: cost. We pay ~$300/mth. which is roughly $50-$100 more per month than people with gas in similar size homes. I'm not sure propane is all that much cheaper, though?

The second regards power outages. A standby generator would need to be huge AND I'd have to find a fuel source. Similarly, a solar array to support our needs is essentially impossible.

If I had NG at the stove, it'd be a no-brainer. Propane, however, with its increased costs, service, and need to be filled, etc. isn't as clear. I'd probably choose based on cost/desirability/installation cost rather than fuel.

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Old 11-15-2019, 07:11 AM   #6
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If you already have the gas pipe at the stove then it's really a no brainer, go with the gas stove.
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Old 11-15-2019, 08:42 AM   #7
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I have always had electric. Now that we are temporarily living in a rental in NY until our new house in N.H. is finished being built, it has propane gas (and for the hot water also;oil for the heat) and I hate it. The oven seems ok and we are big oven users (and microwave), but I don’t like the stovetop. Takes forever for the water to boil. Ruining my pots. The heat it generates actually makes the above range microwave get hot! Then there’s the cleaning of the stove top.

Then again , I am no chef.

I opted for an electric stove in our new house in N.H. although I could have had propane gas if we paid extra for the piping. The new home will be heated with propane.Not sure if electric heat would have been more expensive, but I don’t think it matters that much with a stove. Propane is expensive. We had a home heated with electric when I was young and it was nice and clean and easy. We supplemented with a wood stove. Small house like the one we are building.
We are going to get an electric woodstove for the new house since there is no room for a propane one.

At 63 I decided to stick with what I know.

Last edited by map; 11-15-2019 at 08:58 AM. Reason: Add
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Old 11-15-2019, 08:57 AM   #8
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Just to echo almost everyone else, I do all the cooking and gas is far superior to electric. We have gas in NH and electric in FL so I have direct comparisons. Another factor is it is a pain to keep an electric cooktop clean after even minor everyday cooking spills.

Can’t comment on cost or efficiency.
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Old 11-15-2019, 09:20 AM   #9
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Remember that gas gives INSTANT heat, whether for your stove, your heater, or your clothes dryer...... And, gas provides far greater savings when it comes to your monthly bills versus electricity!
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Old 11-15-2019, 09:38 AM   #10
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Default 30+ years with propane

We are 30+ years with propane in our house.

We have gas hot water, fast recovery.

We have gas dryer, dries clothes quickly.

We have a gas stove. Love the instant control of heat, the infinite heat settings as opposed to low, 1, 2, 3 etc..

On our second hot water heater, replaced original just over a year ago.

On our second stove, replaced about 5 or 6 years ago.

Dryer still going strong. Had to replace the belt on the drum a few years ago. How old is the dryer? It's a Sears, Avocado Green in color.

Our electric bill runs between just under $70 to $85-90, depending on summer (low) or winter (high).

Our propane bill runs about $110 every 3-4 months.

Combined annual runs around $1400-1500. Glad we're not total electric.

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Old 11-15-2019, 09:43 AM   #11
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Take a look at induction, which is electric, and is faster than gas in my opinion. The downside for induction is that you need iron in the base of your pans, aluminum will not work. But I can bring a pan of water to full boil in less than 2 minutes with induction. Energy costs are negligible in this application.
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Old 11-15-2019, 09:54 AM   #12
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Purchased a high end electric stove and love it. Agree with others the oven of a electric stove is superior to a gas oven. Yes, it does take a few minutes longer on the cook top, but saves time on the clean up. Would advise you have the propane line tested before you use it.


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Old 11-15-2019, 10:12 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by upthesaukee View Post
We are 30+ years with propane in our house.

We have gas hot water, fast recovery.

We have gas dryer, dries clothes quickly.

We have a gas stove. Love the instant control of heat, the infinite heat settings as opposed to low, 1, 2, 3 etc..

On our second hot water heater, replaced original just over a year ago.

