Leaving your oven on while you sleep

cijay · Nov 26, 2015

Christine said:
Mythbusters should read this: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/investigators-christmas-tree-to-blame-in-annapolis-mansion-fire/30964600

This was an AWFUL fire in our area caused by lights on a very dry tree.

Sympathies to the victims. Mythbusters don't need to read it, it was pretty much the same experiment that they did. Extremely dry tree, electrical failure (though theirs was on the light string itself, not material nearby.)

"Investigators confirmed that an electrical failure led to the Christmas tree igniting..."
"...an electrical failure ignited the combustible material in the area which spread quickly to the Christmas tree..."

I'm not saying trees don't burn - but these people were home and they lost everything, they may as well have been out of the house. Chairs are combustible but you don't worry about them when you go out. Electrical failures happen on appliances but you wouldn't unplug your freezer when you go out.

tvguy · Nov 26, 2015

Every oven I've had over the last 35 years had a timer on it to set it to start, but I have never done it.
My mom used the timer once in a while when I was a kid with her 1960 Westinghouse oven with a timer.

Art 1 · Nov 26, 2015

tvguy said:
Every oven I've had over the last 35 years had a timer on it to set it to start, but I have never done it.
My mom used the timer once in a while when I was a kid with her 1960 Westinghouse oven with a timer.

That oven your mum had is better than a new one.

DebbieB · Nov 26, 2015

As long as you have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector (if it's gas), then I would not worry, assuming you are at home.

How about people who have crock pots going all day while they are at work?

Kogo Shuko · Nov 26, 2015

DebbieB said:
How about people who have crock pots going all day while they are at work?

Fair point!! And most people leave the slow cooker on the counter, which isn't where it's supposed to sit (it's supposed to sit on the stove top).

And what about folks who turn on the oven to heat their apartment (I've had to do this in the past). I've left an oven on all night. Mind you, there was nothing IN it...

TLSnell1981 · Nov 26, 2015

I would "never ever" leave my oven on all night. Nope, not ever.

I put the turkey in around 7am. Everything else is prepped the day before and ready to cook.

TLSnell1981 · Nov 26, 2015

DebbieB said:
As long as you have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector (if it's gas), then I would not worry, assuming you are at home.

How about people who have crock pots going all day while they are at work?

A crock pot is covered and cooks at a lower temperature. Not the same as cooking in an oven imo

Shanna-like-Banana · Nov 26, 2015

We eat supper around noon
I really wouldn't think anything of it, to put a bird or ham in the oven, and go take a nap on the sofa while it's baking.

Malibustyle23 · Nov 26, 2015

Kogo Shuko said:
And most people leave the slow cooker on the counter, which isn't where it's supposed to sit (it's supposed to sit on the stove top

I've never heard of that before. Why is that?

Feralpeg · Nov 26, 2015

Any electrical appliance can be a fire danger. Toasters are one of the most dangerous and most people leave them plugged in all the time (not me!).

When I was a teenager, our neighbor's house burned. The mom and two little boys died in the fire. It started from a lamp. It caught fire in the middle of the night. Worst thing I've ever witnessed.

I am very leary of what I leave plugged in and I will not leave the dryer or dishwasher going when I am gone or after I go to bed. Unfortunately, there is a small danger from anything you leave plugged in.

Feralpeg · Nov 26, 2015

Malibustyle23 said:
I've never heard of that before. Why is that?

Should it catch fire or simply overheat, the stove top surface is less likely to burn than a counter top. Of course, that depends on the counter surface. The stone type surfaces are much safer than a laminate.

mombrontrent · Nov 26, 2015

Apparently I live on the edge. I turn my dishwasher on or washer or dryer on when I leave the house or go to bed. I never unplug my toaster. I leave my coffee pot on if I leave the house (it does automatically turn off after 2 hours). I've even left the oven on with dinner cooking or a pie baking while I take the dog for a 30 min walk.

sam_gordon · Nov 26, 2015

I run the dishwasher at night, but probably wouldn't feel safe with the oven on. Washer and dryer are turned off if we leave the house. I don't bother unplugging anything when leaving the house, unless it's a couple days. Then I unplug the computer and TV/entertainment center from the wall. If we're gone for more than a day, we turn off our water to the house. How many people do that? We ended up with water damage one time because while we were gone for 48 hours, at some point the inlet valve to the toilet broke, flooding that bathroom, two bedrooms, a hallway, part of the living room, and soaked some items in storage in our basement.

SparklePixie · Nov 26, 2015

bigbabyblues said:
My aunt puts her turkey in at 6 am becuse we eat between noon and one. I would never leave my oven on overnight or while we are all asleep.

My turkey went in the nescoe at 8:45. We ate at 12:30.

anniemae · Nov 26, 2015

I don't understand how a turkey can cook for 8 hours overnight? Don't most take only 4-5 hours? Do you put it in the fridge when you wake up, then re-heat in the afternoon?

Feralpeg · Nov 26, 2015

anniemae said:
I don't understand how a turkey can cook for 8 hours overnight? Don't most take only 4-5 hours? Do you put it in the fridge when you wake up, then re-heat in the afternoon?

My mom used to put the turkey in to bake overnight. She put it on a low temperature. She claimed the turkey was less dry and more flavorful. No clue if that is true.

minkydog · Nov 26, 2015

No, I'm not a fan of leaving appliances on overnight. I once had the oven catch fire when I was cooking a pizza--someone had left drippings in the broiler pan and I didn't know it. Flames were shooting up the wall behind the stove! Scared the bejesus out of me. Thankfully, we were able to get it under control quickly, but I shudder to think what might have happened if we had all been asleep.

Kae · Nov 26, 2015

I do self cleaning on my oven when I go to bed much higher temp. I run my washer,dryer & dishwasher when not home &/or when I go to bed. I have some "vintage" lamps that I don't leave on when not home

Kae

eastendlights · Nov 27, 2015

Fires started by dryers and Christmas trees are much more likely than a fire started by an oven. In fact, most fires started by an oven start on the cooktop, not in the oven itself. Ovens are specially insulated to prevent the spread of fire, particularly self cleaning ovens which are designed to be left on overnight at much higher than normal cooking temps.

cijay · Nov 27, 2015

TLSnell1981 said:
A crock pot is covered and cooks at a lower temperature. Not the same as cooking in an oven imo

If it's electrical, it can fail. The food won't start on fire but the electrical can fail.

mombrontrent said:
Apparently I live on the edge. I turn my dishwasher on or washer or dryer on when I leave the house or go to bed. I never unplug my toaster. I leave my coffee pot on if I leave the house (it does automatically turn off after 2 hours). I've even left the oven on with dinner cooking or a pie baking while I take the dog for a 30 min walk.

Me too. I take naps and baths at the same time too LOL.

Leaving your oven on while you sleep

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