Oven is leaking CO like crazy

[taviaromescu]

The oven has a problem, and we have to wait few days to hear from the repairman. My mother intends to use it anyway, even though I bought a CO meter and checked the oven. I found that the CO level went to over 100 ppm very quickly - after turning it on. If she tries to cook, it is likely to go way way over that. And yet she thinks it's going to be fine as long as she leaves the front door open! the last time she cooked with it, the whole kitchen and living room smelled like propane gas. She thought it was fine, and kept cooking. There were waves of heat coming from it too. It completely melted a plate of butter sitting on the kitchen counter.

I already gave her this article: Carbon Monoxide Detection And The Effect On The Human Body, and she still intends to do it. How can I convince her not to?

 

[Sparky617]

Just spitballing here... what color is the flame in the oven? Yellow indicates poor combustion, blue means more complete combustion. You might try posting this over at handymanwire.com in the appliance section. Jeff1 is very prompt in answering your appliance questions. I think he's a member here, but doesn't monitor posts here. He's my go to guy for appliance issues/questions.

 

[taviaromescu]

Thank you

 

[taviaromescu]

Well I am having trouble registering for that forum, so any help I can get here would be appreciated. The flame is more yellow than blue.

 

[Sparky617]

I'll post your question and see what Jeff responds with. I suspect the ports are dirty and/or the vents on the burners need adjusted.

 

[Sparky617]

The post at Handymanwire...

https://handymanwire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1013893#Post1013893

 

[user 4883]

CO is odorless. Gas had an odorant added to it so you can smell it (sulfur/rotten eggs).
Turn the gas off (so Mom can't use it) to this unit until repairs can be made.

 

[taviaromescu]

The gas, stove, and the whole house are *her* property, and she s not being sensible about this. I guess I have to call the fire dept. and ask their advice.

 

[user 4883]

The gas, stove, and the whole house are *her* property, and she s not being sensible about this. I guess I have to call the fire dept. and ask their advice.

Good idea, they will lock out her gas until repairs are made.

 

[Sparky617]

Jeff's response at Handyman

Hi,

CO is odorless. Natural gas had an odourant added to it so you can smell it.
Maybe turn the gas off (so she can't use the range) to this range until the repairs can be made.
It -sounds- like you will not be able to convince her of the dangers as she will not listen to what might happen

Deadly carbon monoxide gas is given off from the gas flame that heats the oven. All gas stoves and ovens produce carbon monoxide, but that doesn't mean they have to be dangerous. However, studies show that about half of all stoves raise concentrations of carbon monoxide in the kitchen beyond the 9 parts per million the EPA has established as the top safe level. To ensure the concentration of carbon monoxide in the house doesn't exceed this level, use the range hood when cooking to pull the gas out of the house. Don't use foil to cover the vent holes on the floor of the oven. Also, do not use the oven to heat the house by opening the oven door and keeping the stove on, as that increases the amount of carbon monoxide in the house to unhealthy levels.

Oven too hot or melting things around the range seems like the oven temp is just rising and rising out of control.

Maybe call local Natural Gas company and they will come out and red tag the range and shut the gas off until the range/oven problem is corrected.

jeff sr.

 

[Hamberg]

(maybe) Tell mom the smoke detectors are old and need to be replaced - replace them with combination smoke/CO detectors and put them up high enough she can't reach them to remove.

One of those going off every time she's cooking should give her a reason to fix the problem!

 

[Sparky617]

(maybe) Tell mom the smoke detectors are old and need to be replaced - replace them with combination smoke/CO detectors and put them up high enough she can't reach them to remove.

One of those going off every time she's cooking should give her a reason to fix the problem!

Probably not a bad assumption that they are old and need replaced. They really only last 10 years tops.

 

[billshack]

in my home town the gas company would red tag any appliance it deemed unsafe. this sounds like like it should apply. call the gas company.
I have my gas license . many years ago i got a call from a woman that said her husband had not had the gas furnace serviced in years. could i do it. carbon monoxide detectors were not yet required . the furnace was spewing co like crazy . it took the whole day to complete take apart clean and rebuilt that furnace. I told the lady that she probably saved her family live .