Noticing an orange flame on a gas stove when you cook? It could signal trouble. Orange flames on a gas stove have several indications that require professional attention. This flame color could mean that you and the people in your home are at risk, and as such, extra precautions must be taken to avoid potential hazards. Read on to find out more about the dangers of an orange flame on a gas stove, as well as how you can go about fixing it.
Table of Contents
- Why Is the Flame on My Gas Stove Orange?
- What Causes Orange Flame on Gas Stove?
- Is an Orange Flame on a Gas Stove Dangerous?
- How to Fix Orange Flame on Gas Stove?
- How to Adjust Orange Flame on Gas Stove
- Why Are My Gas Burners Orange? It Could Be Signaling a Problem…
- FAQs
Why Is the Flame on My Gas Stove Orange?
You’re testing out your new Dutch oven on your gas stove, when you notice the flame it’s producing is orange.
An orange flame on your gas stove could have multiple meanings.
As you may already know, gas stoves come with several risks (such as being left on). As such you must be careful how you operate them.
For this particular issue, it should be noted that the typical hue of the fire beneath your gas stove range should be a bright blue sapphire hue. These flames appear this way because of the temperature of the heat. The blue appears as such because fire is much hotter than one whose flames appear orange.
Orange flames are actually cooler flames than those that burn blue, and unfortunately, may pose a risk to your safety.
Going back to the original question, “Why is the flame orange on my gas stove?”, there are usually two reasons this is happening.
These include:
A Dirty Gas Stove
When the orifices of your stove burner become dirty and clogged with soot and gunk, an incorrect proportion of fuel is delivered to your stove. When flames come in contact with the muck, the resulting effect is a fire that glows orange.
Improperly Sized Orifices
Another issue is that you may have an improperly-sized orifice installed on your stove which could be affecting the air-to-fuel ratio. This results in an orange glow rather than a blue one. If you notice this happening it usually means that the right amount of oxygen is failing to mix with the fuel. This may not only result in a robust orange hue but also may yield a flame that is red, yellow or even a mixture of both blue and orange.
Other Reasons
There are other reasons your store may be burning orange, although the two we just mentioned are often the most common.
To know what you should do in the case of your gas stove burning orange, make sure to continue reading. We’ll be providing helpful tips to help keep you and your family safe until this issue is remediated.
What Causes Orange Flame on Gas Stove?
If you’re still asking yourself what does orange flame mean on gas stove, remember that it usually has to do with an improper supply of oxygen and fuel operating to deliver the normal bright blue hue.
As counterintuitive as it may seem, orange hues on a malfunctioning gas stove signal that the flame is cooler, and as such, is a cause for concern. An orange flame on the stove needs immediate attention, as these flames could be dangerous if left unattended.
Is an Orange Flame on a Gas Stove Dangerous?
An orange flame on a gas stove requires immediate attention.
Gas stoves that operate normally release small amounts of carbon monoxide. The amount of carbon monoxide, or CO, released is usually safe, under the assumption that the stove is being used for normal cooking tasks.
Having said that, gas burners that burn orange are not functioning correctly and may indicate the presence of unsafe amounts of CO emissions.
Why is this dangerous?
As you likely already know, carbon monoxide can pose a serious threat to human health. This gas is odorless and colorless, and as such, is often referred to as a silent killer. It is important to know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning to help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Among these include:
- Blurry Vision
- Confusion
- Muted Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Shortness of Breath
- Unconsciousness
Note: If you cook with a gas stove, it is important that you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home or apartment. The alarm will go off in the event that too much CO is present. High concentrations of carbon monoxide kill over 400 people a year in the United States. If your carbon monoxide indicator begins to signal unsafe amounts, you and those within the home must evacuate the premises and phone the local fire department to receive help.
How to Fix Orange Flame on Gas Stove?
If you’ve been utilizing a gas stove to prepare your meals, the above information may be enough to scare you from using it when you see an orange glow. Indeed, we wouldn’t recommend that you continue to use a stove that is emitting orange, red, or yellow flames.
So how do you fix an orange flame on a gas stove?
- First, we recommend scrubbing out the burner’s orifices. Remember that orange flames often appear because the burners are dirty and cause an incorrect supply of fuel to the burner. To combat this problem, make sure your burners are off and completely cooled down.
- Then, go in with a toothbrush to clean any grime and soot that may be lurking in the holes.
- Remove all cleaning residue and try the burner again once dry.
How to Adjust Orange Flame on Gas Stove
If the burner continues to burn orange, you may have a different problem on your hands. It may be that you have improperly-sized orifices or other issues related to incomplete combustion.
Either way, if a simple cleaning job didn’t remediate the issue, it’s time to call for help. We recommend phoning a local gas appliance technician that is trained and certified to handle issues like these. Trying to remediate problems like these aren’t tasks for the common person to take on, as doing so means taking chances with your health and safety. Rather, we recommend you make it a priority to get your stove professional assessed and abstain from using your gas range in the meantime.
Why Are My Gas Burners Orange? It Could Be Signaling a Problem…
Remember that gas burners glowing orange are usually indicative of something gone wrong. These orange burners usually indicate a problem with combustion due to incomplete fuel-to-air ratios.
When you notice issues like these, don’t ignore them. Carbon monoxide deaths take the lives of over 400 people per year in the United States. Therefore, it is better to stop using the malfunctioning gas stove until its issues are remediated.
FAQs
How to fix red flame on gas stove?
A red, orange or yellow flame on a gas stove is usually indicative of a problem. The problem usually stems from incomplete combustion which can serve as a health risk to anyone in the house. Use a carbon monoxide detector to detect unsafe levels of CO, and hire a technician to remediate the issue if normal cleaning of the orifices doesn’t help.
Are gas stoves dangerous?
Gas stoves can be dangerous, but when operated correctly, they pose little to no risk to the ones using them. Just be sure to keep your burner orifices clean, shut off the gas when not in use, and never use your gas stove for unconventional purposes such as warming your home.
