Gas ranges do not blow up or cause explosions even if all three pilots blow out, the amount of gas that escapes is way too little to ever cause an explosion.

This is why they were built for decades without a system that shuts off the gas flow if the pilots blow out.

The greater dangers with any gas range are the combustion products from using the range, do be sure that your kitchen has a good exhaust fan or hood that vents to the outdoors, and use it when using the range.

What are some examples of older gas ranges that you are liking ?

John L.

Rick, Rick, Rick........

"I'm feeling better about getting a vintage range now, so thank you."

Oh yes, take solace in the words of a few of AW-lands John Belushi based characters who will walk into a room half soaked with a cigarette in their mouth and are willing to take anyone up on a dare, even in a stupor.

"gas appliances only leak som-e, sometimes......s-no big, sno big deal. AAHHHHH Fah-getta-bottit. Mr. got a light?"

-----

I could see getting a gas stove for decorative purposes.

But there is a reason why several significant municipalities are pushing to eliminate gas appliances altogether.

And remember, it isn't JUST appliances that explode, it's ANYWHERE in the piping network. 

That's what counts.

  All it takes is a loose fitting, a rotten seal on a valve, a rusted out pipe.... either inside or out.   

I've seen my share and I don't even work in the gas servicing industry.

I've mitigated at least a dozen 'situations' in my life.  

Most people who get zapped live.   It's just a zap.

The first type of gas ovens you just turned the gas and lit it, very simple and energy efficient with no constant burning pilot, temperature was regulated by opening and closing a gas valve and later a thermostat was added that regulated gas flow.

Second type had a constant burning pilot that heated a thermocouple which generates a very small amount of current which keeps a magnet safety valve open in the control whenever the pilot is burning. This type of control was widely used from around 1940-1960, when you turn on an oven with a TC system the oven comes on instantly and when the oven gets to set temperature the flame just modulates down but does not go out, this type of modulated control were the best baking and had the most constant heat.

Third type used a constant burning pilot that heated a mercury safety valve, when the oven was turned on the pilot size increased and heated the mercury valve sensor and then gas flowed to the main burner. This type control was widely used from 1960 till the end of constant burning Politics ranges only 10 or so years ago. On this system if the pilot blows out the gas for the tiny pilot still flows.

Around 1977 gas ovens started to use hot surface electric ignitors, California banded constant burning pilots in dryers and ranges around 1977, it took till the Obama administration to get this expanded nationwide.

Hot Surface Ignitors are simple but use a good amount of electricity and wear out in 2-10 years depending on how much you use your oven. Replacing HSI is the number one major home appliance today.

There are many other variations of gas oven controls out there, my favorite today is Whirlpools Direct Spark Ignition DSI , this system WP introduced around 1999 and uses a spark like top burners use, it is instant and uses almost no power and should not give any problems in the life of most gas ranges.

John L.

"It just NEVER happens....."  until it happens to YOU!

Thing is, even if your home, and your neighbors home is free from gas or gas leaks, if the next house down explodes or catches fire, it can damage the homes all around it.

And look at the apartment or condos like the ones above.  What happens to those people who didn't live directly in the unit(s) that were demolished.  How was their lives changed in an instant?

The "reason to fight against it and ever try to outlaw it"
is because
"we do our best to mitigate the danger. That is the best we can do - that's modern life."

---
It wasn't that long ago that people were literally smoking as though it was acceptable and healthy. And they would do inside buildings. disGUSTING ! Contaminating other people and all the furnishings.

People were even smoking inside Hospitals.   Unthinkable! 

Now, because people stood up and pushed society FORWARD, that is no longer done.
Progress.

And there are many other examples.

Buy the range

Buy a carbon monoxide detector

Live life

I used to like gas APPLIANCES too,

.....before I realized how dangerous they are. 

In fact, I wanted a gas stove when I built my second house and really liked having it.  It was a mid 90s GE

I don't know why.  I liked the smell of gas. I liked the instant on and off.  I remember the first time making muffins in the oven.

Had a gas furnace and water heater and two fireplaces.  

But, I didn't realize how dangerous they,

the pipe network that makes them work,

AND the efforts that are involved in making NG and Propane gas .....is. 

We don't see most of those things.  We only see the appliances!  That's not reality.

As adults, we learn, we make informed educated decisions.  

Natural gas should never have been piped to residential housing units.  It's too dangerous. 

Fossil fuels are declining literally.  That's one reason why we have electric cars coming on strong.  

---

There are people around who used to drink alcohol heavily, or smoke cigarettes... until they got educated.

