The bottom line is this: both gas and electric stoves can create harmful indoor air pollutants.
It is this super-heating that causes a metallic odor as the residue turns to ash. This is also partially due to other elements installed above and below the surface of the interior ``box'' that are not normally activated during the cooking/baking cycle (mostly in electric ovens).
Appliances that run on electricity do not produce carbon monoxide.
You are probably smelling the element cooking off any oils from processing and handling. If it's a full electric oven there shouldn't be any gas smell unless there is a gas valve behind the oven and it was some how opened and not shut all the way when it was being serviced.
Any food or grease left inside your oven, will continue burning each time you switch it on. This can produce a bad smoke situation inside your oven. The smoke released can even contain harmful gases such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide which can be very toxic and put you in danger.
The bottom line is this: both gas and electric stoves can create harmful indoor air pollutants.
If the carbon monoxide concentration in the air is much higher, signs of poisoning may occur within 1-2 hours. A very high carbon monoxide concentration can even kill an exposed individual within 5 minutes.
An oven's igniter produces the energy that ignites the gas, preparing the oven to heat to your selected temperature. While it's normal to catch a whiff of gas when you first switch your oven on, you shouldn't smell it the whole time it runs.
Electrical issues like wires shorting out or overheating can often smell like something's burning. However, you may also notice a strong chemical smell. If this is the case, it could be an issue with the oven's insulation or wiring.
House Fire
While electric ranges do not risk carbon monoxide poisoning, they come with their own dangers — house fires. When used for prolonged periods, electric ovens can overheat and malfunction.
Electric Ovens
If you've got an electric oven, it's usually not as big a deal. Electric ovens are basically just big resistors, so running them for a long time usually has no risk of functional damage. But there's still a risk if something that can catch fire is left inside or nearby.
The odor should be brief, lasting no more than a few minutes. However, if your oven isn't new and smells like gas during use, you should turn it off immediately and consult a repair service. An odor of gas could indicate an internal leak in the oven that must be repaired before using it again.
While there are many causes, electrical fires can smell like “burning plastic” or “burning rubber” as the plastic insulation surrounding copper wires inside the walls starts to heat and melt, releasing strong unpleasant chemical odors. If the electrical fire progresses, you may begin to smell wood burning as well.
Mix baking soda with water until you get a thick paste. “Spread it all over the oven like you're giving it a facial. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight, and it'll absorb those leftover smells like a champ,” Webber explains.
Chemical Smell
This issue is most common with the new ovens. The insulation around the oven cavity is getting exposed to extreme heat for the first time, that is why there is a chemical smell. To fix this problem, you have to “burn in” your oven.
From The Stove Yard's experience the most common cause of smoke and fume emission is a blockage in the flueway (that's the area in the roof of the stove above the baffle plate) or chimney / flue system due to a lack of basic routine maintenance.
This happens when gas ranges ignite at the burner, but preheating your electric range may also trigger odors. Since electric ranges don't use gas, these fumes may be the result of food residue heating up inside the oven cavity.
Since CO has no odor, color or taste, it cannot be detected by our senses. This means that dangerous concentrations of the gas can build up indoors and humans have no way to detect the problem until they become ill.
Your electric oven doesn't run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, so you might be tempted to gather the family around and re-create the scene from “Little House on the Prairie,” where the Ingalls family huddled around the stove to stay warm. Trust us; there are better alternatives for heating your room.
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you.
What happens if you inhale gas from a gas stove? You could get sick and, ultimately, die. Carbon monoxide from the gas is very dangerous and can cause: Frequent nosebleeds.