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OldCableGuy (banned)
join:2014-12-19

OldCableGuy (banned)

Member

[Appliances] Gas stoves that require electricity now?

I think I read it here, but is it true that new gas ranges require electricity to operate, period?

Traditionally, with a gas range, one could light the burner manually if the electricity was out. In my area the power usually goes out for 12 hours or so twice a year. With a gas stove you have the ability to still warm up soup or make spaghetti, as long as you have matches on hand.

Right now my house has a cheap 1990s electric stove, but I found a quality plumber who also does black pipe work and I'd been considering installing gas piping and buying a gas range (run is about 10 feet from an existing T for the furnace/water heater). I prefer cooking with gas even though I grew up with electric appliances so I'm not just going with gas for the ability to cook with the power off, but it was a nice benefit.

Pher9999
join:2011-07-06
Saucier, MS

Pher9999

Member

we have a gas stove, the top can be lit using a match, if needed. The oven, has safety valve that doesn't open til the sensor is hot enough to ignite the gas. so in Power outages here we can still use the top burners but not the oven.

bluebaron2
Stuff Happens
Mod
join:2001-02-01
North of 44

bluebaron2 to OldCableGuy

Mod

to OldCableGuy
We also have a gas stove. As Pher9999 See Profile has said in a power outage you can use the top elements but not the oven. Our stove is three years old.
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt to OldCableGuy

Member

to OldCableGuy
said by OldCableGuy:

Traditionally, with a gas range, one could light the burner manually if the electricity was out.

When the EPA prohibited the manufacture of gas ranges with standing pilot lights, off grid homeowners were in a bind. To meet the need for ranges that did not require AC power for ignition, Summit and Premier designed ranges with battery powered ignitions using AA Batteries.

You will find what you are looking for here:

»www.bensdiscountsupply.c ··· ven.aspx
OldCableGuy (banned)
join:2014-12-19

OldCableGuy (banned) to Pher9999

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to Pher9999
Thanks for the input, how old is your stove?

Tex
Dave's not here
Premium Member
join:2012-10-20

Tex to OldCableGuy

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to OldCableGuy
Have you thought about a small generator to power the stove?
OldCableGuy (banned)
join:2014-12-19

OldCableGuy (banned)

Member

We use kerosene for heat when the powers off if it gets cold (taking necessary precautions like cracking windows) and actually have had to open them wider to cool off the house during a longer 3 day outage. Only downside was we had to drive 3 blocks to McDonalds because no power for us meant no cooking. We have laptops with LTE access for internet and work, so really no need for a generator.

Certainly understand that the oven doesn't work, like I said, all we want to do is heat soup and make spaghetti.

It sounds like at least as of 3 years ago this was normal, but today the EPA has banned standing pilot lights, so no appliances sold today will work if the power is off. That's fine, I'm not above a used range, I'll start looking on Craigslist.

billaustin
they call me Mr. Bill
MVM
join:2001-10-13
North Las Vegas, NV

billaustin

MVM

Modern cook stoves do not use pilot lights, and have not used them for many, many years. You can use the burners when the power is out, but not the oven.

Stoves were produced that used a pilot light until 2012, and were targeted primarily at off-grid customers. The new models for them are battery operated.
OldCableGuy (banned)
join:2014-12-19

OldCableGuy (banned)

Member

Ah, OK. That's good to know. Makes sense. So, pretty much any range I look at the stovetop will function. Perfect.

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

ilikeme

Premium Member

said by OldCableGuy:

Ah, OK. That's good to know. Makes sense. So, pretty much any range I look at the stovetop will function. Perfect.

It should. My cooktop is gas with an electric lighter, but gas can still flow even without power. Just need a match or lighter instead.

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

djrobx

Premium Member

said by ilikeme:

said by OldCableGuy:

Ah, OK. That's good to know. Makes sense. So, pretty much any range I look at the stovetop will function. Perfect.

It should. My cooktop is gas with an electric lighter, but gas can still flow even without power. Just need a match or lighter instead.

