Over time, using a gas stove, many notice how the color of the flame changes from blue to some other. The question arises: what color should the gas on the stove be during normal operation of the equipment? Is it normal that it does not glow blue, but some other color? And in what cases a change in the color of the flame indicates serious problems.
Indeed, a discoloration of a flame almost always indicates a problem. But most of them are quite possible to solve on their own and not even call special services. Consider why the gas sometimes burns with an orange rather than blue flame, and how to fix this problem.
The content of the article:
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Reasons for changing the color of the flame
- Yellow flame color
- The flame burns red
- What color should the gas burn?
- Troubleshoot color change issues
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Reasons for changing the color of the flame
Gas equipment is an unsafe household appliance. On the one hand, the user should not interfere with his work and violate the design of the plate, try to repair it on his own.
On the other hand, it is important to know the possible signs of breakdowns and react to them in time so as not to exploit the hob that is out of order.
It is recommended to call the gas stove service technicians from time to time for preventive cleaning of the burners and to check their functionality.
One of the simplest signs of a stove problem is a discoloration of the fire. Normally, it is blue, but sometimes it can turn orange, red, yellow, have a pungent and unpleasant odor.
An important condition for the normal combustion of gas is the required amount of oxygen. There is a certain proportion that must be observed in order for the combustion to be as beneficial as possible for the user.
Reasons for changing the color of the flame:
- incomplete combustion of gas;
- the wrong amount of air in the mixture (insufficient or excessive);
- soiled burners;
- unsuitable equipment;
- low-quality gas.
It is believed that a change in gas color indicates a poor quality of the supplied fuel. Allegedly, it is diluted with various substances so that the consumer pays more for the service. In fact, the color of the fire only indicates how well the combustion process is carried out.
Thus, a uniform blue color indicates complete combustion of the gas with the extraction of the maximum amount of heat.
Some stations can dilute blue fuel with other compounds that, when burned, form soot, soot, deposits on gas burners.
But the supply of low-quality gas cannot be ruled out either. This does not affect the color of combustion itself, but low-quality gas in the future worsens the operation of the stove and leads to the appearance of a yellow flame.
Black soot may collect on the stove after operation. All this indicates that the flame is smoking. This indicates a violation of gas injection. There is a shortage of gas mixture during the operation of the burners. This is why the gas sometimes burns with a red or yellow flame on the stove.
It is necessary to look for the reason, first of all, in the contamination of the burners, problems with ventilation, etc. The higher the combustion temperature, that is, the more oxygenated the gas is during combustion, the colder the flame shade.
Yellow flame color
The air-fuel mixture becomes unusable and changes color for various reasons. Most often, the holes for air intake are clogged. Dust enters them, which prevents the free passage of air.
This problem is especially relevant in the first years of using gas equipment. It is then that it is most often necessary to subject it to verification. This is due to the fact that after stamping, a small oil film remains for the first time on the burner and the ignition group tube. This leads to the adhesion of dust on its surface, which prevents the normal amount of air from entering. In this case, the gas passes in the same amount.
The composition of the mixture changes, and this becomes the reason why the gas burns orange or yellow in the stove, and not the traditional blue or blue.
Gas enters the burner without sufficient oxygen and is burned together with soot and dust. She gives that very characteristic orange color.
It is important to understand that discoloration of the flame is not the only sign that it is time to clean the stove.
Other indicators are as follows:
- the flame smokes;
- the fire takes on an opaque hue;
- the torch becomes too large;
- the torch becomes luminous.
This all indicates the need to call the master to clean the burners, their various elements and adjust the operation of the stove so that the air is supplied evenly.
Another common cause of a gas flame turning yellow is when the air control damper is in the wrong position. It can be closed, jump off, fall, etc. This causes a lack of air, which leads to loss of heat, soot, yellow flames, and other problems. Often this even ends with the need to make urgent repairs to the plate.
The flame burns red
Sometimes the gas can even burn red. The reason for this is the excess carbon monoxide that accumulates as a by-product of any fuel combustion. If the gas burns with a blue flame, it means that the gas equipment is fully functional and emits a small amount of carbon monoxide.
If the color changes closer to red, this poisonous substance becomes more and more. This is quite dangerous, because excessive concentration leads to headaches, nausea, dizziness and other signs of poisoning.
If the gas begins to burn red, and the stove periodically goes out or ignites poorly, it is time to call specialists to clean the gas equipment
The problem with carbon monoxide is that it is odorless and colorless. Therefore, the color of the flame is the only way to recognize an increase in its concentration.
Even small concentrations of this substance (0.01-0.2%) lead to severe symptoms.
The accumulation of carbon monoxide even in small amounts (from 0.01% to 0.2%) can lead to poisoning, manifested by headache, dizziness and nausea
If the gas concentration reaches high values, it can cause more serious poisoning and even death.
What color should the gas burn?
So, in order for the maximum complete combustion of the gas to occur and at the same time to release the required amount of energy, it is important that there is enough air in the gas mixture. This is achieved by mixing oxygen and burning gas in the burner in the right proportions: 1 liter of burning gas requires 10 liters of air.
