On 7/31/2012 11:47 AM, Gareth Magennis wrote:
Hmmm, slightly off topic but here we go.


I have just had delivered, and installed, a new Gas Cooker. I am in the UK.

It seems to me that the cooker is woefully inadequate.
A standard ring with a standard pan that fits the ring, will not make a
pan of chips (french fries).

Similarly, the oven, which has a control up to Gas Mark 8, will not heat
the oven higher than Gas Mark 5, and 45 minutes at Max failed to brown
properly a Poussin for dinner tonight, and the garlic bread was
similarly uncooked, so my breath is going to stink tomorrow.


But the question is, how might you measure the power output of such a
cooker to determine whether there is or isn't a problem with it?
All I know is that according to the Gas Safety Certificate given to me
by the installers, it is rated at 9KWHr.
(It has an oven and grill (mutually exclusive use), 2 standard rings,
one small one and one large one. I haven't a clue what this 9KWHr figure
actually means in practice)


Now, I know there are methods of checking microwave power by boiling a
known quantity of water and timing it, so is there perhaps a similar
method for a gas cooker?
(Obviously more difficult than the Microwave because the efficiency of
heating is going to be vastly different and very subjective).



Cheers,


Gareth.

Google sez
So 1 kWh is the energy equivalent of 3412.3 BTUs.

What's the resolution of your gas meter? IF you can determine the cubic
feet
per unit time, your gas company can tell you how many BTUs that is.
Assuming your air is mixed right and the flame is blue, the efficiency
should be near 100% of what the gas company sez.

Boiling the water gives you the EFFECTIVE usable energy transfer
in the proper context. That's what really matters when cooking food.
1 BTU raises the temperature of a pound of water one degree F.

Bottom line is that you didn't get what you thought you bought.
I'd contact the installer.