On our second stove, replaced about 5 or 6 years ago.

Dryer still going strong. Had to replace the belt on the drum a few years ago. How old is the dryer? It's a Sears, Avocado Green in color.

Our electric bill runs between just under $70 to $85-90, depending on summer (low) or winter (high).

Our propane bill runs about $110 every 3-4 months.

Combined annual runs around $1400-1500. Glad we're not total electric.

Dave
I'd be interested to know how your experiences compare with others--$110 for propane and $70 for electric in summer seems real low. Do you use mini splits/heat pumps for AC/heat?

Someday soon, I'll be looking to replace electric baseboard with a heat pump, but I gotta be honest that I'd much rather not have air blowing, etc. as I'm sensitive to the variation and drafts.

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Old 11-15-2019, 10:30 AM   #14
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A really big advantage to a gas stove is that it still works during a power failure
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Old 11-15-2019, 11:23 AM   #15
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A really big advantage to a gas stove is that it still works during a power failure
True. That is a large check mark when you are choosing between the two


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Old 11-15-2019, 11:32 AM   #16
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Default I'll never have electric again...

Ever try cooking with a wok on an electric range?

I'd never go back to an electric stove
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Old 11-15-2019, 03:37 PM   #17
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I believe we have the best option. We have had both electric an gas stoves. ur present stove is an iinduction which is electric. One can put a paper towel under the pan if desired to collect any spills and the heat is instantly increased or decreased as desired with no residual. I love this and will never go back.
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Old 11-15-2019, 03:48 PM   #18
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I'd be interested to know how your experiences compare with others--$110 for propane and $70 for electric in summer seems real low. Do you use mini splits/heat pumps for AC/heat?

Someday soon, I'll be looking to replace electric baseboard with a heat pump, but I gotta be honest that I'd much rather not have air blowing, etc. as I'm sensitive to the variation and drafts.

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No mini splits. No AC. All our lighting is LEDs. There's only the two of us. FWIW, our electric is NHEC. We do 3-6 loads of wash per week, and generally use the dishwasher once a week.

Past winters we heated primarily with wood. This year we are heading with oil. We keep the thermostat at 64, and have a Lasko electric tower heater in the LR. Room has a high ceiling and we keep the ceiling fan blowing up on low (as we did with w/stove).

Just got our electric bill for the past month, and it is only $85.

We are looking ahead with apprehension to see what Dec Jan Feb brings.

Dave
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Old 11-15-2019, 04:03 PM   #19
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No mini splits. No AC. All our lighting is LEDs. There's only the two of us. FWIW, our electric is NHEC. We do 3-6 loads of wash per week, and generally use the dishwasher once a week.

Past winters we heated primarily with wood. This year we are heading with oil. We keep the thermostat at 64, and have a Lasko electric tower heater in the LR. Room has a high ceiling and we keep the ceiling fan blowing up on low (as we did with w/stove).

Just got our electric bill for the past month, and it is only $85.

We are looking ahead with apprehension to see what Dec Jan Feb brings.

Dave
Ok, something seemed not right--heating primarily with wood and not having AC would very much affect your propane and electric use!

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Old 11-15-2019, 06:07 PM   #20
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Baron's Major Brands in Belmont NH has a bigger selection of propane stoves than Lowe's or Home Depot, including the 20", 24", and 30" models.

What can work to your advantage: go to Lowe's or Home Depot, first, get a printed price estimate, and take it to Baron's and they will beat the price, plus they will show you other stove choices that Lowe's and Home Depot do not sell.

It puts you in the driver's seat.
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Old 11-15-2019, 07:52 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by upthesaukee View Post
No mini splits. No AC. All our lighting is LEDs. There's only the two of us. FWIW, our electric is NHEC. We do 3-6 loads of wash per week, and generally use the dishwasher once a week.

Past winters we heated primarily with wood. This year we are heading with oil. We keep the thermostat at 64, and have a Lasko electric tower heater in the LR. Room has a high ceiling and we keep the ceiling fan blowing up on low (as we did with w/stove).

