# orange flame from GE stove



## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

Five years after moving into my home I am having a periodic issue where the flames on all of my GE gas stove burners glow orange (or orange/blue mix) instead of mostly blue. 

I had PSE&G come and look at it today and although it was only partially orange (it had been completely blue just yesterday and the weather had not changed much) the tech told me it was nothing to worry about. 

Probably just "something burning up in the air" he told me. He instructed me to not run humidifiers for a couple of days. Well, my humidifiers are all on the second floor (in our bedrooms) and they are only run at night. Not to mention I've been running them nightly since December and I have a blue flame 97% of the time. 

And advice would be appreciated. My main concern here is safety from CO2.

Here is a 30-second video of the flame when it's only partially orange:


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## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

I assume you are worried about CO, not CO2. CO2 is carbon dioxide. You should be worried about carbon monoxide. Do you have CO alarms?


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

mikegp said:


> I assume you are worried about CO, not CO2. CO2 is carbon dioxide. You should be worried about carbon monoxide. Do you have CO alarms?


My bad....CO is my concern. I have two CO alarms (basement and 2nd Floor hallway) and none are indicating an alarm. I don't have one in my kitchen area because I was told this was not a good place for it.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

A common contributor to the orange flame is dust particles in the air.

If PSE&G didn't check the gas pressures they are worthless.


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

SeniorSitizen said:


> If PSE&G didn't check the gas pressures they are worthless.


How do they do that? I want to contact PSE&G and speak to a manager but I need some information as to what can be tested and how it can be tested. They told me that PSE&G would come out and do a safety check for free. All the guy did was turn on the stove and tell me not to worry about it.


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

make sure all the air intakes are clean of any dust or debris on the burner tubes..


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> make sure all the air intakes are clean of any dust or debris on the burner tubes..


That's logical advice however it doesn't explain why Saturday I had an orange/blue flame (as shown in the video) in every burner, then Sunday it was an all blue flame in every burner, then Monday again orange/blue flame in every burner.

The PSE&G guy told me it wasn't my stove, but rather the "mysterious" air in my kitchen surrounding the stove.


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

do you have any air fresheners close by that spray into the air? or anything in the house that is being sprayed or evaporated into the air?


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> do you have any air fresheners close by that spray into the air? or anything in the house that is being sprayed or evaporated into the air?


Nada.


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

did you check for anything that may be moving by the burner tubes that could close off the sir vents?


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> did you check for anything that may be moving by the burner tubes that could close off the sir vents?


Can you elaborate? Don't quite understand what you mean.


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

inside the top of the stove behind each burner control is an air vent on the burner tube that allows air to mix with the gas, they are adjustable, but if dust or dirt covers them it will make the stove burn rich, giving orange and yellow flames..


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> inside the top of the stove behind each burner control is an air vent on the burner tube that allows air to mix with the gas, they are adjustable, but if dust or dirt covers them it will make the stove burn rich, giving orange and yellow flames..


Does this require detaching the stove cover? Is it worth investigating this if all five of my burners are performing exactly the same day in and day out? It's not like one burner is acting up...they either all act up or none of them act up (and the flame is blue as expected).


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

just lift up the top like you are going to clean grease from under..and look down you will see what im talking about..very easy..


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

have you thought about getting an exorcism for the house then? LOL..its a head stumper for sure, but there is a logical reason for it..just gota find it..


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

take a look at this since you said something about a humidifier..


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiP1KcPdQMo
> take a look at this since you said something about a humidifier..


Yes, I have seen this and other videos like it already. Our humidifiers are all upstairs in our bedrooms. They are small and barely increase the humidity of the rooms they are in. If it really is the humidifiers I would have been experiencing problems ever since the humidifiers were turned nightly starting in December.


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

maybe something loose in the stove that shifts as the gas goes by???


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## Protocol. (May 31, 2012)

Orange flame means something is combusting in the air with the gas. Whether it be dust, humidity, or otherwise.

If the flame tips are yellow it only becomes an indicator of primary air starvation. Too much air and the flame lifts off the burner/hissing is much louder.

Lazy flame indicates air starvation as well. But that issue is usually down to other things not normally associated with open burners.

Any galvanized pipes used in the gas line?


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

What kind of humidifiers do you have?


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## DanS26 (Oct 25, 2012)

If you are absolutely sure it is not an indoor atmosphere problem, then I would investigate as follows:

1. Ask the neighbors with gas appliances if they observe the same flame color

2. Observe the flame color in other gas appliances in the home, such as water heater, oven, furnace, etc.

3. If the above is negative, then I would suspect the gas regulator located at the stove. The membrane could be going bad and disintegrating, sloughing off impurities into the gas stream. Replacing the regulator now would be wise before a serious fault developed.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Another example of gas flames being affected by a humidifier, this one on the second floor. http://www.chrisinch.com/blog/articles/show/why-are-the-flames-on-my-range-yellow/

Molecules travel, as I'm sure you know. Kitchens are often smoky & humid. Try the humidifier near the stove. Seems easiest thing to do. Also, anything that draws air, draws air in the house.


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## DanS26 (Oct 25, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> Another example of gas flames being affected by a humidifier, this one on the second floor. http://www.chrisinch.com/blog/articles/show/why-are-the-flames-on-my-range-yellow/
> 
> Molecules travel, as I'm sure you know. Kitchens are often smoky & humid. Try the humidifier near the stove. Seems easiest thing to do. Also, anything that draws air, draws air in the house.


If you have that much humidity in your home (ie >80%) then I can guarantee you will have greater problems than orange flame.....and it won't take long.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

DanS26 said:


> If you have that much humidity in your home (ie >80%) then I can guarantee you will have greater problems than orange flame.....and it won't take long.