If they are smart and concerned, they changed their lives and eliminated the bad habits.

That gas network of piping..... that's buried in the streets....in your neighborhood.....in the walls in your house.....it's getting older and rustier every minute that goes by.   

I thank the people who made life better with the gas systems but it's time to move forward and BEYOND.

Yes, a home I was remodeling in 1999 I put in a plug-in one, in a specially installed outlet 12" down from the ceiling in the hallway.  

I had to redo the gas piping in the basement  because I was moving the furnace, water heater, and the stove.  It was Fall and the heat had been on.  I turned off the heat because I turned off the gas at the meter

BUT the valve on the meter didn't turn the gas all the way off.  (ding, ding, ding)

There was a small leak which I really didn't think too much of.

I dismantled the piping to re-configure the lines.  Starting at the meter I installed the pipes.  Because there was a bit of gas coming through the lines it was coming inside.  

It was only a matter of time before that sensor went off upstairs.  I opened the windows on that windy day.

They do work. 

My question is: for how long?

And will they lose effectiveness over time?

Will dusty conditions hamper their ability to detect?  There are plenty of people who are messy.

And will power surges quietly fry the electronics?  

Also, what if you aren't home when a leak starts?  The detector is useless then.

And what if you get a defective unit that the light stays on making you think everything is fine?  Are you going to hinge your whole life on a detector like that?

If you're going to worry about everything that  might  happen, might as well stay in bed and hide under the covers.

Kenny....you NAILED it!

"It would not be life as we currently know and enjoy it without gas and electricity."

Lots of people live their lives without the threats and benefits that NG or propane appliances can provide. Gas is NOT inevitable.

I've lived probably half my life without gas in my homes.

On the other hand, life is almost unimaginable without some form of electricity.


Gas in the home can only power a max of about 5 dirty appliances:

water heater,

furnace/heater,

fireplace (not as popular as they once were), 

dryer (yuck),

stove,

& the odd pool heater.

However nearly all use electricity to power the controller components.

And of course electric powers an endless list of other devices.

Electric is clean, quiet (that is a POSITIVE benefit, just to clarify), easy to control, 100% efficient, and you can even make it with your own solar panel array. Talk about self sufficient.  So awesome.

The way so many here get so agitated about the prospect of having gas outlawed, it reminds me of Charlton Heston saying that they would have to pry his guns out of his cold, dead hands.  Calm down!  

You like gas, then use it.  There’s no need to get vicious with those that prefer electricity.   Some of us have no choice but to use electricity as we don’t have gas service.  You can get used to whatever your circumstances require and adapt.  I had to do so over 27 years ago and it didn’t rock my world.  And I actually learned over the years that I prefer electric heat, and I always preferred cooking with an electric stove.   Tomato, tamato, potato, patato, lets call the whole thing off.

Electricity handled improperly can electrocute and kill and gas handled improperly can explode or asphyxiate, both can be deadly if not used carefully with proper respect for the danger they may present.

Yes, electricity can be expensive, but as far as I know gas ain’t free either.  And should the companies that supply gas service decide to someday bring the price of gas up to the price of electricity you’ll all be at their mercy.

Eddie

The average price for a BTU of NG has nearly DOUBLED since 2020.

No wonder a few people are nervous. 

---

I started paying attention to electric rates in 2010.  For the last year I've been paying about 0.11 pr KWH. and it's always been within a few cents of that. 

The only time it was significantly different is when I signed up for Time-of-Use metering back in 2010. 

There my KWH rate was 0.06 per KWH except during two 3 hour periods on week days. 

Those were from about 9 am to noon AND 5 pm to 8pm, when the rates were 0.24 cents a KWH. 

That was great. Of course my water heater was on a crank switch and the heaters were on timers.

I used very little electric during that time and my highest bill was about $160 during February.  This was in the upper midwest (freeze your weenie off) and I used electric heat and everything else was electric.

I remember going into the office to pay my bill in February.  I mentioned my concern for how high my bill was to the girl at the desk.  She looked at it and was like "I don't know what YOU'RE doing but that's quite reasonable.  Some of these people have $800 and $1000 a month bills"  

I was kind of shocked and then quite proud.   lol

----

If electric rates fluctuated like they apparently do for NG I'd have wet panties too.

Any pics?

Just realized those prices are for the commodities trading market. When traders on "Wallstreet" buy and sell commodities like natural gas futures.  Those are like wholesale prices.

Consumer delivered prices are different.

While in fact consumer prices have been trending up since 2015 for Natural Gas, they haven't exactly doubled.... unless one looks at the monthly costs.