Just got our electric bill for the past month, and it is only $85.

We are looking ahead with apprehension to see what Dec Jan Feb brings.

Dave
Well our current NHEC bill is way over yours at $91. The $6 delta must be the 3 mini split heat pumps that keep us at 70 deg, the electric stove (my strong preference as the cook), the electric dryer and the dishwasher.

In mid winter we will kick in the pellet stove and use a zone of our new System 2000 oil fired boiler.

As for stoves we have an electric with glass cooktop. We just got back from a trip in our travel trailer and had to suffer with a gas stove. Much slower to boil a pot of water. Can't get a very low setting to cook rice without boiling it. No residual heat on the burner for cooking hard boiled eggs. A PITA to clean. Anyway, just my opinion

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Old 11-16-2019, 07:23 AM   #22
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Baron's Major Brands in Belmont NH has a bigger selection of propane stoves than Lowe's or Home Depot, including the 20", 24", and 30" models.

What can work to your advantage: go to Lowe's or Home Depot, first, get a printed price estimate, and take it to Baron's and they will beat the price, plus they will show you other stove choices that Lowe's and Home Depot do not sell.

It puts you in the driver's seat.
I second Barons.....installation crew is better than most and prices are comparable to box stores.Almost very appliance in our house was purchased there.
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Old 11-16-2019, 07:33 AM   #23
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I second Barons.....installation crew is better than most and prices are comparable to box stores.Almost very appliance in our house was purchased there.
I also agree with Barron’s. Purchased all the appliances for my home from them. Great service and installation plus they will match any competition pricing. Another plus is supporting a local business


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Old 11-16-2019, 08:41 AM   #24
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And they service what they sell! Ever try to get service from the big box stores?

I occasionally visit Baron's for their clearances, and scored some good buys. Of course every store's clearance items are different. I found a clearance item at their Salem Store. They deliver to Laconia at no cost!

Sometimes you can get a great small commercial kitchen appliances at NH Restaurants in Manchester. Tons of used appliances! I picked up a 4 burner Vulcan gas stove with electric oven for about $300! It needs some cleaning and a conversion to natural gas. It's looks like new when I finished it.
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Old 11-16-2019, 09:15 AM   #25
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Similarly, a solar array to support our needs is essentially impossible.


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Solar can still be extremely helpful (and a great financial return!). I am all electric in Mass, with mini-splits for heat. I have a solar system on the roof that provides about 2/3's of my power needs. The solar power generated is netted out automatically from my bill each month--I run a surplus in the Summer, generating a large credit on my bill, then the surplus is worked off during the winter months.

The financials on this are amazingly good--the IRS refunds 30% of the cost of the system on tax day (going down to 25% next year), then you save thousands of dollars per year after that. My whole system will be paid for in 6 years, the annual return on investment is ~18%
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Old 11-16-2019, 09:54 AM   #26
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Solar can still be extremely helpful (and a great financial return!). I am all electric in Mass, with mini-splits for heat. I have a solar system on the roof that provides about 2/3's of my power needs. The solar power generated is netted out automatically from my bill each month--I run a surplus in the Summer, generating a large credit on my bill, then the surplus is worked off during the winter months.

The financials on this are amazingly good--the IRS refunds 30% of the cost of the system on tax day (going down to 25% next year), then you save thousands of dollars per year after that. My whole system will be paid for in 6 years, the annual return on investment is ~18%
I think the dynamics change with electric baseboard, but, yes, solar would help defray costs over time. I'll be investigating the costs of having NG run to my house--it's at the street--vs. going to electric heat pumps/mini-splits.

