In my travels around Orillia, Gravenhurst, Midland, and throughout Muskoka on inspections I often find common issues one of which is a lack of anti tip brackets. After I complete a home, cottage or commercial inspection, and send out my report clients will sometimes call to discuss the report. A client will comment about anti tip brackets not being installed being in the report and say: well the real estate person / builder says that’s a minor detail. Here is what I tell them about that minor detail.
Ok, I admit it is considered by most builders and renovators to be a little and minor detail and often overlooked. That is true enough, but, that minor detail could mean the difference between a child spending the night in their bed or them spending the night in a hospital bed. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, ( Canadian statistics are not available), up until to 2006 hundreds of incidents involving serious injuries from freestanding stoves tipping over were reported. Since the early 90’s in the US and Canada all ranges manufactured are to be capable of remaining stable while supporting 250 pounds of weight on their open doors. Manufacturers' instructions too are required to inform consumers that the anti-tip brackets provided be installed. Yet in my home, cottage, and even in commercial inspections I keep finding freestanding ranges without them!
33 incidents resulted in death, most of which were children
You would think that the possibility of injury alone would be sufficient cause to install the brackets, yet, of those hundreds of serious injuries reported 33 incidents resulted in death, most of which were children. A small child can easily open a range door to climb up and stand on the open door in order to see what is cooking on the stovetop. Without anti tip brackets the extra weight on the door can cause the entire unit to fall on top of them, including any hot items that might be cooking on the stovetop. Adults too can easily fall victim especially elderly should they be cleaning the oven and rest too much weight on the open oven door.
Usually free and they are easy to install.
Anti-tip brackets are metal brackets designed to prevent freestanding ranges from tipping. Manufacturers now supply them with each new unit and most will supply them for older units free of charge if you call them. They are usually attached to a rear leg support of the range or screwed into the wall behind the range. Normally it less than a half hour job in total to complete the install. A unit that does not have the anti tip brackets installed may tip over if enough weight is applied to its open door, like a large Thanksgiving turkey, or a small child. A tipping range can crush, scald, and burn anyone caught beneath.
Surprisingly, built in dishwashers suffer from having the anti tip brackets not secured properly. A dishwasher can tip dumping burning hot items or scalding water just from pulling out a loaded top rack. Many of the older style countertops had a lip that the brackets caught on and this prevented the unit from tipping even if the bracket was not secured. Some installers seem not to be aware that modern ledge style countertops, solid stone and similar tops also do not have the lip edge on them. Most stone type countertops have nothing to screw the bracket to and in that case, a bracket can be devised to hold from the side.
During my standard home, cottage, or commercial inspections if no anti-tip bracket is detected, I will recommend that one be installed. Clients can have the owner/builder contact the dealer or builder who installed their range and request that they install a bracket. Dishwashers come with the brackets installed on the unit and just need to be secured to the enclosure top. For clients who wish to install a range bracket themselves, the part can be purchased at most hardware stores or ordered from a manufacturer.
A missing or unsecured anti tip bracket may be a “minor “detail to some, but, for safety sake they are details my clients will find out about