BASO Gas

About BASO Gas Products LLC

With roots stretching back to 1914, BASO Gas Products LLC stands as one of the most enduring names in gas control manufacturing. Originally known as Milwaukee Gas Specialty Company, the business began by producing gas range accessories before expanding into products for water heaters and furnaces. A pivotal moment came in 1934, when the company received an exclusive license to manufacture the Baltimore-Automatic Shut-Off (BASO) switch — a device so synonymous with the brand that the company officially adopted the BASO name in 1957. After decades under Johnson Controls ownership, the Watertown, Wisconsin facility was reestablished as BASO Gas Products LLC in 2004, preserving its workforce, institutional knowledge, and unwavering commitment to quality.

What Makes BASO a Trusted Name in Gas Controls

Today, BASO Gas Products LLC is a privately held gas controls manufacturer located in Watertown, Wisconsin, producing gas valves, pilot burners, thermocouples, igniters, ignition controls, spark ignitors, spark blocks, furnace boards, and accessories for OEMs and distributors across commercial cooking, HVAC, agricultural heating, commercial burners, boilers, dryers, and generators. What sets BASO apart is an uncompromising quality standard — all BASO products are RoHS compliant and meet or exceed all ANSI, CSA, and UL requirements, and the manufacturing facility is ISO 9001-2015 certified, utilizing lean manufacturing techniques.

All products come with a warranty and are 100% tested for quality. This culture of reliability has made BASO a go-to source for technicians and engineers who need gas control components that perform correctly the first time, every time.

BASO Gas Products by Application

BASO's catalog spans the critical safety and control systems found throughout residential and commercial heating equipment. Their Water Heater Gas Valves & Controls are among their most relied-upon products, managing the precise regulation of gas flow to ensure safe, efficient water heating operation. For hydronic and steam systems, BASO's Boiler Relief & Safety Valves and Boiler Safety Controls & Aquastats provide essential overpressure and temperature protection that keeps systems operating within safe parameters.

In forced-air heating systems, BASO gas ignition controls are well known throughout the industry for their high quality and reliability, covering intermittent, spark transformer, and direct spark ignition modules — represented here in the Ignition Control Module category. Rounding out the lineup, BASO's Furnace Limit & Safety Switches protect heating equipment from dangerous over-temperature conditions, acting as a critical last line of defense in furnace safety systems.

A Legacy Built on Engineering Integrity

The vision behind BASO's independence was rooted in the strong belief that success lies with a dedicated team of people focused on the customer and product quality, operating in an environment using world-class manufacturing methods and practices. That philosophy remains intact today — the same team, the same processes, and the same exacting standards that have defined BASO for over a century continue to make it the preferred choice for professionals who work with gas-fired equipment.