Gas cooktops, safety, and my mom....

[ThelmaLou]

My parents moved in with us a couple of years ago, and mom has gotten to where she frequently (2-3 times a week) leaves a flame going on the burner she uses for cooking. Sometimes the flame is wide open, other times she puts her pot/cast iron pan back on top of the flame. Either way, she leaves the kitchen for long periods of time after this, and we find the flame still going. We sometimes find the pan scorched or the food burned.

 

Once, my hubby woke up at 3:00 a.m. and the entire house smelled strongly of gas. I ran downstairs to find the flame out on one of the burners but the gas valve open. We had to evacuate the house and call 911. The firemen said the gas in the house was at an explosive level. They couldn't believe how high it was.

 

Is there any kind of newfangled gas range that senses when the flame has no pan after a certain amount of time, or shuts off the gas when there's no flame, or something like that????

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I don't know anything about gas ranges with automatic shut offs, but just wondered if your mother would receptive to the idea of not using the stove anymore. Does she realize after the fact what she has done? I'm sorry this is happening to you. :grouphug:

[LisaKinVA]

not that I know of...maybe some knob-locks to prevent her from using the stove at all?

[Kebo]

You could get a separate induction burner for her to use :

http://www.amazon.com/1800-Watt-Portable-Induction-Countertop-8100MC/dp/B0045QEPYM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328534450&sr=8-1

 

Not all cookware is compatible with induction, but it's easy to find cookware that is. You can check by putting a magnet on the bottom of the pot. If it sticks, it should be induction compatible.

 

ETA: in case you're not familiar with induction, I thought I'd add that the burner is only "on" when there is a compatible pot on top of it. Supposedly, you can wipe up spills immediately, and not be in danger of getting burned or setting the paper towel on fire.

Edited February 6, 2012 by Kebo

[*********]

Ok, I'm going to admit to doing this sometimes. :blushing:

 

I'm 34, but I've been doing it for, oh, at least 10 years. Not 2 or 3 times a week, but often enough that my dh or I check the stove whenever we leave the house. Sometimes I leave a burner on, somtimes the oven. I've never caused a fire or burned food because of it, and we have an electric stove, so there's not the gas issue. But I just plain ol' forget to turn off stuff.

 

Leaving the stove/oven on, and leaving my keys in the front door. It's a wonder my dh hasn't had a freak-out about those things yet. It drives him crazy.

 

Now, I have been actively trying NOT to leave the stove on, and it helps. I'll cook dinner, and then as we're all sitting down to eat, I check the stove to make sure it's off. If I were to happen to forget to check then, I'd for sure notice it when I went back to the kitchen to clean up after dinner.

 

I don't really know what you can do about your mom, except if she's in danger of burning down or blowing up your house, she needs to no longer use the stove. Which sounds like a HARD thing to have to tell your mother. :grouphug:

[Tammyla]

Do you have a gas alarm in the house?

[Cinder]

You could get a separate induction burner for her to use :

http://www.amazon.com/1800-Watt-Portable-Induction-Countertop-8100MC/dp/B0045QEPYM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328534450&sr=8-1

 

 

I thought about induction, too. But the OP mentioned sometimes her mom leaves the pot on the burner and it cooks for hours, and that could still cause a fire.

 

I think the OP needs a way to keep mom from using the stove at all. That's a tough one. :grouphug:

[gingersmom]

My grandmother lived alone and we had to turn off the gas to her stove after one too many close calls (plus her building wanted to kick her out otherwise).

 

We kept her freezer packed with microwavable meals instead.

[fairfarmhand]

can you take the knobs off of the stove?

[Kebo]

I thought about induction, too. But the OP mentioned sometimes her mom leaves the pot on the burner and it cooks for hours, and that could still cause a fire.

 

I think the OP needs a way to keep mom from using the stove at all. That's a tough one. :grouphug:

 

You're right ... I overlooked that.

 

Maybe something like this, then?

http://www.stoveguardintl.com/catalogue-182-1/Natural-Gas.html

 

Although, it sounds like any stove use will be risky...

[itsheresomewhere]

While you love your mom, its time to sit down with her and tell her no more using the stove unless your present. Blame it on the insurance company will drop you if you need too as there is now a record with the 911 system. I know its hard but you have to think of your children and yourself. If she won't listen, take the knobs off and hide the pliers. Maybe even going over the dangers of doing this with your children and her present might not be a bad idea. Then she might admit that she shouldn't be using the stove anymore.

[stripe]

I found these

http://www.thiscaringhome.org/products/kitchen.php

[elfgivas]

:grouphug: that's tough.

 

confession time:

i'm 52. i do this frequently. i have done it since i learned to cook in grade 6.

 

so the rule is that when i turn the stove on, i set the timer on the stove for a period of time, usually 15-30 minutes. when the timer goes off, i go to the kitchen to figure out why its going off, and, oh look, the stove is on.

 

is she otherwise functioning well enough that you could ask her to do this? that she understands that it is a problem? could you ask your dad to be in the kitchen with her? does she like to cook or would she be happy having someone cook for her?

 

in the short term, i would walk thru the kitchen every hour or so, and check.

 

what a hard thing.

ann

[elegantlion]

can you take the knobs off of the stove?

 

:iagree: A former co-worker had to do that to prevent her mother from burning down the house.

 

Can she use the microwave or only use the kitchen with supervision?

[cjzimmer1]

I thought about induction, too. But the OP mentioned sometimes her mom leaves the pot on the burner and it cooks for hours, and that could still cause a fire.

 

I think the OP needs a way to keep mom from using the stove at all. That's a tough one. :grouphug:

 

I don't have the freestanding burner but a full fledged induction range. I know that on the range if the pot gets too hot, it will turn itself off thus preventing a fire. If the freestanding burners have that same feature it could still be an option.

 

My mom is pretty forgetful about turning stuff off too. I'm trying to convince her that when she replaces her stove that she needs to get an induction like mine. It will be much safer considering her absentmindedness.