Gas Safety

**kevink1955** · 03-09-2005, 10:46 PM

How is it that we work all day with gas heating equipment that has redundant safetys to prevent gas flow if ignition does not ocur within a few seconds, even locks out after a few attempts.

We then come home to a gas stove that has spark ignition on all 4 burners that is controlled by placing the knob in the high position. It is possiable to turn the knob past the ignition position without the burner lighting.

I present the following seneraio,

A toddler manages to turn on all 4 burners without any of them lighting. A while later you smell gas and run to the kitchen, your natural reaction would be to turn off the gas but remember that inorder to turn it off you have to go past the high position which activates the spark ignitor.

I know that natural gas is lignter than air but it scares me to think that you could have do do this 4 times to shutdown all 4 flowing burners.

What are the odds of causing an explosion while attempting to stop the gas flow. Anyone ever hear of this happening?

What would you do, or am I barking up the wrong tree here?

How does this stuff get certified?

**Toolpusher** · 03-09-2005, 11:08 PM

I think maybe you've been reading to many of fateddy's "what if" posts.

**duct dr** · 03-09-2005, 11:15 PM

LOL tool. My gas stove has "stops" on all the knobs, they don't turn all the way around. Turn all the way to the left to light, turn back the right to shut them off. I don't see how that would be possible on newer stoves. Older models are a different story though. Bottom line is this...tell the kids to stay AWAY from the stove!

**hearthman** · 03-10-2005, 08:06 AM

How about gas stoves unvented yet allowed to dump 800 ppm of CO into the home? Lunacy! I rarely see people using their exhaust fans. These fans are too noisy (because they move so much air), don't move enough air to do much good until you get to the 1,400 CFM Suck-O-Matic, and they are not interlocked with the burners.

As for accidental ignition, I had this happend in front of me by the damn cat. He walked across the control panel turning on a burner without the igniter cycling on. I don't know who I was more angry at, the damn cat for walking on my counters or the stove mfrs. for building such inherently unsafe equipment. Why after all the litigation this hasn't been stopped is beyond me.

Good Point Kev,

**amickracing** · 03-10-2005, 12:17 PM

Just make sure to put the cig out before you go running over there to turn off the gas.

**firegirl** · 03-10-2005, 03:22 PM

Originally posted by kevink1955
your natural reaction would be to turn off the gas but remember that inorder to turn it off you have to go past the high position which activates the spark ignitor.

I know that natural gas is lignter than air but it scares me to think that you could have do do this 4 times to shutdown all 4 flowing burners.

What are the odds of causing an explosion while attempting to stop the gas flow. Anyone ever hear of this happening?

I'd just shut off the gas to the stove and open up the house. Our stove has a shutoff in the basement, and I can't imagine anyone putting in a gas appliance without some way to remotely cut off the gas if there's a problem. Turning the stove knobs past the electronic ignition with a kitchen full of natural gas is a very bad idea.

They also make knob covers for ranges to prevent toddlers from getting to them in the first place.

**york_hvac** · 03-10-2005, 05:58 PM

On our gas stove, tou can turn it past high with out lighting BUT if you turn it past the position where the ignitor is activated, the spark will not activate until the knob is released.

**kevink1955** · 03-10-2005, 09:25 PM

Yea I agree the best thing to do would be to turn the gas off from a remote location and let the place air out but you would have to overcome the first responce most people would have and that would be turn the stove knobs off.

I ran across another weird gas thing today. The local Firehouse wants to install a "Stock Pot Stove". Their other Firehouse already has one that was installed a few years ago. The already installed stove has a gas lockout control that shuts down all gas if the pilot goes out.

They have looked at 3 diffrent manfacturers of these stoves and none of them offer any safetys at all anymore. If the pilot goes out you can still open the main burner valve and allow 60,000 BTU of gas to flow.

It appears the reason the manfacturers deleted the safetys is related to the Robert-Shaw RS-11 recall. It's hard to belive that the manfacturers feel it's ok to produce a product without safetys instead of redesigning it around another manfacturers safety.

Who approves these products, They are building Bombs

**SeattlePioneer** · 03-15-2005, 11:14 AM

I don't know but I've been told.....

The basic distinction in the level of safety control required is whether the equipment is designed to be operated without a person supervising the equipment. A gas range is intended to be supervised, and therefore has lower levels of safety controls required.

A gas furnace or water heater operates untended, and thus requires more controls and safeties.

If you disagree with that, re-read paragraph 1 before replying.....

Seattle Pioneer

**duc dowg** · 03-15-2005, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by Toolpusher
I think maybe you've been reading to many of fateddy's "what if" posts.

thats funny

**tinknocker service tech** · 03-15-2005, 12:31 PM

its called be prepared for any thing with kids
do whatever you can to prvent this from happening
get child proof knobs get a stove where the knobs are out of reach put a gate in front of the stove what ever it takes kids are smart we are dum my kids have proven that time after time

**ct2** · 03-15-2005, 01:17 PM

As for accidental ignition, I had this happend in front of me by the damn cat. He walked across the control panel turning on a burner without the igniter cycling on. I don't know who I was more angry at, the damn cat for walking on my counters or the stove mfrs. for building such inherently unsafe equipment. Why after all the litigation this hasn't been stopped is beyond me.

Yea , but that CAT LEARNED A LESSON and didnt have to SUE anyone----damn smart cat

**MikeJ** · 03-15-2005, 02:59 PM

Originally posted by kevink1955
turn the stove knobs off.
It appears the reason the manfacturers deleted the safetys is related to the Robert-Shaw RS-11 recall. It's hard to belive that the manfacturers feel it's ok to produce a product without safetys instead of redesigning it around another manfacturers safety.

Who approves these products, They are building Bombs

You bring up some good points. Surprisingly we don't hear of more explosions caused by stoves.

People will heat a home with a gas stove and be completely unaware that after awhile they are liable to get CO poisoning. Once the oxygen level gets lowered the combustion process has to use the exhaust gases and without enough oxygen, CO is produced.
Only seen that once in the last few years and that was enough.

Son walked in the kitchen recently and found the stove burner partially on (elec ignition), strong smell of gas, and vented his anger. No one would admit to causing this but it made us a little bit more conscious of the danger.

Has Consumer Reports ever addressed this?

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