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Old 11-16-2019, 10:30 AM   #27
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I think the dynamics change with electric baseboard, but, yes, solar would help defray costs over time. I'll be investigating the costs of having NG run to my house--it's at the street--vs. going to electric heat pumps/mini-splits. Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app
Liberty Utilities was running a promotion. For new customers, they were allowing free install of up to 100' of pipe line from the main. Plus up to $4000 in incentives to convert appliance to natural gas.
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Old 11-16-2019, 10:40 AM   #28
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I'll keep it short.... gas!
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Old 11-16-2019, 11:09 AM   #29
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I think the dynamics change with electric baseboard, but, yes, solar would help defray costs over time. I'll be investigating the costs of having NG run to my house--it's at the street--vs. going to electric heat pumps/mini-splits.

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The economics of solar are identical (and excellent) whether you use inefficient baseboards or efficient mini-splits. Just think about using the panels to reduce your electric bill--you could reduce a $300 electric bill by $150, or (using the same panels on a more efficient home) a $200 electric bill by $150. Either way, you are saving $150/month. That $150/month savings is the value generated by solar.

Since the electric heat and solar can work together to save you money, I'd recommend comparing NG to solar plus mini splits combined.

Good luck--we look forward to your report!
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Old 11-16-2019, 12:54 PM   #30
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The economics of solar are identical (and excellent) whether you use inefficient baseboards or efficient mini-splits. Just think about using the panels to reduce your electric bill--you could reduce a $300 electric bill by $150, or (using the same panels on a more efficient home) a $200 electric bill by $150. Either way, you are saving $150/month. That $150/month savings is the value generated by solar.

Since the electric heat and solar can work together to save you money, I'd recommend comparing NG to solar plus mini splits combined.

Good luck--we look forward to your report!
Understood. I meant more in where/how to invest at this moment. Given that I have electric baseboard, there's a sizeable investment needed to run forced hot water, etc. registers if I were to go NG. Given that I've got central AC via ducts installed in my attic (split level), I need to look into how I might use those and if it would be possible to use closets to get air to the basement. If so, I think a heat pump with electric baseboard and wood stove backup could be the ticket.

At that point, a solar array may power all but the backup electric baseboard, which really wouldn't matter because I'd have the wood stoves.

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Old 11-16-2019, 10:15 PM   #31
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We installed an electric induction cook top during a kitchen gut/rebuild at our home in CT seven years ago. This replaced a mid-1990's standard coil electric cook top. The main negative was the higher cost and the fact that we had no magnetic pots/pans. That meant a significant investment in new cookware - not an inexpensive endeavor as that stuff was much costlier than standard cookware (cookware must be magnetic to work on an induction unit). There was also the occasional inconvenience where a friend might be over with their pot of soup and we'd have to transfer to one of our pots in order to reheat it.

In our mind however, those disadvantages were outweighed by the advantages:

1. Induction cook tops are far faster at heating than traditional electric units. And the responsiveness of the controls is nearly instant. Turn down the heat a notch and you almost immediately see the change in whatever you are cooking. Turn it up, same thing.

2. Of course the induction cook top is a smooth cook top. Cleaning is simple. When I see a gas unit, I can't help but think how dreadful it must be to clean it. It was bad enough keeping our old electric coils clean.

3. We had a younger child at home and young nieces/nephews around so safety was a concern. We didn't want any open flames, hot coils or any fossil fuels in our home. Also, it's easy to digitally lock the unit so it can't be accidentally turned on.

I think a decision might sometimes come down to whether you are an aggressive cook or not. If you are, I'm sure there are many arguments why gas is a preferred medium (it does seem that most professional cooks prefer it). I feel we are more typical homeowners that generally stick to basic cooking challenges. If that's you, then the practical aspects of the advantages noted above may very well take center stage.

All our other kitchen appliances are electric and we've been happy with them.

As an aside, we heat our home with a geothermal heat pump - in fact one of the first ones installed in CT back in 1995. Can't say enough good things about it:

1. Extremely efficient. I've never performed an analysis but I estimate it's saving us a boatload of dollars annually over electric baseboard, propane or oil (natural gas is not an option in our rural area).