Then the frying pan or saucepan will heat up quickly enough, because a lot of heat will be generated from the burner. Complete combustion of the gas provides the normal release of heat, some amount of light with the formation of carbon dioxide and water vapor.
This is evidenced by the following signs:
- silent combustion of gas;
- the blue color of the flame;
- even distribution of the flame on all sides of the burner;
- sufficient level of fire;
- ignition without claps;
- there is no cessation of combustion at the minimum value of the flame power regulator.
If there are any obstacles to the ingress of air, the combustion of the gas is defective. Oxidation in the presence of insufficient air leads to the formation of carbon monoxide (or carbon monoxide), which causes the color to change to yellow or even red.
The more air in the gas mixture, the higher the likelihood that the color of the flame will be blue, and the combustion process will proceed correctly.
If too much natural gas is supplied to the burner, the fuel consumption is incorrect, causing soot to form in the burner. Heating drops, which leads to an increase in the duration of cooking, and black marks begin to appear on the underside of the dishes after being on the gas stove. All this points to problems in the operation of the gas burner and the need for urgent cleaning.
We also recommend reading our other channels, where we talked in detail about possible problems with gas burners and how to solve them:
- Gas burner noise.
- Increase the power of the gas burner.
- The gas burner does not hold a flame.
- The burner on the gas stove does not work.
Troubleshoot color change issues
The most common mistake often made by gas equipment users is purchasing the wrong equipment.
Some products are suitable for only one type of gas, while the use may be different. Then a change in the color of the flame is also possible.
In everyday life, propane stoves are often used, for which a slightly different ratio of gas and air is needed. If they are connected to the main gas supply system, the color of the flame will change.
For example, a household appliance can run on propane. It requires a slightly different proportion of gas and air than natural gas. Therefore, before purchasing a stove, it is important to ask whether it is intended for the gas mixture that you will be using.
So, if the color of a gas flame has changed to yellow, orange or red, first of all, it is necessary to recognize the presence of a danger. Many begin to blame everything on low-quality gas, on problems with the supplier, but most often the reason is in the burners themselves.
It is important to find the source of the color change and troubleshoot it. If you cannot do this yourself, it is recommended that you contact the company with which you have contract for maintenance is concluded gas equipment. They will diagnose, repair the device if necessary.
Most often, the problem is solved after a simple cleaning of your gas equipment. Sometimes it may be necessary to replace the burner nozzles or other actions to accurately adjust the supply of the air-fuel mixture to the burner.
It is also important to take preventive measures. Most often, the gas changes its color due to the fact that the burners inside are clogged with household dust, food debris. If you use the stove more carefully, do regular cleaning, you can avoid unnecessary objects getting inside the burner. This is an effort that absolutely every user can make.
Cleaning can be done using special detergents. This should be done when the burners have completely cooled down.
Try to follow these cleaning rules:
- clean enameled and metal surfaces without using abrasive cleaning agents;
- do not use chlorine-based cleaners;
- clean glass ceramic surfaces with soapy water;
- use a stiff bristled brush for the holes themselves.
In conclusion, they wipe the cleaned stove with a dry cloth, wait until it dries, and try to light the gas.
If cleaning the burners did not correct the situation, and the gas is still orange, then there is only one way out. Immediately you need to contact a specialized service center that repairs gas equipment.
The burners must be clean after absolutely every cooking. Use available products and quality detergents to achieve the desired effect.
If you do not know how to disassemble and clean them, you can look at the instructions for your gas stove. It should describe how to clean these mechanisms. In addition, it is important to keep the entire stove clean, even the most distant parts of it from the fire. Indeed, in some cases, pollution from those places can be accidentally carried over and fall under the flap.
Most of the recommendations described above may seem at first glance elementary and frivolous. Many people think they are handling their stove normally and are in control. In fact, completely different processes can take place inside the plate.
Dust, which you did not remove immediately, then gets inside the burner, where it melts and charred. And in this case, it becomes very difficult to clean it. And if the household appliance continues to be operated in this spirit, its condition will deteriorate more and more. Ultimately, this will lead to complete failure.
Do not delay contacting gas services and specialists. If the stove is systematically malfunctioning, it needs repair. Preventive examinations from specialists will also be useful.
Also, should not be neglected rules of safe operation gas equipment, because even the slightest mistake can lead to sad consequences.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
It is not always possible the first time to figure out how to clean a gas burner from scale and dirt. The video below offers detailed instructions on how to do this:
So, the normal color of a gas flame is blue. If your burners burn differently, this is a reason to clean them or call a specialist for a more complete diagnosis. Do not delay this issue, because it is not just the color of the flame that changes, but the composition of the combustion products.
The accumulation of carbon monoxide can lead to undesirable consequences. Therefore, the issues of gas safety must be addressed in the first place.
Have you ever experienced a change in the color of the flame? How did you act in this situation? Leave your comments, share your experience, ask questions - the communication block is located under the article.
