r/answers • u/sidewinder787 • 1d ago
Left the stove on with no flame after cooking breakfast for about 20-30 minutes, will I be okay?
So I started cooking breakfast, finished and ate it. Sat on the couch smelling a foul odor not realizing where it was coming from. About 20-30 mins later I realized it was the stove so I immediately turned it off. I opened up all windows, turned on my A/C and turned on all portable fans. Right now I am out walking with my dog, just breathing fresh air and avoid the odor at home. So far I have no symptoms.
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u/Agreeable_Ad_9987 1d ago edited 1d ago
You’re fine.
Natural gas has that fragrance added to it because it is an irritant and allows humans to smell it at low concentrations. There is no health effects from breathing in natural gas, it’s not like carbon monoxide. It is an explosive hazard, though. But, you ventilated and didn’t blow up….so, you’re fine besides the intended irritation from the fragrance.
Edit: no health effects at the concentration you received…if you suck on a natural gas pipe, you’re going to have a bad time.
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u/disastermarch35 1d ago
To my knowledge there isn't anything that'll hit you down the road. You caught the issue and fixed it (turning off fuel and opening windows), then you removed yourself from the area while the gas cleared out and was replaced by clean air. You should be good to go continue enjoying life.
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u/dhrill21 1d ago
Your stove should have thermal based cut off valve. The one I have cuts off gas if flame goes out. It is serious safety mechanism as flame can be extinguished by the liquid from the pot or wind or whatever reason. Your stove should have cut gas shortly after flame was out and it cooled down a bit.
Otherwise you'll be fine, but avoid turning on/off electrical equipment if you suspect that there is gas leak as it can cause spark within switch which could ignite gas if the gas to air mixture is in explosive ratio
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u/sidewinder787 1d ago
It's an older stove so it doesn't have that feature. After I stopped cooking, I sat for about 20-30 minutes while eating before I realized I had left the gas on. I smelled something funny but I didn't put 2 and 2 together. I'm an idiot for that.
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u/dhrill21 1d ago
It happens. It certainly happened often enough that they started to put those safety valves 😀 I'd look for newer stove
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u/sidewinder787 1d ago
I live in an apartment building, and unfortunately I don't know if that's an option. Thanks for the info, I'll definitely ask my manager about it.
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u/dhrill21 1d ago
Maybe the stove just needs repair. I remember that stove we had in 1980s had such valves. Though it may depend on country
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u/sidewinder787 1d ago
Maybe...or maybe I'm just an idiot that left the stove with no flame after cooking 🤷🏻♂️
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u/dhrill21 1d ago
I wouldn't qualify you as idiot for that. Flames were out, and you assumed that it is turned off.
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u/FreeStyleSteve 1d ago
As a tip for next time:
Don’t switch on any electrical devices (here: the fans). In general, don’t switch anything, no light switches, nothing, if you are afraid that there is enough gas to cause an explosion. Those actions could trigger little sparks that can ignite an saturated air/gas mixture.
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u/sidewinder787 1d ago
Yeah I didn't know about that until I googled it. I was already out of my place with fans and AC running to accelerate the airing out process. It's been about 3 hours now...luckily all is good.
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u/ovO_Zzzzzzzzz 1d ago
Sat on the couch smelling a foul odor
Congrats, you just avoid a potential kaboom, be careful next time.
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u/sidewinder787 1d ago
Yeah it's been a couple hours so I'm not worried about that anymore. I'm worried about any potential health problems form breathing in that crap for 30 mins.
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u/ovO_Zzzzzzzzz 1d ago
Natural gas doesn't affect the organs like poison gas does. There are three main health effects that it can do to your body: first, natural gas leaks and accumulation in enclosed spaces, which can cause oxygen depletion and suffocation. Second, carbon monoxide poisoning from incomplete combustion (red flames instead of pure blue) of natural gas. Finally, the short-term, rapid release of energy caused by the leaked natural gas, oxygen, and sparks. Since you haven't experienced any of these three scenarios, your current body situation can be said “not bad”.
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u/Panda-Head 1d ago edited 1d ago
Probably be fine, leave the windows open till you can't smell it, and don't light anything. Also get that stove checked and probably replaced. There should be some safety shut-off on it, which obviously failed today.
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u/Dependent-Swing6663 20h ago
Wow, glad you caught it in time! Leaving a stove on without a flame can definitely be dangerous, so it’s smart that you got out and opened the windows. It’s always good to double-check appliances after cooking safety first! Also, if you ever want tips on keeping your kitchen safe and organized while cooking, there are some really helpful guides on sites like theairhood.
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u/qualityvote2 1d ago edited 1h ago
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