Gas Hob advice wanted [Archive]

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F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 14:20

Ok peoples who might be in the know.
I have an old, probably 600mm Gas Hob setup. By & large it mostly works, I mean flames come out & stuff I put on gets hot & cooks. One the knob is stiff & one the igniter has been out & we manually light it since we moved in 10yrs ago, but no drama.

My primary concern is our daughter turning it on. She’s been cracking eggs into frying pans, its only time before she wants to try work the stove.

It has no flame safe feature. So best we buy one that does.

Looking online there seems to be a huge disparity in prices & spending over a grand is quite easy. At the other end of the market is Evedure at Bunnings for a paltry 300 notes which still looks as swish in the pictures as anything else.

A lot of these look like they came from the same factory with different brand names.
So, should I blow a cool grand on a more expensive one? What am I paying for?
Will the cheap one stay safe, reliable & flame safe thingy be able to be counted on?

Will the gasfitter lambaste me for buying some inferior dangerous bit of kit?

And what would I pay to have it swapped out? Is it a $100 job, or a $400 job? Or am I still insulting someone?

Thanks.

JimO

21st December 2017, 15:49

dont buy parmco

F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 15:55

oh. Just discovered them & seems to be NZ so was looking good.

Is this a general consensus?

Akzle

21st December 2017, 16:19

ideally, buy expensive, european.

tradesmen bill time. the less time you fuck him around the less it hurts you. if you can turn off the gas and remove the old one then so much the better.

not all gasfitters are carpenters and vicey versey. find one that is.

teach your kid to work with what's got. there's sfa merit in doing what's safe and easy.

FJRider

21st December 2017, 16:22

oh. Just discovered them & seems to be NZ so was looking good.

Is this a general consensus?

Find a Gas fitter ... Yellow pages .. ?? and get knowledgeable advice.

BMWST?

21st December 2017, 16:42

then you will find out if its a 400 dollar job or a 100 dollar job without insulting anyone.If you supply it they wont want to know you if something goes wrong with the hob

F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 16:51

dont buy parmco

So what weight do I give this? - Because they fired you and you hate them and the daughter of the bossman rebuffed your affection?

Or a real reason.
Don't be shy.

jellywrestler

21st December 2017, 17:05

So what weight do I give this? - Because they fired you and you hate them and the daughter of the bossman rebuffed your affection?

Or a real reason.
Don't be shy.

any parmco device i've worked on has been shite, from an electricians point of view
\

HenryDorsetCase

21st December 2017, 17:25

We have a SMEG gas top from around 15 years ago. Also 600mm. It is fed by a gas bottle from under the bench which was acceptable when installed but is unacceptable now. So, if your current one has a bottle under bench, you will have to relocate the bottle outside or connect to reticulated gas. Just so you know. Talking to a plumber earlier this week and gasfitting is now its own pretty much separate thing.

I have no preference as to brand but one of the things you might consider is binning it and going induction. Yes its two grand. Make sure your pots will work with it, but having used one they seem very controllable and decent heat.

I have a standalone gas ring connected to a bottle outside because I like to cook meat outside and I want the motherfucker to roar like a jet engine when I want heat..... which doesn't help you.... but consider 900mm and one of those elliptical rings that will toast a bagel at 1000 ft.

A lot of my clients (asian) have two kitchens - one outside and one inside which is an excellent solution.

jellywrestler

21st December 2017, 17:57

what's your gas connection, fixed or bayonet, if it's bayonet it might be user swap over ring billy at ABL plumbing and tell him i sent you

F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 17:58

Thanks Spyda, good enough advice for me, I'll steer clear.

(Edit) haha, I meant for the last post, it reads bad if I don't explain.

F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 18:02

Its a Smeg and fitted perminent for what I can see (nothing). No bottles. Pre shut off solenoid.

F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 18:13

We have a SMEG gas top from around 15 years ago. Also 600mm. It is fed by a gas bottle from under the bench which was acceptable when installed but is unacceptable now. So, if your current one has a bottle under bench, you will have to relocate the bottle outside or connect to reticulated gas. Just so you know. Talking to a plumber earlier this week and gasfitting is now its own pretty much separate thing.

I have no preference as to brand but one of the things you might consider is binning it and going induction. Yes its two grand. Make sure your pots will work with it, but having used one they seem very controllable and decent heat . . .
The extra grand is the grand I'm trying to corral for RD400 fund. Well kinda out of different cost centres but its still a grand more than a grand.

jellywrestler

21st December 2017, 18:17

you could fit an electrical soleniod and an isolating switch, wont be cheap though, what about a guard to stop her fiddling, or teach her to cook in the microwave...

