High gas prices and a plethora of work-from-home options have led families to utilize their kitchen appliances for cooking more often. Using an oven to make your favorite homemade meal is a staple in modern homes worldwide. While most people disregard the owner’s manual as soon as the appliance is locked in, it is a good idea to give it a quick glance.
Understanding the make and model of the appliance in your home will help you recognize fire safety techniques. An electric stove, while being able to be left running for long periods, can exhibit signs of possible fire and smoke hazards.
A gas stove should not be left unattended as they are more prone to leak Carbon Monoxide, poisonous in large volumes. Carbon monoxide can be produced when fuels like natural gas (which is used for a gas stove) burn without enough oxygen.
If you opt for an electric stove, you can rest assured that they run for a long time. The oven itself is a powerhouse that would not result in a fire outbreak. The real issue lies in food particles and grease residue left on the stove.
It is good only to allow your oven to stay on for 12 hours or less, at or under 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Electric ovens are recommended not to leave the stove unattended as any food or grease could cause a fire. Gas ovens should never be left on or unattended since it poses a severe risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that forms when carbons burn with a lack of oxygen
No. While some families heat their homes with the oven door ajar in cold wintry months, this is a very bad idea. However, an extremely high oven temperature or stovetop temperature can cause a fire hazard to nearby flammable items.
There's also the risk of someone coming into contact with the oven by bumping into the hot oven or tripping over the oven door. The fact that the oven is hot inside and not protected by external insulation means that someone could come in contact with a heating element causing severe burns. Using an oven to heat your home comes with extreme risk that should be avoided at all costs.
If you need supplemental gas or electric heat to warm up your home, look into space heaters that run on either propane or electricity.
It is not safe to leave an oven turned on overnight or while you are away, even for an hour or two, as we highly recommend that any operational or in-use stove should get checked at regular intervals. If something should catch fire for any reason, you will want to be available to extinguish the flames as soon as possible.
Photo of a woman setting an oven temperature
If your gas or electric oven was manufactured after 1995, it most likely contains an automatic shut-off feature. Ovens with touchpad clocks also feature shut-off switches that engage after the oven has been running for twelve hours. Features like these offer oven owners peace of mind and are financially beneficial since the stovetop wastes energy the longer it runs.
Electric ovens pose little threat to releasing Carbon Monoxide since they get power from electricity unlike a gas oven. Electric stovetops can be left running for long periods as long as they are kept at low temperatures and regularly undergo checks.
While it can be hard to detect Carbon Monoxide leaks, there are tell-tale signs that you have a Carbon Monoxide leak. Weakness, headache, and difficulty breathing are some of the first significant symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Other symptoms include nausea, blurry vision, and confusion, which should be dealt with immediately before they get worse. Check the gas oven to make sure it gets turned off. If symptoms continue, evacuate the house as soon as possible and call 911.
Knowing when there is a Carbon Monoxide leak in your home is half the battle. Installing a Carbon Monoxide detector in or near the kitchen in your home will help you with this.
We recommend installing a smoke detector to alert you of electric ovens before a fire gets out of hand. Another great way to keep tabs on leaking Carbon Monoxide is to check your gas bills every month.
When it comes to leaving an oven on for lengthy periods, it is best for the oven not to have anything inside it. This includes any type of food, grease, empty oven pans, or baking trays. The recommended time of leaving an oven on with nothing inside it should not exceed twelve consecutive hours.
Keeping the temperature low, at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, will ensure that the oven doesn’t overheat and cause a fire. According to an article created by Tufts University’s Department of Public Safety, the number three leading cause of kitchen fires is a direct result of not turning off kitchen equipment.
Yes. While modern ovens or stovetops don’t easily start a fire with no other objects around, but there is always the risk of objects coming into contact with an oven by accident. Fire hazards come when flammable objects are placed directly on or close to the burning oven. Crumbs and particles left from food, residual grease, kitchen utensils, and towels can become hazardous and catch on fire if left unattended.
You greatly increase the risk of an oven fire when you leave your oven unattended
Open windows, fans, and HVAC systems that circulate air can propel items toward your oven or stovetop. These can create major fire hazards.
Always maintain a hazard-free kitchen by cleaning the stovetop and keeping towels and utensils tucked away. Grease and oil are particularly nasty culprits in kitchen fires. Leftover food should be removed from the stovetop as soon as everyone finishes eating.
There can be many different causes of oven fires, including an improperly maintained unit, a malfunctioning oven component, or harmful misuse of cooking procedures.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, from 2015 to 2019, the leading cause of house fires and house fire-related injuries was, in fact, cooking-related. With ranges and stovetops accounting for over half of these incidents, it is easy to see why never leaving an oven unattended for long periods is essential.
Before attempting to extinguish fires, evacuate the home’s inhabitants to ensure they are a safe distance away from harm. Keep windows and doors open so that smoke has a chance to dissipate. If you can contain it within the oven, keep the door closed and unplug the oven from any electric outlet.
If the fire is located on the stovetop and is relatively small, use baking soda or even a metal pan lid to encase the flames. Do not use flour or attempt to blow out the flames. Using water, especially on a grease fire, is not recommended as this can make the fire worsen.
If you have one available, use an unexpired dry chemical fire extinguisher as you back out of the kitchen. Keeping a fire extinguisher in the home is always a good idea, especially if you cook often. Placing it near the end of the kitchen that leads to an exit will ensure you can easily evacuate the room while using the extinguisher if necessary.
Once the fire has been put out, always let the oven and anything placed near or on top of the stove cool before handling it. If the inside of the oven looks damaged, be sure to have any heating elements repaired or replaced by a professional appliance technician before using the oven again.
You should really only run your oven for as long as it takes to properly cook your food. You can also use your oven to keep food warm. You shouldn't run your oven for extremely long periods of time - and never leave your oven on unattended.
With everything we have covered in this article, it can be a lot to remember about what to do or not do when leaving an oven on. The simple answer to knowing whether or not to leave a stove unattended is to make sure it is an electric oven and don’t push it past twelve hours and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Never leave the house with the oven still running. If any problems should arise with the oven, you will want to take care of them as soon as possible. Don’t let a gas oven run as this could lead to the possibility of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
When letting your oven run, make sure the stovetop is clean and free of grease, unused pots or pans, and leftover food. Keep flammable items such as kitchen towels, paper plates, and other items stored safely away.
Invest in and install immediately both a Carbon Monoxide detector as well as a smoke detector to ensure you keep your household safe. Finally, keep your oven maintained by having it inspected by a professional appliance technician and repairing any faulty components to ensure it is in good working order before cooking.
