Yes, sadly, it's me that needs it now, 24 hours a day. I have a couple of different pieces of equipment at home, and they all come with a warning that I'm suspecting is more an issue of liability and might be able to be ignored by a reasonable and cautious person - like me. I'd like the opinion of people who might have had experience with this and who also can stay anonymous so my survivors' attorney can't find you in case I blow myself up because you said it was OK.

Everything I've read or been told says that I should not use my gas stove while using my oxygen. Now, I do see how there could be a degree of danger, especially if somebody was being really stupid and put their face down close to the burner flame, but, I ask you... If I'm wearing the thing and standing up straight, which would put me at least 18 inches from the burner, and the oxygen is going into my nose where it belongs, what might happen to cause an explosion? I really think this is overly cautious, except I'm too big a chicken to turn on the stove while I'm using the oxygen and test my theory! When I do a Google search for information about this, I come up with hits describing the injuries to people who exploded themselves while they were trying to light their cigarette while using their oxygen. No, that is NOT me!!

This is oxygen generated by a concentrator, which uses room air to remove nitrogen and create a "product" that's about 95% oxygen.

Thanks to anybody willing to answer!

can i take a hit?

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Don't have a direct answer, I just wanted to make sure you knew about the portable concentrators.

My Mom needs Oxygen at night and at altitude (airplanes) and she uses the InogenOn(on demand pulse only) and the SeQual Eclipse(pulse or continuous). They are battery operated, and can be charged in a car with a cigarette lighter adapter.

Oxygen is oxygen, regardless of how it's generated. I think it would be safe to use your stove. Just shut off your oxygen while turning a burner on.

Just don't quote me on that to any personal injury lawyers.

I don't have experience with using oxygen, but I do wonder about how it is delivered. If there is leakage (for example, when you exhale) then you are going to have some high concentration of oxygen around you. I also suspect that even if the apparatus does not leak what you exhale will have a far higher concentration of O2 than normal air.

Lots of things burn in high concentrations of oxygen which don't otherwise burn (metal, for example). Now, you'd need to keep the O2 flowing for that to happen. But I can imagine a scenario where something which would not normally catch fire, like dust from flour you add to a pot, might flare up if there is a lot of extra O2 right around it. Ditto for clothing if a spark gets on it.

Then there is the gas which escapes from the stove while it is being lit.

I would take the warnings seriously.

You might want to look into getting an induction burner. These only work with steel or iron bottom pans. Heat is created using a magnetic interaction. This means the burner itself gets no hotter than the pan sitting on it, and very little gets hot nearby. There are single burner units you can use on the counter and plug into a wall outlet, as well as full built-in units. This would be the safest alternative. Next best would be a flat glass electric cooktop.


Good luck.

- Winston

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Be seeing you.

Quote
freeradical
Oxygen is oxygen, regardless of how it's generated. I think it would be safe to use your stove. Just shut off your oxygen while turning a burner on.

Just don't quote me on that to any personal injury lawyers.

Ah! I didn't think of that! Now that you've jogged my brain, the most dangerous time would be when turning on the burner, because the flame can get pretty high initially. I can deal easily with leaving the oxygen on the other side of the room while turning on the stove - much more so than keeping it off all the while the stove is going. Thank you!

Thanks, too, for the information about the portables, Ken. I was reading about them earlier today, although the ones I was finding were in the neighborhood of $3,000. That's pretty steep, and I don't know that I could manage that. I'll check on the brands you gave and see what I can find out about those.

From what I have been Googleing, it seems they recommend a distance of 5'-6' from the oxygen to any flame. I did read the clip below on one site, but all the others said not to use oxygen while cooking. Can you take the oxygen off for short periods, like when cooking? I guess the microwave would be the best method of heating up things, but of course you can't cook everything in a microwave, but maybe a toaster oven in combo with a microwave would cover most things.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having to suffer through this inconvenience. I know it can't be fun.

If you are cooking while wearing oxygen, you can:
Secure the cannula over the ears and behind the head, instead of under the chin.
Secure the tubing to the side of your clothing with a large safety pin (making sure not to puncture the tubing). This will keep the tubing away from the heat source.

Note that they don't say a gas stove, so they are probably talking about an electric stove. I even read some things that said just being near grease while cooking was a no-no, so to be safe, the answer is probably no oxygen while cooking over any type of stove.