Are these quotes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration what consumers see on their bills?

A year ago January the price was $9.68 but by August the cost was almost $21  ?

I haven't had gas service since 2006 for, what was then, a 10 year old home in Franklin, MA. All I remember is it was about $283 for the gas for the last January bill. That was with a new 92% efficient gas furnace.  I never looked at the details of the bills back then.  During the summer months the gas bill was very little as I only had a gas water heater and stove and kept the water heater a timer. 

It sounds like you have signed up for budget billing which averages out the anticipated cost of gas service for a 12 month period so you get a flat amount during the preceding period.  And of course just having a number of appliances doesn't mean they cost anything to own if they aren't being used frequently.  Doing three loads of drying in a gas dryer isn't going to cost any more if it's all done in one dryer or if each load is done in another dryer.

----

Anyway,  I need pictures of these used prospective midwestern stoves that someone who can't deliver them, or install them, and isn't quite sure what to get.... is anxious to run out and purchase during this frigid month of January. 

It is interesting that one would make the statement about a stove: "...But...they scare me because they have continuously burning pilot lights. If one stops burning somehow I'm terrified of it blowing up. Not so much the cooktop burners as much as the oven. I once lived in an apartment with an old gas range and relit the burners with only marginal fear. The oven though...it is in my head that if the oven pilot goes out, the oven fills with gas..."

but then anxiously pursue having one installed.  The average daily masochist is preferred I suppose to other personalities.  Life is just an abundant variety.

Anyway, the stove pictured above looks clean.

It's not condescension but merely observation.

You brought forth your concerns, and you've received numerous credible opinions and advice.

AND...you've been a member since 2010.  You know how we roll.

Any pics?

Have you decided what your going to get?  We want to support your decision otherwise we wouldn't have bothered to comment.

Hi ..

Just over two years ago a ground fault interrupter with nothing attached decided to set my house on fire. Here are pictures. The first is the remains of the GFI that started the fire. The others are the kitchen the day after the fire. This resulted in the entire house being gutted and rebuild. Even though the fire was limited to the kitchen, the entire house was damaged by smoke and soot. Just about everything, including a large number of antiques along with a number of vintage small appliances and electric fans, went in the dumpster. I was out of my house for just over 18 months.

I have had gas cooking for almost my entire life other than when I lived in an area where gas was not available. My home in Cape May has always had gas heating and cooking. Never had an issue with the pilot light even when I was using the 1930 era stove that was in the house when I got it. Today I have a dual fuel range. I prefer an electric oven. Heat is a condensing gas boiler for hot water baseboard and domestic hot water. I have a gas fireplace. It does not have a standing pilot, it has a remote electric start and a battery backup. Anything can go wrong when you least expect it. In this case, what is supposed to be a safety device really went wrong. Talking with a forensic architect I learned that while very uncommon, GFI can start fires.  The restoration of my house, fortunately, covered by insurance, was $650,000.  I essentialy have an 1865 house with a 2021 interior. This was after I did a major remodel in 2010 where I replaced all of the major systems, HVAC, electric, etc. along with a new kitchen. 

Harry

"...I essentia(l)ly have an 1865 house with a 2021 interior."

Are you stating this as if it were a problem, or a benefit? 

Many people already have the "1865 house", or older house, part ...

but many can only dream of having a rare freak accident happen that would allow them to have a $650,000 insurance paid "2021 interior".

Frankly, it almost sounds like lightening struck the house.  I'll bet the insurance covered your hotel and 18 months of rent somewhere?  I'm wishing I was YOU now.   lol.

Hi ... Well, yes it is nice having the second remodel in 10 years but the loss of both physical items and some of my cats in the fire was not fun. Thanks to smoke alarms I got out of the house with only a minor burn on my arm. The fire started around 11 PM, I had gone to bed. My house is a contributing house to the Cape May National Landmark designation. One reason for the cost was any restoration (exterior) had to meet preservation standards. This added greatly to the cost. For example, no vinyl or any 'modern' material anything.  HVAC has to be hidden with lattice, that kind of thing. It all adds to the expense. Windows had to be true divided 6 over 6 lights in wood. All of this, as I said greatly increased the cost. All of the work had to be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. Fortunately, I did not have to do a presentation to the entire Commission, by selecting appropriate materials and designs approval could be by committee saving both me and the contractor time and money. 

