Anti Tip Brackets  

Anti tip devices are an important safety item for all homes with free standing or slide in ovens/ranges. Anti tip brackets are metal devices designed to prevent oven/ranges from tipping over. Anti Tip Devices/Brackets are also referred to as a Tilt Guard or a Range Stability Device. The bracket is usually attached to a rear leg of the range and anchored into the floor or the wall behind it. Brackets mounted to the floor allow the leg of the range to slide back into place, preventing it from falling forward. Some wall mounted brackets are installed into an opening in the back of the oven in lieu of on the bottom of the leg. The brackets are included with all appliance installation packages. A range that does not have an anti tip bracket installed may tip over if enough weight or pressure is applied to the open oven door, such as that from a large Thanksgiving day turkey, or even a small child using the door as a step. A falling range can crush, scald, or burn someone close by. Newer ranges are light enough that it doesn’t take much weight to cause them to tip over, but they’re heavy enough to injure or kill small children trapped beneath. Anti-tip brackets can prevent this from happening and they are required by current standards but they aren’t installed in a huge portion of ranges.
This is just one more reason to get a home inspection when buying a home. Your San Antonio home inspector can confirm the presence and proper functioning of anti-tip devices by grasping and pulling forward on the back raised part of the range. If the anti tip bracket is properly installed it will not tip forward more than a minimal amount. More than a few inches is a concern.

It's easier for the home inspector to verify the anti tip device functionality by this method than by a visual confirmation of installation. In some cases it may be possible to do a visual verification of the bracket, but that doesn't guarantee proper installation.
If no anti tip bracket is detected, a home inspector should recommend that one be installed.
A homebuyer or homeowner can contact the retailer/ dealer of the product or on a new home the builder who installed the range and request that they install the manufacturers required anti tip bracket. If a home buyer/owner decides to install a anti tip device themselves, the bracket can be purchased at your local San Antonio area Home Depot, most home improvement stores, hardware stores and appliance stores. It can also be ordered from the manufacturer of the product. Some manufacturers have been known to send their customers an anti tip bracket for free, otherwise the bracket is inexpensive, usually between $4 - $20 depending on type and brand.
          View the installation instructions       
 
According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) there were 143 incidents caused by range tip-overs since 1980. Of the 33 incidents that resulted in death, most of those victims were children. A small child might use an open range door as a step in order to get to the counter top, upper cabinets or to see what is cooking on the stove. This could cause the large oven unit to tip over on top of the child, along with whatever hot items that are cooking on the stove. Adults too, especially the elderly, may be injured while leaning on the oven door while cleaning the inside of the oven. 
Since the early 90's standards have been created that require all ranges being manufactured to be able to support 250 pounds of weight on an open oven door. Manufacturers' instructions also require that the anti tip brackets provided need to be installed. Despite these warnings, it is estimated that only about 5% of the ranges sold by retailer Sears in the late 90's were ever equipped with anti tip brackets. Their was a class action law suit as a result of Sears’ failure to comply with safety regulations and subsequently required to secure ranges in nearly 4 million homes, a measure that has been speculated to have cost Sears as much as 546 million dollars.  Here's our recent inspection photo of a preowned home in the San Antonio area with a new range. The anti tip device w/ instructions as seen is sitting on the countertop after being found in the drawer by the range. 
Ranges are susceptible to tipping if they are not properly equipped with anti tip brackets. Your San Antonio Home Inspector should know how to confirm that these safety devices are present and properly installed or you can check it yourself and if it is not it is highly recommended to have one properly installed for the safety of your family.

by Joe Keresztury, San Antonio Home Inspector
 photos/images/info by JWK Inspections, Internachi, GE

Joe Keresztury of JWK Inspections is available for Home Inspections Monday thru Saturday for San Antonio, Schertz, Garden Ridge, New Braunfels, Boerne and all South Texas surrounding areas. Commercial Inspections, Consulting and Construction Management services  available. Build your own Home services also available.