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Alpharetta, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I can't say either way, but bear in mind that you'll be exhaling a far greater percentage of oxygen than a normal person.

Quote
AlphaDog

Quote
freeradical
Oxygen is oxygen, regardless of how it's generated. I think it would be safe to use your stove. Just shut off your oxygen while turning a burner on.

Just don't quote me on that to any personal injury lawyers.

Ah! I didn't think of that! Now that you've jogged my brain, the most dangerous time would be when turning on the burner, because the flame can get pretty high initially. I can deal easily with leaving the oxygen on the other side of the room while turning on the stove - much more so than keeping it off all the while the stove is going. Thank you!

I was thinking that lighting the stove might be dangerous because until the pilot light ignites the gas, you have the combination of pure oxygen and natural gas in close proximity, and then ignition. After the burner fires up, there is no longer anything that can catch fire.

Alpha:

I have used these 2 electric items for 20 years. I do not like to use gas.

You can do all your cooking on these two electric items, without the danger of using gas.

[www.walmart.com]

[www.buy.com]

They can be had at many other places than above, but these had the lowest price.

Wish you well.

The least expensive single hob induction unit I could find is this one for $75 plus shipping. (Amazon sells it directly for $100, but Global Tool Depot selling via Amazon has it for less.)

[www.amazon.com]

Amazon has a bunch of other models. They can get expensive fast.

Any pan that a magnet will stick to will work with an induction hob.

You might also want to read some of the Amazon reviews about how these units work.


Good luck.

- Winston

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Be seeing you.

I use oxygen and the facts are: oxygen is not explosive but it will cause an intense flame when introduced to the presence of fire. The big danger from using the oxygen when lighting a stove or when in the presence of any open flame is the fact that your clothes become saturated with oxygen because it is not all going up your nose, it is spreading down the front of your chest as well.

I had a relative that used an oxygen concentrator for about six months before he died from slow progressing lung cancer. I don't remember him staying away from the stove but he used to work around 60 KV switchgear.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

Alpha-
First, I want to say I'm sorry to hear your're on oxygen. I hope it's temporary. If not, well, people live for decades on supplemental oxygen... just do what the respiratory therapist says.

The main risk is that your clothing becomes saturated with Oxygen, and you become a bit more flammable. The risk with gas stoves is that oxygen in the flame will cause the gas flame to jump higher when it's in use. But you already know the risk factors, loose clothing, long sleeves, etc... Gas cooking also puts more CO and CO2 into your house, which may irritate your breathing.

But if that's what you got, you'll be fine. Just be careful.

If you lived closer I'd drag over an oxygen concentrator I bought on eBay for my father in law.

you and Louie take care, and you'll be fine.

I hope the rest of you is in good shape because the answer is apparently spandex.

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Yes, oxygen is oxygen.

The only concern is the concentration. You are breathing approximately the inverse of concentration found in the atmosphere.

If it were me, I'd have no worries. Your movement in ambient air will dilute a lot of potential saturation.

Since the mixture is 95% 02, how much will be pumped out of the generator? How do you gauge how much you need? Is it measured in CFM? Kentucky Windage?

If you're really concerned you could try a



or a



Or you could cook in the nude.

Just nothing that spatters.

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When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men
except by believing all possible evil
of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

-An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

Mister, that's a ten-gallon hat on a twenty-gallon head.

I *love* Sigs. It's Glocks I hate.

AD, oxygen does not explode; it supports combustion. I think a concern would be that something that might not normally ignite (face cremes, etc), might ignite when close to a source of ignition (gas stove with open flame) and, an increased amount of oxygen.

I think you're right in supposing liability concerns. I expect such combustion would be a rare occurrence but, prudence would truly be a virtue. Here at the forum, we'd all like to keep you alive & healthy for as long as possible. Err on the side of safety and please follow the advise / warnings.

I do hope the supplemental O2 helps you feel better.

Keep those posts coming!

This is the first time I've been on anything like this on the computer, but I was recently put on 24 hr/day oxygen use. It is the pitts. I baked brownies today and turned off my oxygen to do it. My oxygen guy says to stay 15 feet from the stove (Mine's Gas) or if you feel well enough, just disconnect to oxygen and when you're thru, get back on it.
Hope you're doing better now?