Induction Ranges & New Bay Area Regulations

With so many environmental issues today, it’s up to us all to make sure we do everything we can to better preserve our way of life and planet. There are many ways we can achieve this; one way is switching out our appliances for those that are more energy efficient. A great example is going from a gas-powered appliance to induction!

Some people still don’t know what induction is, even though, originally introduced in 1933 at the World’s Fair in Chicago, induction has come a long way since then. Regardless, induction is all the rave and is currently gearing up to be the next big appliance in any home. So, it might be important to know about some new Bay Area regulations and guidelines that have slowly been taking effect.

Induction Ranges

Induction ranges and cooktops are faster, safer, and way more energy efficient than any other cooking appliance, especially gas-powered appliances. Induction can heat pots and pans by electromagnets, sending them into a ferrous state by connected to the metal for precise cooking. This, in turn, cooks food more evenly, and efficiently as it doesn’t release any pollutants into the air like gas appliances. Overall, induction has better temperature control than any gas or electric option, all the while being energy-efficient and improving your air quality at home.

You can still cook as you normally would with a gas-powered appliance, though there isn’t a physical flame, there is still a lot of power and even heat throughout the burners.

How Do They Work?

As mentioned, induction uses magnets to make heat. Underneath the topside, there are magnetic coils that generate a magnetic field that then send heat directly into the cookware. It clings onto the metal, since there are magnets, and can heat up quickly. What’s neat about this is that only the burner is what gets hot. So, only the area that has the pot or pan will produce heat since it must detect the metal cookware.

Since only that base is hot, it is perfectly safe to touch the area around it without getting burned. And like any burner, you will see the hot red coils. So, this makes it an overall safer option for families with children and elderly folk since there’s no real open flame or coil that’s exposed. Plus, many new induction models have a sensor that detects when a pot or pan is on to produce heat or not.

Bay Area & State Regulations

New regulations have been hitting major cities such as Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose, and parts of Los Angeles to implement measures to officially prohibit the installation of gas infrastructures in new building constructions to help fight climate change and protect public health. So, this means any new building being built can no longer legally have any gas-powered appliances put in. But why? What’s the issue with gas appliances?

Well, gas appliances are a large source of harmful emissions and could even have you to develop asthma, worsen your current asthma, or worsen any other pre-existing conditions. Studies have been made in recent times to back these claims, so, further exposure in your lifetime could lead to very bad outcomes for you and your family. In the Bay Area, San Francisco was one of the major cities that were willing to make the change back in 2020.

Sean Keighran, the Residential Builders Association President, did step it up and proposed the ban of natural gas in all new construction. However, his proposition would later gain massive backlash since many restaurant owners did not want to comply with the ban because they feel cooking on electric appliances isn’t as good as cooking on gas. Because of this, guidelines and areas have been amended to allow the use of hybrid appliances, meaning they can use some gas. Though, since June 2021, all new constructions have been gas-free.

This change will only continue to grow and spread since even in Los Angeles, a unanimous vote this year in May allowed for the ban of all gas appliances in most new homes and businesses. Los Angeles, alongside 50 other cities, has made the change or is in the process of making the change to help better our planet and health. From what we can tell right now, the ban plan will eventually require the installation of all new electric appliances in homes by 2026 and in new businesses by 2029.

If you’re in the Bay Area, and still unsure about the movement, you can always learn more through BayRen.org and see the benefits of induction ranges and cooktops. Plus, you can even snag a rebate if you switch out your gas appliance for an induction appliance with the new Inflation Reduction Act that was just passed this year.

Final Thoughts

In the end, it seems the Bay Area will make the change and is already in the process of eliminating gas-powered appliances. The country is definitely in the movement, especially with the newly signed Inflation Reduction Act. Though gas appliances have their benefits in how they cook foods and such, there’s a limit as to how good they are.

That limit is our health.

So, if you’re ready to make the change now, you can trust Airport Home Appliance to help you make the switch and install new electric appliances. You can shop induction with us by visiting us online, or at any of our eight showrooms across California!