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With the large ‘range’ of options available, it can be overwhelming to narrow the field to choosing between gas or electric, and furthermore, deciding on a model. Many people have strong opinions and swear by one or the other. In reality, they will both get the job done and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Before You Shop for your Gas or Electric Range

1. Measure Up!
Check the dimensions of the range you’re interested in to help ensure a proper fit. Look for installation instructions on each range for those dimensions.

2. Are you a Multi-task Cook?
For most people, a cooktop with four burners will work fine. If you love to cook, have a large family or entertain often, you may want the professional appearance and flexibility of five or more burners? Just a thought.

3. It’s Getting Hot in Here.
Think about finding a cooktop with a power burner to quickly bring foods to a boil. Or, try a simmer burner to prepare light sauces using low and even heat. If you use basic pots and pans, a dual-element burner is perfect for controlled simmering with small pans, and then you can use the outer ring for larger pans.

4. Cabinet Space?
Ranges can be freestanding, slide-in or drop-in. Freestanding is best if either side isn’t next to a cabinet, whereas a slide-in is best if it’s between two cabinets.

5. Top Chef or Heat and Eat?
Home chefs should look for high performance and precision features. Many prefer the performance of gas or the precision of induction. For the everyday cook, convenience and flexibility may be more important. Consider a smooth-top radiant cooktop for easy-to-clean functionality.

A Deeper Look

A major consideration for anyone purchasing a new kitchen range is cost. Overall, electric ranges are less expensive to manufacture making them less expensive to purchase. Cost will also be significantly less if your kitchen is pre-wired for an electric range. It can become costly if you have to have a gas line run into an existing property.

Electric Ranges

Pros:

• Less expensive to buy and install.
• Easier to clean burners and surfaces.
• Smooth-top electric ranges are more stable for pots and offer additional counter or storage space when not in use.
• Instantly turns on and off every time with the twist of a knob versus gas ranges that may sputter to catch a flame, emitting un-burned and potentially hazardous gas. No igniter or lighter necessary.
• More functions, such as additional fans and grillers, are available than their gas counterparts.
• More even heat distribution when baking.
• Dry heat for optimal oven roasting conditions.

Cons:

• Slower to cool when a burner is turned down or off.
• Subject to power outages.

Gas Ranges

Pros:

• More even stove top heat for cooking.
• Easy to gauge and precisely adjust the level of heat by altering the flame.
• Gas is inexpensive, abundantly available and clean burning.
• Gas ranges are less expensive to operate than electric ranges.
• The heat from a gas flame heats the sides, as well as the bottom, of pans, cooking food faster.
• Able to change temperature rapidly. You can immediately remove the heat when the flame is turned off, so you can still leave food on the stove to rest without continuing to cook.
• Less ambient heat to the rest of the kitchen.

Cons:

• More expensive to buy and install.
• More dangerous. Increased potential for gas leaks, the leading cause of residential fires. If a gas line is damaged or a pot boils over and quenches the flame, a home can quickly fill with toxic, flammable gas. Children or pets are also at greater risk to be burned or catch fire with an open flame.
• Diminished Baking Results. Oven temps are hotter at the top so baking requires rotation and placement farther from heat source. Gas gives off moisture when cooking, creating a humid heat rather than the dry heat required for effective roasting.

References: www.lowes.com and electric-range-review.toptenreviews.com

For questions contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

LED Lighting for your Brunswick County Home

How do they work?
The light-emitting diode (LED) bulb uses a semiconductor as its light source, and is currently one of the most energy-efficient and quickly developing types of bulbs for lighting your home. LEDs are recently being purchased to replace incandescent and other types of bulbs. LEDs are relatively more expensive than other types of bulbs, but are in the long-run end up being more cost-effective because they use only a fraction of the electricity of traditional lighting methods and can last far longer.

Cost: Saving Money and Energy
Many researchers and manufacturers are currently working hard to develop new and better LEDs for consumer use, and consumer prices are falling as the market grows. LEDs for the home are available in many different varieties, ranging from recessed fixtures, track lights, and traditionally shaped bulbs that can be used to replace incandescent bulbs in lamps and fixtures.

A large percentage of the energy that goes into a standard 40 Watt bulb is wasted as heat which is not good for conserving electricity and saving money. LED light bulbs generate relatively little heat as they glow, instead transferring more of their energy directly into light.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that rapid adoption of LED lighting over the next 20 years in the United States could save about $265 billion in energy costs and replace the construction of 40 new power plants.

Ceiling Cans
Ceiling cans (or recessed lighting) have become one of the most common styles of lighting for homes in the U.S. They are typically installed in groups simply for symmetry. Ceiling cans are an ideal place for LED light bulbs.

Other options for LED Lighting: Reading Lamps, Art Lighting, Night Lights, Outdoor Lighting, Children’s rooms: the Color Changing Party Light Bulb is particularly popular with children. It is a fun light that changes from red to blue to green at a gentle pace.

More about LED lighting
An LED light bulb can last you up to 50,000 hours. That averages out to 6 hours of light per day for 22 years. Some LED light bulbs are so energy efficient that, depending on how often you use them, they can pay for themselves in just over a year.

The best way to conserve energy is to use less of it. Most LED light bulbs are directional — which means they generally put the light out off the top of the bulb and away from the base. Incandescent bulbs, on the other hand, throw their light all over the place including toward the base — wasting electricity and generating heat. LED light bulbs run relatively cool, so they’re safer to use than fragile, burning hot halogen and incandescent bulbs. LEDs turn on instantly — a welcome difference to CFLs. LEDs do not use mercury like CFLs — so disposal concerns aren’t the same.

For more information on LED lighting for your home or any construction questions,
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com
or go to www.gocenterline.com

Rough In Electrical system with Jeff Satterwhite and Brent Jackson

Thanks for watching! Below is a written explanation of the Electical Units built into your Home.  

Brent Jackson – Electrician

Breaker Box/ Panel – this box will receive at least 200 amps of power, 42 slot panel, the little clipins is where the circuit breakers are

White Wire – Romex Wire, 15 amps, general lights and receptacle usage
Yellow – 12-2 Romex Wire, 20 amps, serves bathrooms, kitchen and dining room
Orange – 10-2 Romex Wire, 30 amps, heat unit or oven
Other Orange – 10-3 Romex Wire, 30 amps, for ovens and driers

Normally the larger wires use a 220 type voltage; the others use a 110 type voltage.

New construction box – (Nail Up Box) One goes in before the sheet rock, A Popin Box goes in afterwards.

Normal Box has three types of wire:
1. Ground Wire – 110 GFI circuit, the ground wire goes back to the panel and back to the ground with a grounding rod to ground the circuit
2. Hot feed wire
3. Neutral wire

Typical Switch box – behind the little switch in your wall should be all of these wires.

Green Sticker on the other panel means the electrical team has passed their inspection from the Brunswick County Inspectors.

For more information or questions, go to www.gocenterline.com or contact Jeff Satterwhite at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com