Mine's a couple years old. Works the same way, the ignition is electronic but the valves are mechanical. If you have no power you can still light the burner with a match. The oven needs power.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to OldCableGuy

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to OldCableGuy
I just got a new Kenmore gas range. If the power goes out, I can light the stove burners with a match. The oven requires electricity to light unlike the one I replaced where I could manually ignite the oven as well as the stove top burners. My old range was 18 years old and a valve rusted out (on the ocean so no surprise there) and, of course, no parts available. I was pleasantly surprised at how much faster my new oven gets up to the temperature you have chosen compared to my old one. It takes about one-half the time that the old one did which is really nice.
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt to OldCableGuy

Member

to OldCableGuy
said by OldCableGuy:

I prefer cooking with gas even though I grew up with electric appliances so I'm not just going with gas for the ability to cook with the power off, but it was a nice benefit.

What is your opinion on the gas ranges with battery ignition. The only issue I had with them is that they are very basic and do not even have a clock. Would a range with battery ignition meet your needs?
OldCableGuy (banned)
join:2014-12-19

OldCableGuy (banned)

Member

I will have to check out Menards and see what they have for gas ranges. I have a feeling that having a stovetop without a clock would probably lower the value of my kitchen.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
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tschmidt to Mr Matt

MVM

to Mr Matt
said by Mr Matt:

What is your opinion on the gas ranges with battery ignition.

We are on our second pilot-less gas range, perhaps we have been unlucky, but have had problems with the ignitors on both and resort to using matches.

Since we have had problems with regular AC power have little interest in the extra complexity of battery backup. Interesting that ones with battery backup do not have clocks. One would think having a battery would make the clock more valuable since it would not get reset during power outages.

Nice to hear even with new ranges still able to use the cook top during power failure. I was pretty upset when I heard you needed power to use newer gas stoves.

/tom

Onemeg
join:2002-04-27
Grimsby, ON

1 edit

Onemeg

Member

I use on of those BBQ starters to fire up the elements on the stove top. Never tried to start the oven though.
I wonder if the battery backup used for a computer would fire up the oven during a power out.
I'm going to invest in a good kerosene heater in the new year
OldCableGuy (banned)
join:2014-12-19

OldCableGuy (banned)

Member

For Kero I've found the cost of the heater really doesn't make a big difference. Key is wick management and adjusting the flame to the right level. With the exception of starting/stopping the heater it doesn't stink or smoke at all if you manage the height of the flame correctly.

I'm using to 20k kero heaters we got at Wal-Mart for under $100

Onemeg
join:2002-04-27
Grimsby, ON

Onemeg

Member

That's the brand I'm looking at as well.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

Msradell to tschmidt

Premium Member

to tschmidt
said by tschmidt:

One would think having a battery would make the clock more valuable since it would not get reset during power outages.

I'm sure the reasoning is that the clock would constantly use battery power and thus the batteries wouldn't last as long. Besides most kitchens have too many clocks in them already!

StephenRC
join:2013-11-02
Satellite Beach, FL

StephenRC to tschmidt

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to tschmidt
said by tschmidt:

Interesting that ones with battery backup do not have clocks

Who bothers to keep a stove clock set to the correct time? With Florida Flicker and Flash (FPL) the mechanical one on mine never keeps the time.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt to Msradell

MVM

to Msradell
said by Msradell:

I'm sure the reasoning is that the clock would constantly use battery power and thus the batteries wouldn't last as long.

Not to get into a big debate and derail the thread but if a small coin cell is able to keep a PC RTC running for a decade, I doubt current drain is an issue. We are talking about the RTC itself not the LED display, keeping that lit I agree would degrade standby time.

/tom
tschmidt

tschmidt to StephenRC

MVM

to StephenRC
said by StephenRC:

Who bothers to keep a stove clock set to the correct time?

Our electronic stove clock is extremely easy to set, can actually do it without having to read the manual. That being said would be nice to have some sort of battery/super cap backup so at least momentary outages did not cause it to reset. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled would be nice so it gets set automatically, but I digress.

