Whether you’re preparing to sell or looking to invest in some updates and improvements to your forever home, you have a lot of options. A fresh coat of paint, new bathroom fixtures, and similar projects are all easy ways to freshen up the look of your home. While it’s not usually featured on home makeover shows because it’s not “eye candy,” improving the systems that run your home can be an important way to add a lot of value while improving efficiency, comfort, and convenience. If you’ve never lived in a propane-fueled home before, you might be surprised to know all the benefits.
One of the cleanest, most versatile, and efficient fuels around, propane adds value and comfort in almost every room—and even your outdoor living spaces. It provides exceptional performance and efficiency in a wide range of home appliances, as well as heating and water-heating equipment, at a much lower cost than electricity. Here are five ways propane can make your house a dream home.
There’s a reason professional chefs prefer a gas range. An electric range will never provide the same control as cooking with gas. Think about why you opt for a propane grill instead of charcoal: You can adjust your flame with the turn of a knob. An electric burner just doesn’t respond as quickly, which means it takes more time to reduce or increase the heat. That means you can heat up a pot of soup quickly without it boiling over, and you can keep a delicate sauce at a subtle simmer without scorching.
Speaking of grills, adding a built-in propane grill to your deck or patio takes your outdoor entertainment space to the next level. It means you never have to think about having a spare propane cylinder on hand, and it opens up the possibility of a full outdoor kitchen.
Propane also enhances your outdoor living spaces in other ways. It can power outdoor lighting and firepits, as well as patio heaters that let you enjoy these areas into the evening—and earlier and later in the season. Propane also fuels effective mosquito zappers—eliminating annoying uninvited guests.
The heating power of propane makes it an efficient option for spa and pool heaters, too.
A propane fireplace brings all the cozy charm and warmth of a wood-burning fireplace to almost any room, without the mess, smoke, and ash. And unlike a traditional fireplace, you can install a propane-fueled fireplace just about anywhere—no chimney required.
A gas log or gas stove is also much safer. No more playing with matches and waiting for tricky kindling to catch—you can turn on and adjust the flame with a wall switch or even a remote control, and turn it off when you are done. No waiting for embers to burn out or worrying that they will flare up again.
Because propane is so efficient, you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy. That means propane water heaters generate much more hot water at a cheaper cost per gallon. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes that heat water with propane rather than electricity can see average annual savings of $174.
Combine that power with the super efficiency of a tankless water heater and you can enjoy virtually endless hot water. Tankless units heat water instantly, on demand, rather than running all the time to keep a tank of water hot.
The same technology that makes propane ideal for water heaters makes it a smarter choice than electricity to power all kinds of appliances that use hot water or heat, like dishwashers and laundry equipment.
Another benefit of having propane for your home: When storms knock out power, a propane-fueled backup generator will keep your lights and everything else running until the utility company can make repairs. There’s no need to line up for gasoline, and no need to wrangle equipment outside, maybe in the dark, during a storm.
Having reliable access to backup power can be a lifesaver, and it can add significant value to your home and even lower your insurance premiums.
Whether you’re refurbishing your existing home or building your dream house, propane provides great value. The Pico expert team is always happy to answer your questions and can help make adding propane to your home easy—from tank and appliance installation to great services like automatic delivery, tank monitoring, and so much more.
Contact us today for more information.