Laava

21st December 2017, 18:42

dont buy parmco

I second this, Parmco are shit products badly backed up.
When I replaced mine, the gasfitter, who is an aquaintance made a point of saying, " why didnt you ask me what I think?" He would have strongly recommended not getting Parmco and spending a bit more...

F5 Dave

21st December 2017, 19:25

Well this is great, I was leaning to Parmco as NZ and their flashy $650 one looked like it would be good middle ground.
F&P are usually overpriced rubbish.

Akzle

21st December 2017, 20:17

.

I have no preference as to brand but one of the things you might consider is binning it and going induction. Yes its two grand. Make sure your pots will work with it, but having used one they seem very controllable and decent heat.
.

as someone who can actually cook, and having used several, i'm not keen on induction. temperature control is grainy.

like "3" takes a short month to cook an egg and "3.5" will burn it before it cooks.

gsxr

21st December 2017, 21:03

as someone who can actually cook, and having used several, i'm not keen on induction. temperature control is grainy.

like "3" takes a short month to cook an egg and "3.5" will burn it before it cooks.

Real blokes eat their eggs raw.

Laava

21st December 2017, 21:50

Well this is great, I was leaning to Parmco as NZ and their flashy $650 one looked like it would be good middle ground.
F&P are usually overpriced rubbish.

Just as well you asked then eh? We bought the top of the range Parmco and it was useless, the big element wouldnt work a wok and it kept sooting up the pans. Cheap chinese crap, and yes I know the "company" is nz owned...you probably wouldnt go wrong with F&P in my experience, we had no trouble with the ones we have installed. But ask your installer for their 2c

ellipsis

21st December 2017, 22:34

it was useless, the big element wouldnt work a wok

...wanna build a gas, wok burner that gets a big wok killer hot in 30 seconds and cook shit at the temperature and speed it needs...ask me sometime...:niceone:

JimO

22nd December 2017, 05:30

So what weight do I give this? - Because they fired you and you hate them and the daughter of the bossman rebuffed your affection?

Or a real reason.
Don't be shy.
put parmco wall oven and gas hob into a rental, tenant wasnt a feral looser and wasnt hard on the gear, both appliances needed repair, also wouldnt buy haier as a hiaer fridge needed replacing because of a terminal fault, the parmco fault was burnt out wiring in the back of the oven that could have resulted in burning the house down, the gas hob wouldnt turn off

HenryDorsetCase

22nd December 2017, 06:09

F5 Dave

22nd December 2017, 06:14

Thanks.

Geez you'd think the technology wouldn't be impressive to get right. That said this Smeg is the only gas hobs I've had.

So we've caned haier and Parmco. The rest kinda look the same, is there any recommended ones without going crazy?

Laava

22nd December 2017, 06:26

If it is for your home Dave, just spend the money on another Smeg so you won't have regrets...

F5 Dave

22nd December 2017, 08:29

If it is for your home Dave, just spend the money on another Smeg so you won't have regrets...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTMINrFtPlU

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTMINrFtPlU)

F5 Dave

22nd December 2017, 10:14

Akzle

22nd December 2017, 10:56

Real blokes eat their eggs raw.

neanderthals.

some of us have evolved to make use of fire, and opposable thumbs. you may catch up one day.

jim.cox

22nd December 2017, 11:19

Just looked at a Smeg online. Looks pretty much the same fittings as we have. Guess Gas burners don't get sexier, but thought 15-20 years would have made some improvement. $1200 retail but there is a place that knocks them out much cheaper.

As a Red Dwarf fan there is no way I could ever ever ever purchase a product from that particular manufacturer...

Laava

22nd December 2017, 11:38

As a Red Dwarf fan there is no way I could ever ever ever purchase a product from that particular manufacturer...
Lol!....................

F5 Dave

22nd December 2017, 11:49

Hence my YouTube link previous. House came with hob/oven setup.

Boys from the Dwarf.

BMWST?

22nd December 2017, 12:02

although an unlikely scenario if you go with a induction cooktop (everyone i have tried is awesome) make sure your electricals are compatible.Older houses may not be plug and play.

jellywrestler

22nd December 2017, 15:03

although an unlikely scenario if you go with a induction cooktop (everyone i have tried is awesome) make sure your electricals are compatible.Older houses may not be plug and play.

moreso as a sparky the last few i've installed took a three to four hours as i've had to cut away the bench and drop the oven and provide the required air venting as per manufacturers instruction, the seller said it was a three wire changeover so grumpy customers usually

BMWST?

