Boy, am I in the wrong line of work .........

[Steve Barker LT]

Mine (maytag) has none. Just electric spark ign.

[Steve Barker LT]

Mine has a KNOB you turn to a certain temp. No electronics. Yes, i've seen the ones you speak of. Wouldn't have 'em. If i wanna know what time it is, i'll look at my phone.

[Steve Barker LT]

Why would a gas oven light the house on fire any faster than an electric one?

[Philip Lewis]

lacking that, get a nice heavy iron skillet... same diffuse, and is great to use.

[PaPaPeng]

I have come across lots of house fires started by candlelit dinners and parties, by candlelit ranges, flame warmed fondue pots and of course by gas ranges. I won't have an open flame anywhere in my house. No cigarette smoking. Its just one of those safety and peace of mind things. If its not there I don't have to worry about it or have to make allowance for it (as in safety practices I have to take into account when I light a candle.) I bet this Halloween will see several house fires from candlelit pumpkins.

[Stormin Mormon]

Light a match, Ed!

[Steve Barker LT]

I suppose you have electric heat also eh? What a waste.

[PaPaPeng]

In my original post I said gas heating is the only gas equipment I will have. Its fast, clean, cheap and practically maintenance free. My hot water heater is gas too. These two items of equipment are well shielded and safe.

[Nick Hull]

Gas hot water heaters can trigger explosions if they are mounted on the floor.

[Larry Bud]

I know what you mean. Every night I come home and there's another neighbor of mine whose house blew up.

Why not? There would be an open flame, no hotter than your electric range.

When I was in an apt, I had an electric range that I had a tea kettle on. The damn whistle on the kettle didn't work, and I completely forgot about it. About 20 minutes later I smelled something burning. The electric range MELTED a hole in the bottom of the kettle. It was pretty thick aluminum.

No way the gas range could have melted the aluminum.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Same here. My neighborhood's down to 3 houses, where there used to be about

70 just a year ago.

[Doug Miller]

Ummmm... do you really think that electric burners get as hot as a gas flame?

It may have *burned* a hole in the bottom...

Sorry, but your reality check just bounced.

Aluminum melts at 660 C. The temperature of a natural gas flame is approx 900 C.

[Seymour Bigby-Heinz]

My own house has blown up 12 times already today!

Sy

[PaPaPeng]

Remove yours then. I am very comfortable with mine.

[krw]

Confined, electric heat gets much hotter than an open flame. Ever hear of curtains catching fire above an electric heating element? Gas forced air or hydronic?

No, it'll melt it.

If it burned the aluminum it would ba a tad hotter than 660C! It would have been quite a sight, if anything was left to see.

Well ventilated; not confined under the kettle.

[Doug Miller]

Really?

No.

Huh?

Under a kettle on a gas burner isn't exactly "confined", you know. There's plenty of room for air to enter. I repeat: your reality check bounced. The temperature of a natural gas flame is *much* higher than the melting point of aluminum.

[Mikey S.]

I've seen it done, an empty lightweight aluminum frying pan forgotten that melted on a gas burner. It didn't run like water, but it melted a hole and sagged. Lucky it was outside on a propane camping stove or it could have damaged something else as well. The heat from a kitchen stove burner, whether propane or natural gas would be quite similar.

I have used electric stoves a few times and I have no doubt they would melt an aluminum pot or pan as well.

Either one can easily start a fire if misused.

But gas does cook better!

[Sam E]

Were you in it?

[Steve Barker LT]

And I think that is the whole point. the stove is there for cooking, not leaving empty pots on. There's a reason restaurants use gas and not pansy assed electric burners and ovens.

[Goedjn]

I propose an experiment. Who's got a $5.00 aluminum pot and a gas stove they don't mind scarring up?