2. Very comfortable. Heat is delivered via ducts just as in a typical forced air system. There is a big difference however in HOW that heat is delivered. Our prior experience with forced air was that it was on full force for a period of time and then it was completely off for a period of time. On and off all day long but nothing in between. That led to several degrees of temperature variation throughout the day - not an ideal recipe for comfort. In contrast, our geo is on constantly at a very low delivery rate. Set the thermostat for 68 degrees, and the temperature will seldom vary more than a third of a degree off that mark. The constant-on feature keeps the temperature steady. Also, we avoid the excessive drying of the air and dust that I feel can be a result of standard forced air systems.

3. Easy maintenance. Twice annual filter changes and an inexpensive check-up every several years is all we've needed since 1995. I'm not a mechanical engineer but I'm told that a geothermal unit is a very simple device. There's just not a lot that can go wrong with it.

4. Our water heater is connected to our geo unit. This means we're pre-heating the water utilizing the heat drawn from the earth just as we're doing the same for the heated air. We also just installed a new hybrid water heater to replace the 23 year old standard unit that was still working fine (I was thinking it was on borrowed time). So, we're getting additional efficiency out of that now.

5. Very cheap cooling in the summer. Everything works the same way but in reverse. Of course, since we now summer on the lake, we're not using AC in CT much anymore.

6. No fossil fuels in the home.

Note that there will be a day or two a year where it'll be cold enough that the geo unit alone cannot keep up with our home's heating demand. In this instance, electric power will supplement. But if your unit is sized appropriately, this should be rare situation. For us, outside temperatures need to get down to about 10 degree below 0 Fahrenheit before that will happen. Those temps are just not seen very often in southern CT.

It's a great system that we've been very happy with. They're much more popular and known these days although they've become rather costly. I seem to recall that our fully installed system cost us about $10K more than the alternative oil system we were considering. But much of that delta was erased due to aggressive rebates available at the time from CL&P (now Eversource). I'm guessing a lot of those rebates have long ago dried up and probably geo system costs in general have increased significantly. Yet, given our experience, it would sure be something we'd look at closely if we ever built again.
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Old 11-17-2019, 08:57 AM   #32
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Default ..have the old 60-amp fuse board and want a hot tub?

The 220-volt/15 or 20-amp line common to electric kitchen stoves has enough juice to power up a small, 4-person, rectangular, outdoor hot tub .... a $7500-Hot Springs Jet Setter-110v, or a $4500-Nordic Stella-110v, or a $500 Intex inflatable from Ocean State Job Lot.

So, if your cottage still has that 60-amp service, replacing an electric stove with a propane stove will free up the power needed to run that outdoor, 104-degree hot tub, without needing to upgrade the electric service from 60 to modern and expensive 200-amp, new service ... installed by a licensed electrician.

Your new outdoor hot tub will work just fine, for years and years and years .... like for 15 - twenty years ..... if it has a $125 custom wind & rain/snow cover on top of the original factory foam, heat cover.

For the best designed, most long lasting 110-volt outdoor hot tub, go to Abundant Life in Chichester NH and check out the Hot Springs-Free Flow-Azure for about $4400. They are a hot tub store with service, as opposed to a furniture store that sells hot tubs.
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Old 12-06-2019, 06:44 PM   #33
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I'll keep it short.... gas!
Have had the same gas stove/oven for 20 years. Never any breakdowns.
Got the simplest one made at the time. It still works.

As for cleaning. If one cleans the stove/oven after cooking. It will remain clean forever.
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Old 12-06-2019, 10:02 PM   #34
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Simple is the operable word. My mother-in-law's refrigerator (bottom freezer) gave up the ghost a couple of weeks ago - after 38 years of reliable service. There was nothing fancy about it. No microchips or special settings on drawers No digital readouts, mood lighting or ice/water dispenser. It didn't even have an automatic ice maker and it certainly wasn't energy efficient. It did however keep stuff cold or frozen and it did so through three kids, a bunch of grand kids and no repairs that she can recollect. During all those years, there was nothing fashionable about it...except that it worked.