Not sure what you mean, having lived in Hawaii & others places with high humidity. I have a hygrometer and often see 80%, then have to figure out what "I" did. 

I didn't mean to take away from your suggestions, just an easy elimination. I have mild asthma so can feel increased humidity. Then I check the reading. Fog even sets off smoke alarms near the ocean.

For example, right now away from the ocean, at 55 degrees, it is 51% indoor humidity, with the heater on. But, I boiled water 2 hours ago and ran hot water in the tub.


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## DanS26 (Oct 25, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> Not sure what you mean, having lived in Hawaii & others places with high humidity. I have a hygrometer and often see 80%, then have to figure out what "I" did.
> 
> I didn't mean to take away from your suggestions, just an easy elimination. I have mild asthma so can feel increased humidity. Then I check the reading. Fog even sets off smoke alarms near the ocean.


No offense taken. My comment was meant for houses in colder climates....>80% indoor humidity would create a potential mold problem in a tight house.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

DanS26 said:


> No offense taken. My comment was meant for houses in colder climates....>80% indoor humidity would create a potential mold problem in a tight house.



Even in a colder climate, couldn't an active kitchen, even with heater on, with a hot shower or two, and humidifiers, cause increased humidity in the house?

( I think in California, many people have a lot of airflow from open windows & doors part of the day, unless way North or in the mtns)


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## njitgrad (Jun 14, 2012)

In a series of experiments, I recorded a series of short videos today, all of them less than 30 seconds long.

The first one was taken as soon as I woke up. The humidity in the kitchen was 51%. This was probably due to my humidifiers running upstairs all night. My wife accidentally set them to the high setting and the kids rooms were about 77% humidity in the morning. After turning them off it was actually foggy in their rooms for an hour or so. 

Even though the bedroom doors were closed all night, some of this air must have traversed its way down the stairs into the kitchen because the humidity level right next to the stove was as previously mentioned 51% (higher than I expected for February in NJ). 

The first video below shows the orange flame at 51%:






A few hours later when I came home for lunch, the humidity next to the stove had dropped to 45% but still I had an orange flame. 

The second video shows the orange flame at 45%:






I then opened all of the kitchen windows and ran a small desk fan next to the stove for about 45 minutes. When I returned the humidity had dropped to 35% and a dramatic change was observed. The flame was mostly blue now with just a small amount of orange.

The third video shows mostly blue flame at 35%:






Obviously there seems to be some component of this issue related to the humidifiers I use ("Crane" brand, "Drop" model). I have demineralization cartridges in all three of them which may or may not affect the composition of the plume of mist. I doubt it is the actual humidity level in the kitchen because I have not noticed this in the warmer months when the humidity level can be 50% or greater (especially if the windows are open).

It seems probable that the composition of the humidified air (despite the distant proximity) is causing the orange flame on my stove. As a followup experiment, I will not run the humidifiers for the next few days and see if and when I finally end up with a completely blue flame. 

Comments/suggestions are always appreciated...:glasses:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Great work! I suppose it could be increased air/oxygen, too, from the fan drawing in air from outside. Your house is probably more air-tight than mine.

One thing that struck me is that your humidity & outside temp was the same as mine in Calif. I looked up your approximate area from the PSG&E area. We don't usually use humidifiers. But then I guess when you have increased cold & drier air, you need them.

I'm not sure why but I could only watch the videos once each, then it was ads. ( Science lab geek, I guess


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

More info: http://www.appliance411.com/faq/gas_range_flames.shtml


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## danpik (Sep 11, 2011)

One would think that as air becomes more humid, it would become heavier and thus more dense.
This would then theorize that there would be more "air" in a given volume. However, the opposite is true. Diatomic Oxygen (O2)has an atomic weight of 32 units, Diatomic Nitrogen (N2) had an atomic weight of 28 units. These are the two most abundant elements in the air we breath or your stove burns. Water vapor, comprised of two elements, has an atomic weight of 18. Thus as it replaces the components of a given volume of air the weight decreases. (providing that the temperature remains the same.)
As the "air" absorbs water vapor, it also displaces the other elements and thus reducing the amount of available O2 to burn which in effect will richen the fuel mix (more gas, less air)and cause the orange tips you see on the flame. It is possible that the air fuel mixture can be adjusted so that more air can be brought into the burners by a knowledgeable service tech. When we tune gas furnaces with a flue gas analyzer we are essentially setting the air fuel mixture to the "ideal" mix.


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

I do some commercial gas cooking appliance repair and adjustments. 

1. Looking at the front of the stove, can you see the air adjustment disc? There is one air adjustment disc for each burner. Look for fuzz or other build-up at the adjustment disc. Wipe off any dust bunnies, fuzz or other build-up, using a soft non-metallic brush or cloth. I usually use my finger. Don't use air pressure to clean the disc

2. You may have blockage in the burner. Remove the burner grates, one at a time and examine the burner holes. If there is any blockage, insert a round, wooden toothpick in each orifice. Don't use a drill bit, the bit can change the size or shape of the orifice. Replace the burner and turn on the gas control knob. That may fix the problem.

3. The "tech" did not seem to have any idea what to look for. Some suppliers stop at the meter, but he could have used his meter to check for gas pressure at the meter. Our local natural gas supplier does not like there techs to go past the meter doing pressure tests. But every one of the techs I have worked with will go inside and test pressure at the appliances. They also will take there gas detectors inside and test for leaks. Propane suppliers techs vary in their knowledge and skill. 

Have you added any new gas appliances since you moved in? The gas pipe installation may be marginal as to the size of the piping.


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