I found a picture of the gas stove that was in the house when I got it ... this is from the web. A Magic Chief with a standing pilot for the surface units and a manually lit and controlled oven. There was no pilot light for the oven, you lit the burner with a match. There was no temp control on the over, you adjusted the flame the same way that you adjusted the surface units.  With the walls ripped out it was interesting to see the original but retired knob and tubing for electricity. There was even a wasp nest hiding in the wall. Here's a look at the exterior after the restoration. Yes, that is a FRAGILE Leg Lamp in the window.

Harry

Hello Again ... 

One important thing to know from this is should a disaster ever happen get a private adjustor to do all of the interaction with the insurance company. The adjuster brought in professionals for everything. One specialist did the loss of items inventory. It was over 100 pages and it even listed the cat litter pans and assigned a value to each.  Yes, as WEED30 said, the smoke and soot go everywhere and essentially destroy everything. A kind of mist hung in the house for several days. You cannot clean that fine particulate matter away, it is in everything even if there was no fire or water damage to the item. As an example, I tried to clean some Corningware by putting it in the dishwasher. That did not work. A very high level of detail is needed to get the most from your claim. The adjuster will help you with getting the necessary contractor(s) for cleanup and restoration. The adjuster will do everything to get you everything that the insurance company owes you for repair/restoration etc. In any case, it was not fun. Here in the Cape May area, annual or long term rentals are very difficult to find, you can make more money with less hassle with weekly rentals during season. Fortunately, my partner Ralph (some of you have met him) has a cottage near Cape May and I was able to stay there for the duration of the work. The post I removed was a duplication. 

Harry

Statistically, gas is safer.  You smell it LOOOOONG before there's enough to burn or explode.  Electric wires can be melting inside your walls or breaker box for years without being noticed.  My house was all electric when it was built in 1956.  I believe it was the second owner who worked for the gas company.  Apparently at some point all that electric wattage took its toll and melted the wires in the power box.  He took out everything with high wattage draw and switched to gas.  The highest power draw here now is the central AC in the summer.  My old Caloric had pilots.  Occasionally if I had the kitchen window open and a good breeze blew through it would blow the pilots out.  I'd smell it soon enough and just relight them. 

" If electric rates fluctuated like they apparently do for NG I'd have wet panties too. "

 Here in CT The United Illuminating Co raised rates 50% for homeowners several years ago and a little more than that for commercial users. And they got away with it, even raising them again a few years ago.  I wouldnt call those fluctuations. More like anal violations. On the other hand The Southern Conn Gas Co hasnt raised their rates anywhere near what UI has in the last decade. I'll keep my gas stove, gas hot water heater, and gas furnace thank you.

Thank goodness with cheap solar and efficiency strides people can make their own electric.

It's good when rates get raised, regardless of what the fuel source. It gets those who are lazy and complacent about efficiency to stop wasting.

The way some people act you'd think they thought they were entitled to cheap gasoline, cheap electric, cheap natural gas. Especially here in the U.S.

No, we aren't. Sure it's nice to have affordable rates but....not entitled.

I can't wait to see a certain sector scramble when gasoline prices go up.
"oh oh-h, my unneeded bulky SUV and stupid 4 wheel drive truck. I can't afford to wastefully drive it and show off"

lol.

No need to worry. Driving a heap of fossil fuel burning scrap metal on wheels isn't showing off anything but stupidity.

Electric is the way forward.  It's abundant and easily made. Gas production however is seriously in decline.  Pinning one's hopes and future on powering the few appliances it does, is foolish.

The numbers show that to be true.  It's like coal or wood.  It's over.  Declining.

But you can collect old appliances even if they used gas.  I'll take mine in a plethora of colors.  Nice display pieces.

Remember these?  People collect them.  A family friend had something like this outfitted with chrome screws as if in use the stinky air polluter would maintain that shine.  Get real.

"4WD truck is NOT stupid"

I just read your post in the weather section.  I believe you.  All that ice and snow.

I was referring to the majority of urban/suburban cowboys who's vehicle's have only left pavement to pull of onto a shoulder on the freeway to change a flat.

Remember, Tesla's have 4 wheel drive, too.  Two independent motors.

And there are numerous charging options ....even in Maine.

"This seems to be one of the most contentious arguments here on AW."

I've noticed that too.  It's funny how some subjects that are important just go under the radar when they should get attention

But then others, that information about them is clearly out there, get a lot more attention as if for some people they'd never heard of the subject.

Wait til a person has to replace the battery in a Prius, Leaf, or Tesla........grab your ankles and hold on!

Mining for those batteries isnt the most environmentally friendly procedure either. But they mostly come from China and the Chinese govt  doesnt care about its own people let alone the planet.

It looks like a gas valve but it's difficult to say for sure.

The pipe may be painted metal.