How old is your gas range? I would edit your message to remove your email address. A quick wikipedia search get me the following information"Early gas ovens did not have a pilot. One had to light these manually with a match. If one accidentally left the gas on, gas would fill the oven and eventually the room. A small spark, such as an arc from a light switch being turned on, could ignite the gas, triggering a violent explosion. To prevent these types of accidents, oven manufacturers developed and installed a safety valve called a flame failure device for gas hobs and ovens. The safety valve depends on a thermocouple that sends a signal to the valve to stay open. If a draft blows out the flame or it goes out due to loss of gas pressure, the thermocouple cools and signals the valve to close, shutting off the gas supply. In gas ranges that come with a flame failure device, lighting when there's no power can prove to be a bit of a challenge because unless the user is quick at lighting a match and then turning on the gas valve, the flame failure device cuts off the gas supply within seconds if it senses that the burner isn't lit and there's not much of a point trying to light it once it has already cut off the gas supply."

I assume newer gas stoves have the flame failure device to prevent this.

Good luck!

I think some of the Gaggenau cooktops have themocouples that will shut off the gas to the burner if a flame is not sensed. I worked on one a couple years ago and you had to hold the knob in for about 2-3 seconds to make the burner stay lit and if the flame was blown out the gas shut off.

Would you be able to switch out for an electric induction range? It will have the sort of safety features you need.

Gerrie,

I am very sorry to hear that. I am not sure if Lacanche would fit into your budget, but our ranges work exactly as you want: in short, no flame, no gas. If the flame does not light, or goes out for any reason, the gas supply to that burner / oven will be shut off after 2-3 seconds. In technical terms, a thermocouple is heated by the burner flame and until it reaches a certain temperature, it won't pass enough electrical current to the gas valve to keep it open.

Alternatively (as mentioned above), have you considered switching to induction or even electric? I'm a big fan of gas, but in your case, the worst that could happen is a higher electricity bill if one of the elements was left on.

All the best,