22nd December 2017, 16:26

moreso as a sparky the last few i've installed took a three to four hours as i've had to cut away the bench and drop the oven and provide the required air venting as per manufacturers instruction, the seller said it was a three wire changeover so grumpy customers usually
do they pull more current than a typical stove top?I cant recall what we were warned about.Will be a new kitchen install

Akzle

22nd December 2017, 17:01

do they pull more current than a typical stove top?I cant recall what we were warned about.Will be a new kitchen install

considerably less, most old ranges will be on a 32A anyway, however many were hard wired (not plug) and split over 2 phases.
Most now are single phase and <15A.

YellowDog

22nd December 2017, 18:17

Hmmm.... Perhaps I don't take this stuff seriously enough :no:

Did oven, hob, & hood last year.

I just go down to the trade places that fit out new houses and apartments. I get the unbranded products they use.

The Samsung factory returns shop, by Rainbows end, is very good for branded stuff (so long as you want Samsung).

I had an RD400 in the early 80s. Good bike :yes:

Laava

22nd December 2017, 18:59

Good point, the Samsung stuff is prob quite good...

GazzaH

22nd December 2017, 19:11

How 'bout asking one of those chaps who fixes ovens & stoves for a living? They must know which models are worth buying or avoiding, the Skodas or the Maseratis (respectively).

pete376403

22nd December 2017, 19:15

an oven rather than a hob but the Rangemaster (twin elec ovens and 5 burner gas hob) we got is really nice and absolutely no problems in 8 years or so.

eldog

22nd December 2017, 19:19

considerably less, most old ranges will be on a 32A anyway, however many were hard wired (not plug) and split over 2 phases.
Most now are single phase and <15A.

:Offtopic:I have a Caprice for those old enough to remember 32 A

F5 Dave

22nd December 2017, 20:22

Well that was what I thought I was doing. I got Spydas opinion. At least what to avoid.

speedpro

22nd December 2017, 22:44

The only Smeg gas cooktop I liked was $5K. Didn't buy that. Induction cooktops I looked at all had "turbo" mode on the heater bits which effectively doubled the power for a short time. The wiring had to be good enough to allow for all elements to be in Turbo mode at the same time. That would have meant a rewire back to the board. Ended up with F&P 120cm glass cooktop and a 76cm F&P oven. Bit spendy but does everything we want, and fast.

From work it seems the gas installations should be checked every 2 years by a fitter and certified. It may even be a requirement of some insurance policies.

If you go to the shops and check out the appliances you will quickly see why some are more expensive. Also, some can be jetted for LPG and others say they cannot. You might want to check.

jellywrestler

23rd December 2017, 04:51

considerably less, most old ranges will be on a 32A anyway, however many were hard wired (not plug) and split over 2 phases.
Most now are single phase and <15A.

usually quite a bit more (comparing hobs alone)

Akzle

23rd December 2017, 05:34

usually quite a bit more (comparing hobs alone)

i'll bow to your expertise.. but the last few i've dealt with all had a 15A 3 pin plug on...

Honest Andy

23rd December 2017, 06:59

i'll bow to your expertise.. but the last few i've dealt with all had a 15A 3 pin plug on...

Wall oven maybe?
any 600mm+ electric hob will melt a 15a socket off the wall
If your electrician connects an electric hob to a 15a socket he's actually your drainlayer...

oldrider

23rd December 2017, 09:43

F5 Dave

23rd December 2017, 10:17

Fuck off. Seriously no one wants your opinion.

oldrider

23rd December 2017, 11:51

Fuck off. Seriously no one wants your opinion.

You didn't get opinion you got fact - no refund available - have a happy day. :bleh:

YellowDog

23rd December 2017, 12:41

Akzle

23rd December 2017, 13:18

Wall oven maybe?
any 600mm+ electric hob will melt a 15a socket off the wall
If your electrician connects an electric hob to a 15a socket he's actually your drainlayer...
watt?? (geddit :dry: )

quite right. quite. just looking they're (induction shit) 7000 watt...which is 32A.
just as well my hat's delicious.
and apparently induction ovens aren't a thing

oldrider

23rd December 2017, 13:28

Running gas bottles is Oh.. So... Cheap, when compared with electricity or mains gas. In fact, our mains gas standing charge, without using any gas at all, was more than out total gas bill is now - lol.

I guess you need to be a more serious user, to reap the benefit of mains gas :yes:

Be surprised just how many consumers have absolutely no idea what their electricity bill even means let alone able to interpret what they are paying for! :rolleyes:

F5 Dave

23rd December 2017, 15:42

Just fuck off you bigoted old twit.
Back on topic.