These days, if an appliance doesn't crap out on you within ten years, then you are convinced that it's obsolete and out you go to buy a new one.
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Old 12-07-2019, 07:30 PM   #35
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Cool Westinghouse Four-Burner—Also Available as a Three-Burner

Three years ago, our electric range had one burner fail, which we replaced by ourselves. Cost? $10. Its only repair.

This feature is rare—oven can be started using both upper and lower coils for a super-fast startup.

Otherwise, it's been working fine for 63 years!
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Old 12-09-2019, 07:36 AM   #36
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Simple is the operable word. My mother-in-law's refrigerator (bottom freezer) gave up the ghost a couple of weeks ago - after 38 years of reliable service. There was nothing fancy about it. No microchips or special settings on drawers No digital readouts, mood lighting or ice/water dispenser. It didn't even have an automatic ice maker and it certainly wasn't energy efficient. It did however keep stuff cold or frozen and it did so through three kids, a bunch of grand kids and no repairs that she can recollect. During all those years, there was nothing fashionable about it...except that it worked.

These days, if an appliance doesn't crap out on you within ten years, then you are convinced that it's obsolete and out you go to buy a new one.
You're lucky if you get 5 years out of new appliances today but there is a noticeable difference on your monthly electric bill when you replace a really old refrigerator with a more efficient one. But I do agree, simple is the way to go. The more features it has, the more likely it is for something to go wrong but that can be said of most anything today.
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Old 12-09-2019, 09:29 AM   #37
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A really big advantage to a gas stove is that it still works during a power failure
end all to the question is this answer. gas is always on when the power goes out
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Old 12-09-2019, 05:48 PM   #38
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end all to the question is this answer. gas is always on when the power goes out
And then there are the exploding houses. No thanks!
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Old 12-10-2019, 12:18 PM   #39
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The house I'm in now has a gas stove and after cooking with other types of stoves, I find I prefer my gas stove in all cases. Induction, coils, et al simply cannot match what an open flame offers. It's instant heat and there's no special cookware or cleaning instructions or cleaning products, etc.


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And then there are the exploding houses. No thanks!


That seems a bit like "the sky is falling" to me. No gas grill, I take it?
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Old 12-10-2019, 12:27 PM   #40
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That seems a bit like "the sky is falling" to me. No gas grill, I take it?
Tell that to these people: Merrimack Valley gas explosions https://g.co/kgs/qhpQAY

Though I get what you're saying, this was/is pretty bad.

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Old 12-10-2019, 01:00 PM   #41
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Tell that to these people: Merrimack Valley gas explosions https://g.co/kgs/qhpQAY

Though I get what you're saying, this was/is pretty bad.
What is it I am saying?
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Old 12-10-2019, 02:04 PM   #42
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What is it I am saying?
That it sounds like "the sky is falling," i.e. an overblown concern.

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Old 12-11-2019, 06:52 AM   #43
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That seems a bit like "the sky is falling" to me. No gas grill, I take it?
Actually I don't use the gas grill inside the house
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Old 12-11-2019, 08:31 AM   #44
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Tell that to these people: Merrimack Valley gas explosions https://g.co/kgs/qhpQAY

Though I get what you're saying, this was/is pretty bad.

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I worked in the gas industry for years... every problem I saw was either user error or human error. Stupid people do stupid things! There is also a difference between natural gas and propane, including how it's delivered. Gas is as safe
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Old 12-11-2019, 02:25 PM   #45
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I worked in the gas industry for years... every problem I saw was either user error or human error. Stupid people do stupid things! There is also a difference between natural gas and propane, including how it's delivered. Gas is as safe
I believe that lighter than air natural gas is safer than heavier than air propane. A leak of propane will settle in the basement waiting for an ignition spark. Natural gas will tend to drift away and is less of a risk of going boom. Not zero risk however.
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