kenmore gas stove safety valve free sample

Most modern appliances have safety features built in, but your gas oven safety valve is arguably the most important. If an electrical appliance malfunctions, it can cause a fire, but a misfiring gas oven could potentially blow up your house. You don"t ​really​ need to know how the safety mechanism works to use your oven, but you may find that it gives you some extra peace of mind.

Broadly speaking, there are two ways a built-in safety mechanism can work. One option is that it remains "open" by default and to shut off if certain conditions are met. That"s how fuses and circuit breakers work in an electrical circuit: Ordinarily, the electricity is free to flow, but if the current grows too large, the fuse or breaker will blow and cut off the circulation of electricity.

The other option is for your safety mechanism to be "closed" by default and allow a device to operate only when the correct conditions are met. That"s how a gas oven safety valve works. Gas ordinarily is prevented from flowing, and if the valve is working correctly, it opens only when you want to light your oven.

Many gas stoves use what"s called a "hot surface igniter," a bar or element (similar to the ones on your stovetop) that gets hot enough to ignite the gas on contact. Gas oven safety valves on stoves with this type of ignition system take a couple of different approaches.

In one approach, a bimetallic strip operates the valve. It harnesses a simple scientific principle: Metals expand and contract at different rates when they"re heated and cooled. If you bond two suitable metals together in one strip, that strip will flex to a predictable degree as the temperature goes up and down. Wall-mount thermostats often use this principle, as do analog oven thermometers and the thermometer in the lid of your gas grill.

As appliance-repair website PartSelect explains, turning on your gas oven causes electricity to flow into the heating element of your hot surface igniter. As the igniter heats up, it warms a bimetallic strip inside your gas oven safety valve. When the igniter reaches its operating temperature, the bimetallic strip opens the valve and allows the gas to flow, igniting as it crosses the heated surface.

According to heating-equipment vendor Anglo Nordic, gas oven safety valves use a variation of that principle to operate. In these stoves, the flow of electrical current through the hot surface igniter becomes the control mechanism. The igniter"s bar is made of a material that offers less and less resistance to electricity as it heats. When it reaches the temperature required to ignite the gas, its resistance becomes low enough to trip the safety valve and open the flow of gas.

More modern ranges use an electrical igniter. When you turn on your oven, the gas begins flowing immediately, and it sends an electrical current to a piezo electric igniter. The current makes the igniter spark (like the manual igniter on your gas grill) and lights the oven"s burner. In this case, the safety valve works in the opposite way: An electronic sensor checks for the heat caused by ignition after a few seconds, and if it"s absent, it will close the valve and shut off the flow of gas.

It"s worth pointing out that not all gas ovens have a safety valve in the conventional sense. Older stoves simply use a pilot light, a small but constant flow of gas, which, in turn, feeds a small, candle-like flame. You essentially ​are​ the safety mechanism in this system: It"s up to you to check that the pilot is lit. When you turn on the gas manually, the small pilot flame ignites the main flame. It"s a mechanically simple system, which makes it durable, and for that reason, you"ll still see it used on commercial restaurant ranges, which must stand up to decades of heavy use.

She says it"s been taking longer to preheat. I observed this myself on a day that also happened to be the first time this year we put on the central AC in the house (which i also suspect needs so PM). That was a concern but didn"t reach panic mode until she got a whiff of gas, or possibly wiring insulation.

These valves do not fail very often. Normally the problem is with the ignitor not drawing enough amperage to open the valve. Even if the ignitor is glowing orange it is likely still the cause of the burner not igniting. Technicians refer to this as a "weak" igniter.

Dual gas safety valve assembly. The gas oven safety valve works with the oven igniter to provide gas to the burner. If the safety valve fails, the oven won’t heat. Since safety valves rarely fail, be sure to check more commonly defective parts before replacing the safety valve.

These valves do not fail very often. Normally the problem is with the ignitor not drawing enough amperage to open the valve. Even if the ignitor is glowing orange it is likely still the cause of the burner not igniting. Technicians refer to this as a "weak" igniter.

These valves do not fail very often. Normally the problem is with the ignitor not drawing enough amperage to open the valve. Even if the ignitor is glowing orange it is likely still the cause of the burner not igniting. Technicians refer to this as a "weak" igniter.

These valves do not fail very often. Normally the problem is with the ignitor not drawing enough amperage to open the valve. Even if the ignitor is glowing orange it is likely still the cause of the burner not igniting. Technicians refer to this as a "weak" igniter.

Gas kitchen ranges releasing unvented combustion products into the kitchen are common in many homes. Studies show carbon monoxide concentrations in the kitchen are elevated when the stove is used without using the range hood.

How serious are the other pollutants? Nitrogen dioxide is a respiratory irritant produced when the nitrogen in the air combines with oxygen in the burner. The high number of gas ranges, the tightening of homes, the use of gas ranges to heat the home, and the increased incidence of asthma in the U.S. suggests a link between unvented gas heaters and health problems.

What about carbon dioxide and water vapor? Carbon dioxide is a non-toxic gas produced during complete combustion. At higher concentrations CO2 can cause drowsiness, headache, and lead to a “stuffy” feeling in a home. Excess water vapor can lead to problems with mold, wood rot, and peeling paint.

How much carbon monoxide is produced by a kitchen range? Carbon monoxide from kitchen ranges is a common reason for elevated concentrations of CO in homes. Kitchen ranges are required to produce no more than 800 parts per million (ppm) carbon monoxide in an air-free sample of the flue gases. Continued operation of a kitchen range producing 800 ppm in a tight house without extra ventilation will cause carbon monoxide levels to rise quickly to unacceptable levels. Field technicians report most kitchen ranges can be tuned to produce less than 50 ppm.

I have an older kitchen range that sets off my carbon monoxide detector. Will buying a new range correct the problem?Since 1926 kitchen ranges have been allowed to emit up to 800 ppm of CO. A new range may emit as much or more than the old range. Have the old range inspected and tuned by a qualified contractor, one with instruments which measure for carbon monoxide in the flue gases. If you replace the range, have the new range adjusted for low carbon monoxide emissions after installation in your home!

How are ranges modified to burn natural gas or LP? By changing the gas regulator and orifices. Natural gas and LP have drastically different burning characteristics. If the changes are not correct, extremely high levels of carbon monoxide will be produced along with an increased risk of fire or explosion. Conversion should be made ONLY by a qualified contractor, with proper equipment, training, and parts. For a safe conversion, the contractor must measure for carbon monoxide and tune the range for minimum carbon monoxide production after conversion.