/tom
Nanaki (banned)
aka novaflare. pull punches? Na
join:2002-01-24
Akron, OH

1 recommendation

Nanaki (banned) to tschmidt

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to tschmidt
Sadly it is not you being unlucky. I have seen that a dozen times in a dozen places. The igniter wiring gets shorted out and you have to break out the electrical tape and cover the wire.

along the front of the range top where it meets with the base generally inline with the middle of the burners will be 2 metal catches. Press them in with say a butter knife and lift. There will be a rod to hold the top up to work under it like a car hood. Turn off the gas and set the burners to lite and turn off the light and look for the sparking wires. Turn lights on and over burners off and tape up the wires that are bad (or replace) Better diy fix heat shrink tubing over the entire wire. Cost you maybe 30 bucks in tubing and a hours time.

So figure to replace the parts 50+ and 50 a hour by a repairman min 2 hour charge is likely. So you saved your self 120 by doing it your self.

whizkid3
MVM
join:2002-02-21
Queens, NY

1 recommendation

whizkid3 to OldCableGuy

MVM

to OldCableGuy
said by OldCableGuy:

the EPA has banned standing pilot lights, so no appliances sold today will work if the power is off

Baloney. Mine new one works fine without power, using matches.
said by tschmidt:

on our second pilot-less gas range, perhaps we have been unlucky, but have had problems with the ignitors on both and resort to using matches.

Same here. Pilot-less gas range. The igniters were 'clicking' without even using them, and getting really annoying. (We tried everything, cleaning, etc.) So, we just unplugged it. Use matches to light it 100% of the time; like the old days. Works fine.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt to Nanaki

MVM

to Nanaki
said by Nanaki:

Sadly it is not you being unlucky

Interesting, two of the four ignitors work so it is probably the wiring. It looks like the sparker is active on all four burners regardless of which one you are turning on so I assume the HV generator has four outputs.

Spark ignition seems to be pretty simply technology so it is hard to figure out why they are so unreliable.

The is a Sears slide in range. I'll see if I can figure out how to lift off the top. Hopefully I can fix it with heat shrink and electrical tape. I used to do more appliance repair on our stuff but it is getting harder and harder figuring out how to open the thing up, much less work on it.

/tom

Nanaki (banned)
aka novaflare. pull punches? Na
join:2002-01-24
Akron, OH

1 recommendation

Nanaki (banned)

Member

The wire they use has a cloth like coating on it that breaks down under high temps and flakes off. Heat shrink tubing as the name implies shrinks when hit with heat. I double sleeved our old stoves sparkers and just did a friends brand new one so he would never run in to the issue. Cost right around 30 bucks to make sure it will never fail.
Used 2 sizes of heat shrink one over the other heating between first and second then the second tube.
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

1 recommendation

MaynardKrebs to OldCableGuy

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to OldCableGuy
said by OldCableGuy:

I will have to check out Menards and see what they have for gas ranges. I have a feeling that having a stovetop without a clock would probably lower the value of my kitchen.

When you sell, you could throw in a Timex wristwatch and a battery operated wall clock.

toby
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

toby to StephenRC

Member

to StephenRC
said by StephenRC:

said by tschmidt:

Interesting that ones with battery backup do not have clocks

Who bothers to keep a stove clock set to the correct time? With Florida Flicker and Flash (FPL) the mechanical one on mine never keeps the time.

I feel that too many appliances have clocks. I'm happy our microwave's clock can be disabled. The only good the cooker's clock has, to tell us that there has been a power outage. Hate it.

chip89
Premium Member
join:2012-07-05
Columbia Station, OH

chip89 to OldCableGuy

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to OldCableGuy
My manual stays mine can be lit with a match in a power outage by turning it to ignite and holding a lit match by the burner.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

1 recommendation

Mele20

Premium Member

said by chip89:

My manual stays mine can be lit with a match in a power outage by turning it to ignite and holding a lit match by the burner.

Yep. That's how the gas stove top has been for the last 20 years. I don't know why this is news to anyone since it has been like this for so long. The only difference between a new gas range 20 years ago and one today is that 20 years ago you could also manually ignite the oven and you cannot do that today.