How do I properly light a gas stove that needs to be lit from inside the oven?

Question

I just moved into an apartment where everything inside is straight out of 1961. there's this huge old monstrosity of an oven made by the Crown corporation, and the oven has to be hand-lit every time before use. I tried to heat up some taco shells last night (my girlfriend makes delicious tacos!) and when i tried to light it there was a little mini-explosion. What did I do wrong and how do i cook something without being terrified every time?

Answer 1

I would contact the gas company they will come out free of charge. i think you have a small gas leak.cause you say had mini explosion.look in the telphone book.they will let you know the problem.from there you or the land lord can take care of expence depending on who owen's the stove.

Answer 2

The pop you heard was probably caused by unignited gas trapped in the jets or vents, which, usually, are in the metal rings with small holes in them, where the cooking flames come out (including the "pilot light" which probably feeds all the "rings").

The ring's "vents" may be clogged, usually evident if the flame is not at least 90% blue (i.e., has lots of orange or red).

WARNING: If the stove can't be fixed by your landlord or tenant's association, or similar, and you are not mechanically competent, then contact your local gas company, who will recommend a local handyman or send a contractor out to help you.

If you do NOT have a landlord, etc, and are mechanically competent, and don't mind risking blowing yourself to the moon, you will need to turn-off all the range and oven controls, then shut off the gas coming into your home (if you don't know where it is, I *strongly* suggest contacting the gas company!!!), then open a window to vent out any gas that may still be in the room (if there's no circulation, due to an oppressively hot day or whatever, then use an electric fan to air out the room; wait at least an hour before proceeding). Then, remove the "rings" (they usually pull upwards very easily; if not, then do NOT force it, as it may be welded (purposely or not) onto the gas line, which, of course, would rupture, and then you'd have a REAL explosion on your hands!), and scrub the outside with a metal brush (you can use steel wool, but avoid using soap pads, as the soap may be difficult to remove; n.b., if the "rings" are ceramic, use a soft bristle brush, instead). Paper towel dry the rings. Re-install the rings. The pilot light may need a cleaning, too, and it *might* be easy to pull out (assuming it can be removed at all), but use only a toothpick or pipe cleaner to clean it, and be VERY, VERY, VERY GENTLE, as any distortion in the metal may permanently damage your stove.

AGAIN, IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING THIS, GET A PROFESSIONAL! IT'S NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE AND HOME TO DO THIS ON A TRIAL-AND-ERROR BASIS!!!

BTW, it isn't necessarily your landlord's fault. It's possible that the appliance hadn't been used in a while, which caused dust to clog the vents, and/or the previous tenants spilled lots of cooking oil, which may have clogged the vents (of course, it begs the question as to why the landlord hasn't updated the appliances, and why you would move into an apartment that wasn't updated!).

FYI: If the appliance is as old as you say, then replacement parts may be hard to find, and both them and the service call may be prohibitively expensive! On the other hand, somebody might consider it an "antique", worthy of a few bucks! (don't count on it, though!)

After it's fixed, don't forget to invite me over for a taco dinner! ;)

Answer 3

How Funny! You just had the gas up to high. Also the orifice's are ,I'm sure,in need of cleaning .They probably never have been cleaned before. Those are what controls the amount of gas that flows into the burners,and if they get clogged up,gas fumes collect and boom! that's where the mini explosion comes into the picture. Use one of those long fireplace lighters to light your oven with.And don't turn on the gas,look for a match then light it.You need to have the lit match ready first,then turn the gas on low. As for cleaning the orifices,if you call the gas company and tell them somethings wrong with your gas stove,they will come over and check it out for free. Most times if it's just a simple thing like a clogged orifice,they will fix it for no charge. Same thing if you are having trouble with any gas appliance such as your gas heater.They don't want you to blow up,they like their customers and want to keep them around. Well ,anyways call them and they will come. Have fun! Bye. P.S. I want Taco's now! Bye