[NA]Gas appliances[NA]

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
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west Texas
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Display name:
Dave Taylor
I need to learn a little about how they work.
For example, a gas cooktop.
This is a stove in Canada, less than 20yrs old.

I had always thought that they had a pilot light which ignited the gas once the gas was flowing.
Or maybe the new ones have electronic ignition ie a spark generator that snaps when you turn the gas valve on.
About right so far?

Do they also have a safety shut off valve, controlled by temperature - so that if the gas is flowing but not ignited, the valve closes to prevent filling the home with gas?

I am told a family member "left the gas on (but it was not ignited or making any heat) and filled the home with gas.

I need to find out if that is a reasonable assertion or if the appliance is defective.
 
I have a KitchenAid gas stove top/oven. It uses a spark to ignite the gas. The stove top and main oven burners, and the broiler all have their own.

I have found that if a stove top burner doesn't ignite the gas will continue to flow until the knob is turned back to off. However, the oven has a safety valve that closes if the temp probe detects that the oven is on but not warming. A $500 relay taught me that.
 
Most modern gas appliances are electric start, whether spark ignition for ranges, or automatic heating elements for ovens and furnaces. Water heaters however will still typically use a pilot light.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I need to learn a little about how they work.
For example, a gas cooktop.
This is a stove in Canada, less than 20yrs old.

I had always thought that they had a pilot light which ignited the gas once the gas was flowing.
Or maybe the new ones have electronic ignition ie a spark generator that snaps when you turn the gas valve on.
About right so far?

Do they also have a safety shut off valve, controlled by temperature - so that if the gas is flowing but not ignited, the valve closes to prevent filling the home with gas?

I am told a family member "left the gas on (but it was not ignited or making any heat) and filled the home with gas.

I need to find out if that is a reasonable assertion or if the appliance is defective.
Click to expand...
If you can find out the make and model, you can likely find a part schematic on online.
 
Yes, if the burner is left on and not ignited it will fill the home with gas. This is one reason why both propane and natural gas have odorizers added to them. It makes them very easy to smell.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I need to learn a little about how they work.
For example, a gas cooktop.
This is a stove in Canada, less than 20yrs old.

I had always thought that they had a pilot light which ignited the gas once the gas was flowing.
Or maybe the new ones have electronic ignition ie a spark generator that snaps when you turn the gas valve on.
About right so far?

Do they also have a safety shut off valve, controlled by temperature - so that if the gas is flowing but not ignited, the valve closes to prevent filling the home with gas?

I am told a family member "left the gas on (but it was not ignited or making any heat) and filled the home with gas.

I need to find out if that is a reasonable assertion or if the appliance is defective.
Click to expand...
I've had many over the years. From ya light it with a match, to ones with pilots to the electro clickity click pizeo
Let'sgoflying! said:
I need to learn a little about how they work.
For example, a gas cooktop.
This is a stove in Canada, less than 20yrs old.

I had always thought that they had a pilot light which ignited the gas once the gas was flowing.
Or maybe the new ones have electronic ignition ie a spark generator that snaps when you turn the gas valve on.
About right so far?

Do they also have a safety shut off valve, controlled by temperature - so that if the gas is flowing but not ignited, the valve closes to prevent filling the home with gas?

I am told a family member "left the gas on (but it was not ignited or making any heat) and filled the home with gas.

I need to find out if that is a reasonable assertion or if the appliance is defective.
Click to expand...
I've had gas and propane stoves ranging from ya gotta light it with a match to ones with pilot lights to them clickity pizeoelevtric ignitors. While i've seen ones that if the pilot light goes out, it will shut the gas off to the pilott from a thermocouple. But never one that if you open up the gas to the burner, and it doesn't light, it will shut the gas off.
 
Wow I am really surprised there is no safety shut off, for when the burners fail to ignite.

PS Dad has anosmia (not the C19 type, he's had it for decades)
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Wow I am really surprised there is no safety shut off, for when the burners fail to ignite.
Click to expand...

The technology certainly exists and is pretty simple. Look like a capillary tube but possibly just a solid wire between the valve and the flame. I have used it on boats. Seems rare in US possibly due to lack of regulatory requirement. No idea about Canada.

 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Wow I am really surprised there is no safety shut off, for when the burners fail to ignite.

PS Dad has anosmia (not the C19 type, he's had it for decades)
Click to expand...

The only gas device we have that doesn't have flame out protection is the manually operated piezoelectric lit range top.
 
I guess the idea is that unlike appliances where you can't see the flames, it should be obvious that it failed to ignite.
 
When gas appliances became mainstream, houses were so leaky that the amount of gas introduced by a single burner on the stove was not sufficient to ever reach the lower explosive level. Also, they are typically attended. An oven or water heater otoh operates unattended and puts out a lot more gas.
The bigger concern in the days of coke-gas was it's high CO content.
 
Ive noticed they have really cut back on the smelly stuff added to NG. Our burners can get blown out by the ceiling fan if they are at the lowest setting.
A few years ago in Dallas several homes 'sploded from leaks. They were in an old, low income neighborhood, several people said they smelled "something" but that it didn't smell like gas. I agree, its nowhere near as offensive a smell as it used to be.
A couple of months ago there was some gun play at an apartment complex, a bullet hit a gas line going to a stove. Something like 6 hours later, BOOM!
 
Robert Gee said:
Ive noticed they have really cut back on the smelly stuff added to NG.
Click to expand...
Maybe not. Could be new pipes. New pipes absorb the odorant for reasons I don't understand. So much so that part of installing lines for new large buildings is having a crew pump extra odorant for hours.
 
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