Oven safety

Just realized I had left the oven door ajar, with the oven fully on. It was open for about 30 minutes. I closed it and opened a window but am quite worried about carbon monoxide poisoning (there is no alarm in my apartment). No bad smells but very worried and burned my finger on the over door closing it again (since it overheated). Should I call the fire department or do you reckon we're OK?

Ma2650
  • Posted by: Ma2650
  • April 2, 2019
  • 2425 views
  • 2 Comments

2 Comments

BakerBren
BakerBren April 2, 2019
You're OK. Don't panic. I assume you have a gas oven and that's why you're concerned about carbon monoxide. Gas ovens need to vent to work properly and leaving the door ajar just made it easier to vent. When your oven is running, it is always venting into the room. If you have a range hood or a nearby window, you can use those but it's not necessary. When your oven door is closed, you should be able to locate heat coming from the vent which is often near the back of the range or the center of a back burner.
 
Smaug
Smaug April 3, 2019
I first learned to bake in an oven with no working thermostat- you regulated the temperature by propping the door partially open. None of us ever died from it, but that house, a college student's rental, wasn't exactly air tight. Older stoves, which you still run across occasionally, did require venting to the outside; I believe that the difference with modern stoves is more efficient combustion.
 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52