Gas Range/Stove Methane Emissions

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Stanford scientists measured methane released from gas cooking stoves in 53 California homes. They examined how much methane is leaked each time you turn the knob in that second before the gas lights on fire. They also measured how much unburned methane is released during cooking. And unlike most previous studies, they measured how much methane is released when the stove is off.

In fact, it turned out that's when about 80% of methane emissions from stoves happen, from loose couplings and fittings between the stove and gas pipes.

"Simply owning a natural gas stove and having natural gas pipes and fittings in your home leads to more emissions over 24 hours than the amount emitted while the burners are on," says Stanford professor of earth sciences Rob Jackson, one of the study's authors.

Lebel's research shows it didn't matter if the stove was old or new or what brand it was — the presence of leaks was consistent. There were 18 brands of stoves and cooktops in the study, and they ranged from three to 30 years old. Stoves using a pilot light instead of an electronic sparker leaked more.

There is probably also some gas leakage past the valves on each burner. I have noticed that if I use the top burners on my 1 year old GE gas range every day, they will light up in less than one second. If I don't use the range for a week or longer, lighting up a top burner takes 2-4 seconds. I don't smell natural gas in the vicinity of the range.
 
They do sell to sniffers that you can check all the unions/ joints. I have asthma and went w/ an induction stove much better for me.

I also replace my Mom' s gas stove w/ a portable induction after I notice the stove running and unattended. Safer for her!
 
I'm kind of surprised its that bad? We have propane running our gas stove and don't smell it except for the brief lighting period. I saw the gas fitter test bubble test all the joints when everything was installed so I'm pretty confident we aren't loosing any propane, but maybe I should test myself soon.
Our vent hood vents outside and we run it when using the stove, so I'd think it gets rid of most of the combustion gases. We usually keep a window cracked open all winter except for the coldest night to provide air for the wood stove, and so we don't implode the house when the dryer, woodstove and vent hood are going at once.
 
I'm kind of surprised its that bad? We have propane running our gas stove and don't smell it except for the brief lighting period. I saw the gas fitter test bubble test all the joints when everything was installed so I'm pretty confident we aren't loosing any propane, but maybe I should test myself soon.
Our vent hood vents outside and we run it when using the stove, so I'd think it gets rid of most of the combustion gases. We usually keep a window cracked open all winter except for the coldest night to provide air for the wood stove, and so we don't implode the house when the dryer, woodstove and vent hood are going at once.

maybe propane isn't as bad because the molecules are bigger? :unsure:

Like how in air conditioning systems R134a leaks more than R12 due to the smaller molecule isze
 
So, how are unvented natural gas heaters and fireplaces allowed to be sold?

Carbon monoxide, anyone?
Natural gas and propane tend to burn pretty cleanly, in terms of CO at least with a simple burner. Zamboni's are all propane fueled too, as it usually burns cleanly in engines too. There's other stuff in the exhaust gases of a gas stove that isn't harmful in the short term, but after years of exposure isn't great for you either. We have catalyst propane heater for the icefishing tent and it produces a whole lot of water which freezes to the sides and CO2... Next to zero CO otherwise we'd be dead! I guess if your house was at super low humidity it would be OK for a while indoors, but the amount of water produced for the heat makes it unpleasant for a relatively sealed area.
 
+2, propane burns pretty cleanly which is why forklifts in warehouses run on the stuff. Imagine the cold start emissions if they had gasoline engines!

I drilled out my gas stove burner holes slightly, the ones that lead to the sparkers. Get a quick light in 1/4 second now, extremely satisfying. The only downside is that flame sticks out slightly further, maybe 1/4 inch, if you're anal. This also helps them to still light if I get a tiny amount of food crud in them.
 

...Natural gas cooking appliances release methane─primarily through small, persistent leaks─and NOx while in use, damaging the climate and degrading indoor air quality.

...Our data suggest that families who don’t use their range hoods or who have poor ventilation can surpass the 1-h national standard of NO2 (100 ppb) within a few minutes of stove usage, particularly in smaller kitchens.

...People interact more directly with their stove than with other gas appliances, increasing potential exposure to any natural gas constituents and compounds formed during combustion, including formaldehyde (CH2O) carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Here, we define NOx as the sum of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Among all gas appliances, the stove is unique in that the byproducts of combustion are emitted directly into home air with no requirement for venting the exhaust outdoors.
 





There is probably also some gas leakage past the valves on each burner. I have noticed that if I use the top burners on my 1 year old GE gas range every day, they will light up in less than one second. If I don't use the range for a week or longer, lighting up a top burner takes 2-4 seconds. I don't smell natural gas in the vicinity of the range.

This study is BS. 53 stoves, it doesn't make any distinction between natural gas, propane, new, old, pilot light or electric ignitor.
So what they have done is cherry pick the worst stoves out of 53 with no context and used it to say "nitrogen oxide levels are a bizillion times higher in homes with gas stoves" for all we know the stoves they picked could be a 1950s pilot light stove in a kitchen the size of a walk in closet running propane.
This study is at best misleading and at worse a lie.
They never tell us what the mean range or low range or any of the other circumstances or contributing factors to the results.
 
Leaky houses.

If you have a super tight house I would go all electric and have a heat exchanger.

This study is BS. 53 stoves, it doesn't make any distinction between natural gas, propane, new, old, pilot light or electric ignitor.
So what they have done is cherry pick the worst stoves out of 53 with no context and used it to say "nitrogen oxide levels are a bizillion times higher in homes with gas stoves" for all we know the stoves they picked could be a 1950s pilot light stove in a kitchen the size of a walk in closet running propane.
This study is at best misleading and at worse a lie.
They never tell us what the mean range or low range or any of the other circumstances or contributing factors to the results.
Precisely. It's a political hack hit piece to support a new initiative that will likely faceplant in short order.
 
This study is BS. 53 stoves, it doesn't make any distinction between natural gas, propane, new, old, pilot light or electric ignitor.
So what they have done is cherry pick the worst stoves out of 53 with no context and used it to say "nitrogen oxide levels are a bizillion times higher in homes with gas stoves" for all we know the stoves they picked could be a 1950s pilot light stove in a kitchen the size of a walk in closet running propane.
This study is at best misleading and at worse a lie.
They never tell us what the mean range or low range or any of the other circumstances or contributing factors to the results.
The thing is the pubic is so dumbed down they can be sold on anything as they can no longer think or do for themselves. There is a dependency now, previous generations were survivors because there was no one else, live or die.
Now they are pretty much children following what they are told by the people they elect to tell them. It's a slippery slope I never thought I would see here.
 
This study is BS. 53 stoves, it doesn't make any distinction between natural gas, propane, new, old, pilot light or electric ignitor.
So what they have done is cherry pick the worst stoves out of 53 with no context and used it to say "nitrogen oxide levels are a bizillion times higher in homes with gas stoves" for all we know the stoves they picked could be a 1950s pilot light stove in a kitchen the size of a walk in closet running propane.
This study is at best misleading and at worse a lie.
They never tell us what the mean range or low range or any of the other circumstances or contributing factors to the results.
We need to reduce domestic NG consumption to supply LNG to Europe after thee Russians blew up their own pipelines that they used to supply NG to Germany.

Win-win for everyone.
 
Why would the Russians spend millions of dollars on funding German eco terrorists groups to convince Germany to shutdown nuclear power plants making them dependent on Russia gas, then blow up their own pipeline?
 
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