How to prevent accidentally turning on gas stove

[Anonymous]

I have had a gas stove for more than 20 years and I have definitely bumped the knobs to the on position a handful of times. It frequently happens when I'm cleaning the range hood and my torso bumps the front of the stove. I have a keen sense of smell so I can usually tell when it happens and turn them off right away. When the kids were young, I took the knobs off when we weren't cooking although that leaves these posts sticking out of the stove at eye level for a toddler.

Honestly, I have just learned to check it regularly, especially before I go to bed. (It's part of my routine where I check that the doors are locked and the garage is closed.)

[Anonymous]

My mom has this stove and I agree it's so easy to turn on the gas. I hate it. She ended up child proofing it.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I think I may get RangeSafe knobs (https://www.rangesafe.com/). Any experience with those?

[Anonymous]

This has happened to me a few times too. When my kids were little I took the knobs off. Now I just check it a lot. I have a very sensitive nose so I’ve caught it quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have spent over 45 years of my life having gas stoves and that has never happened to me, or in any home I've lived in, and I've never seen or heard of it happening to anyone I know.

Are you sure this is how it happened? Were YOU the adult in question? Were you there and watching when it happened?

Same here in my 50 years on this earth. I think some people are just not meant to procreate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. For those who are curious, this is the stove that we have. It doesn’t require you to push in knobs to turn them, and brushing by them can turn them on. Thanks to folks who had advice.

https://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/ranges/slide-in-ranges/p.30-inch-5-burner-gas-slide-in-convection-range.ksgg700ess.html

Thanks for the picture OP.
My suggestion, for now, is to use a sharpie to draw a line on the knobs indicating where the "off" position is. That way it is easy to see from a distance if the knob is not in the "off" position. I realize that won't be pretty, but it will be safer than the current predicament.

[Anonymous]

I'm kind of shocked that there are so many people with gas ranges that don't have a lock feature. My range is 10 years old and not a high end brand (GE Cafe double oven) and the lock button is a life saver!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. For those who are curious, this is the stove that we have. It doesn’t require you to push in knobs to turn them, and brushing by them can turn them on. Thanks to folks who had advice.

https://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/ranges/slide-in-ranges/p.30-inch-5-burner-gas-slide-in-convection-range.ksgg700ess.html

Thanks for the picture OP.
My suggestion, for now, is to use a sharpie to draw a line on the knobs indicating where the "off" position is. That way it is easy to see from a distance if the knob is not in the "off" position. I realize that won't be pretty, but it will be safer than the current predicament.

Agreed that you should put some kind of indicator on your knob in the meantime. A sharpie or, do you know anybody who can cut out some vinyl for you with an arrow pointing up for off?

Or cut some blue painters tape and mark that up so you don’t have to mark up your knobs.

For my very basic, non-fancy stove you need to push the knob to light it, which then lets you turn the knob on. It would be extremely difficult to accidentally turn the gas on for which I’m thankful for.

[Anonymous]

If you really think this is life or death just get the kind with the knobs that have to be pushed to turn on. Why wouldn’t you if you think your house might burn down? $1500 is nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you need a new range. Never heard of this happening.

I have a four year old gas stove in my second house. We allowed someone to use it when we weren’t there. At some point before they left they knocked the knob and it was weeks before we found it. We are lucky to still have a house.

[Anonymous]

Switch to induction. It's worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you need a new range. Never heard of this happening.

I have a four year old gas stove in my second house. We allowed someone to use it when we weren’t there. At some point before they left they knocked the knob and it was weeks before we found it. We are lucky to still have a house.

You should turn the gas off at the line when you're going to leave for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Don't they have an auto pilot to at least burn off the gas? Or sensor to stop the flow if the pilot doesn't light?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. For those who are curious, this is the stove that we have. It doesn’t require you to push in knobs to turn them, and brushing by them can turn them on. Thanks to folks who had advice.

https://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/ranges/slide-in-ranges/p.30-inch-5-burner-gas-slide-in-convection-range.ksgg700ess.html

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2265094/kitchen-aid-stove-knob-sensitivity

Site has many great posts on the issue. One mentions ADA compliant.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the knobs are too loose. You should be able to replace them with locking knobs relatively cheaply.