What colour should a gas flame be?

What colour should gas stove flames be?

Blue... good and safe!

Yellow or red... not so good and can be unsafe. 

Gas flames should be blue but can sometimes burn red or yellow.

What does a blue flame mean?

The colour of the flame changes because of the amount of air supply, oxygen, getting to it- this also alters the temperature. An easy example of this is with school bunsen burners.

With a blue flame, complete combustion is happening, as the flame is getting enough oxygen. This also creates less soot and a higher temperature.

During complete combustion, an LPG flame burns at around 1,980 degrees C.

For natural gas, the flame is around 1,960 degrees C.

What does a red or yellow flame mean?

A red or yellow flame is a flame being starved of oxygen, creating incomplete combustion. The flame will be at a much lower temperature and will seem more sooty. The yellow colour comes from the soot particles produced by the flame.

Yellow or red flames only burn at around 1,000 degrees C.

This flame is dangerous as it produces more poisonous carbon monoxide gas. 

Why should my flame be blue?

Simply, a blue flame is much safer for you and your home.

If you have noticed your flames burning yellow, red or with a yellow tip then you should get your appliance serviced as soon as you can- as this is a common warning sign. Other warning signs to look out for include eye irritation, yellow/brown soot build up, pilot lights blowing out or an unusual smell. These are all signs that incomplete combustion is happening in your home. 

The only exception to this is gas fireplaces and gas log fires, as these are meant to have cosy yellow or red flames.

Incomplete combustion wastes gas, meaning you are spending excess money on your energy bills. The bigger problem is that carbon monoxide is being produced- a serious home safety issue. If you have noticed any of these problems, you should arrange a boiler servicing as soon as you can.

All your gas needs in Harlow

We offer our gas, plumbing and heating services across Harlow, Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Ware- so we are never too far away! For more information on flame colours, or to get in touch with our team today, give us a call on 07920 875189 / 01279 316304, fill out the handy contact form on our website or drop us an email at dave@dagas.co.uk. We hope to hear from you soon!