Gas stoves are not only polluting and inefficient compared to electric stoves, but they also might randomly explode while you're cooking, as one terrified Reddit user experienced.
What's happening?
In the r/Appliances subreddit, a homeowner shared two disturbing photos of their General Electric gas cooktop that had exploded without warning. The force of the explosion left the cooktop in shambles, with the cast iron grates askew and glass and metal fragments scattered across the stove.
The frightening incident prompted the homeowner to ask for guidance on handling the situation.
"My GE cooktop just exploded while I was slow cooking chicken [broth]. Any clue why this would happen? Is it still safe to turn the gas burner on?" they wrote in the post.
"Do NOT use it. There's probably a gas leak under the surface somewhere. Gas was accumulating and while you were cooking, the flame must have ignited it causing an explosion. Call a professional," one user advised.
In a follow-up comment, the original poster said the GE technician who looked at their stove had no idea what caused the explosion. "But surely I am not the first one. It's a pity they didn't stand behind the product. … They said most of the parts are discontinued and the only option for me is to buy a new one and give me some discount," they continued.
The OP was right about not being the only one to have their gas stove explode on them. Two other commenters who had the same or a similar model said theirs had blown up as well, and GE was not particularly helpful when it came to resolving either situation.
In many cases, a manufacturer would point to an installation error or gas line issue as the cause, though in these cases, the Redditors did not say GE made such claims.
Why is the gas stove explosion concerning?
The most obvious cause for concern is that the OP could have suffered serious burns or other injuries from the explosion. In addition, since the stove was unrepairable, they were forced to buy a new one, which can cost several hundred to thousands of dollars — even with the slight discount they were offered.
The incident provides further evidence that gas stoves are dangerous, especially if you have young children who may turn on a burner when you're not looking. They also release toxic air pollutants — such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and benzene — which have been linked to health problems including asthma, cancer, and heart disease.
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Furthermore, gas stoves are much less efficient and cook food slower than electric or induction stoves. Thus, you'll pay more for electricity each month and wait longer to enjoy meals.
Gas stoves are also terrible for the environment since they leak methane — a potent gas with a planet-warming potential at least 28 times higher than carbon dioxide in the long term.
Are there safer alternatives to gas stoves?
Luckily, you don't have to be stuck with an outdated, unsafe gas stove. Now that induction stoves are on the market, you can cook faster and save money without worrying about breathing in harmful fumes.
And thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, you could get an upfront discount of up to $840 on qualifying models. If you want more information on what IRA tax breaks and rebates you're eligible for, the nonprofit Rewiring America offers free tools and incentive calculators to simplify the process.
However, if you're ready to upgrade your stove and want to take advantage of IRA discounts, you'll want to act quickly. As The Salt Lake Tribune explained, President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to repeal the IRA once he's back in office. Even though Congress will have the final say, it's still worth claiming any possible discounts — which could be worth thousands of dollars — while they're available.
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