How can you measure the BTU output on a Range? ?

Question

We have a Range and it says what the BTU rating is, but we want to know if you can actually prove that it is putting out what is it rated to do. How can a person measure the BTU output of a gas range?

Answer 1

you can first measure the number of calories of energy the stove top puts out by measuring how long it takes to raise the temperature of X mL of water X degrees (see definition below of calorie) then convert to BTU.  this will not be exact since there will be some heat loss and energy loss to the pot the water is in, but will give you a general idea.

Answer 2

I have to ask; Why?

I ask because I think you would be better served by asking about what problem you are experiencing or trying to change than trying to do complicated calculations that in essence won't help you much.

The BTU rating of the stove is made with generic assumptions on the gas. The numbers of BTUs in the gas can very significantly from one place to another depending on the source. For example where I live and work our gas comes out of Canada and is some of the highest BTU rated gas in the nation. This meant in high mountain areas or home on the pass we had to reduce the BTUs to get the mixture right  because the air is thinner than at sea level and with too much gas it burns yellow even with the air adjustments full open.

Many appliances will offer one or more different orifices you can use to change the amount of gas. This then changes the BTU for your pressure and your gas.  Gas in the midwest I think is lower BTUs.  

And for stove top burners on simmer there is an adjustment for each burner that can be set.  

You could have bad gas pressure or lines undersized, or your pressure regulator could be bad.

Also it is not uncommon for an o*****e to get a little sulfur buildup on it from the gas and cleaning it with a tiny wire or toothpick might fix it.

Even if you could accurately calculate the BTUs by calories you would need to contact your gas utility to find out the BTU rating of your gas and know the CFM rating of your o*****e to even figure what it should be working normally.

And last, if it is new, most new appliances are forced to save energy so it is possible it might take longer to heat up.

In most cases baking complaints are a matter of how we use them. To be honest we are not very good cooks these days in our "instant" world.

You need to preheat an over at least a half hour before baking. It takes that long to warm up the whole oven. Even though electronic controls are more accurate they can't get around the physics of the time it for the oven body, racks, and the whole oven needs to reach a stable baking temperature.  Most of an hour preheating is better for critical items like breads, cookies, cakes, muffins, and such.

Just pushing preheat or only waiting until the light goes out the first time it reaches temp doesn't cut it. It takes about three cycles to reach a even temperature to where the burner is not coming on all the time.

If you only wait until the light first goes out and then open the door to put something in, then you just let all the heat out and still have a cool oven.  

Preheat too little and you tend to burn the bottom from the heat coming on.

Color of the pans makes a big difference too. Take a dark pan (dark absorbs heat) and cover half all the way around with tinfoil and one side bakes entirely different from the other, with the same pan, same heat, same item, and same temperature.

At for baking at 350 if you open the door to check it and let the heat out dropping the temp below 325, baking essentially stops until the element comes on and warms it back up. That adds time and again tends to cook the bottom more.

So maybe you should ask about the issue you are trying to address.

Good Luck