Passed by m10 and diverted away from the kids to see what they had. Robinhood was keenly priced. Do we know anything about their gas stuff?

I bought one of their waste disposals after an Insinkerator failed again. It was 1\2 the price and so far has lived as long as the proper one.

ellipsis

23rd December 2017, 17:37

...we have electricity at our place...fookin lookshary...last time I was inducted I had big hassles being uninducted...gotta watch that shit...

oldrider

23rd December 2017, 17:38

You don't know very much about anything do you - good that you seek help you will need a lot of it!

John Wayne said - life is hard and it's even harder if you are stupid. :rolleyes:

F5 Dave

23rd December 2017, 18:11

Go tell your lawn bowls team (who also hate you). Now I've asked you nicely to fuck off.
Stay Fucked off.

oldrider

23rd December 2017, 18:39

Go tell your lawn bowls team (who also hate you). Now I've asked you nicely to fuck off.
Stay Fucked off.

Priceless! - It's Christmas so I will just depart and leave you to your narrow little world. :bye:

husaberg

23rd December 2017, 19:10

twaddle
Don't just consider that Daves advice is only applicable to this thread. You should consider it relevent to the whole of KB.

R650R

24th December 2017, 08:35

If you have electricity connected you pay copper connection and carriage fees whether you use any power or not.

Every unit of electricity that you use then becomes more efficient from the point of view of carriage and connection cost.

When you instal and use other forms of energy (such as gas etc) the total process price increases - you have to take that in to account.

Better to instal further electrical appliances because the price of flexibility and independence might be more than you bargained for! :scratch:

I'm single occupier of 3 bedroom house with gas for hot water. Now winter is gone and im not running the heat pump or cooking roasts as often my power bill is around the $100 mark per month as opposed to 200ish.
My line charges are more than the power I use now. I have 2 x 9kg gas bottles and fill one up about every 2 and half to three weeks at an average cost of under $30 as local Caltex has great loyalty scheme with Rockgas.
Will be cheaper even once I go to twin big bottles but need to sort outdoor entertainment area construction first and minor issues related to people installing shit in 70's and 80's when there were less rules and checks....

Had gas cooktop in Uk when on OE and loved it so that's coming at some stage. Mean to investigate UPS options to as just about everything needs electric to run the pilot light/start up.....

With contact so also get about $20 month off my petrol on car too

oldrider

24th December 2017, 10:08

I'm single occupier of 3 bedroom house with gas for hot water. Now winter is gone and im not running the heat pump or cooking roasts as often my power bill is around the $100 mark per month as opposed to 200ish.
My line charges are more than the power I use now. I have 2 x 9kg gas bottles and fill one up about every 2 and half to three weeks at an average cost of under $30 as local Caltex has great loyalty scheme with Rockgas.
Will be cheaper even once I go to twin big bottles but need to sort outdoor entertainment area construction first and minor issues related to people installing shit in 70's and 80's when there were less rules and checks....

Had gas cooktop in Uk when on OE and loved it so that's coming at some stage. Mean to investigate UPS options to as just about everything needs electric to run the pilot light/start up.....

With contact so also get about $20 month off my petrol on car too

Your electrical connection "does work both ways" and you can dabble in generation to influence the cost but you have to weigh up the cost against all $ investment options.

NZ power companies are generally committed to one way traffic and resistance to grid connected alternative generation is still very high. :brick:

Gubb

24th December 2017, 13:01

oh. Just discovered them & seems to be NZ so was looking good.

Is this a general consensus?

For what it's worth, and purely anecdotally (as it seems to go against everything else mentioned in here!), I put in a Parmco Gas Hob, Oven, Microwave, Rangehood and Dishwasher when I did the Kitchen just over 4 years ago, all have been great. Haven't had any issues.

YMMV

R650R

26th December 2017, 08:36

Your electrical connection "does work both ways" and you can dabble in generation to influence the cost but you have to weigh up the cost against all $ investment options.

NZ power companies are generally committed to one way traffic and resistance to grid connected alternative generation is still very high. :brick:

Hopefully soon as prices keep dropping on panels and control gear it will get to the point where you will go off grid and just generate your own power.
I think selling back to the grid is a false economy, youll still be paying a line charge to be connected to their grid and don't think youll get enough return to cover wear and tear on your own infrastructure. That's an extra discharge cycle and recharge everytime you feed back into the grid.
It remains to be seen if this will be mandatory as life support for the electric cars once they go mainstream as there is not enough generation at moment to meet the forecast demand....