LP Gas Stove

[Chad Scaries]

Having issues! I hooked the gas up and traced the lines, no apparent leaks or crimping of the piping....... however when I light the stove its a flicker of a flame at best. Im open to ideas as to the issue..... could there be water in the lines? is the regulator bad? Where should I start my search? Any thoughts would be appreciated before I tear out the rest of the gas lines and put in all new.......

[Zack]

Hello Chad,

Without seeing your range in person, I would suggest that there is not enough air in your mixture and the "burn" of fuel is not complete. Look around your pilot light or burner valve as there should be an air inlet that can be adjusted with a set screw or even a recessed hex nut. You can tell the direction (plus or minus) you are going by the watching the pilot light as you make this adjustment.

Good luck!

 

Zack

[Drew Yard]

Do you have a manometer if so what kind of pressure do you have coming out of the burner? Does everything else in the unit light ok on propane? The first step is always to verify proper pressure with a manometer you should read aprox 11 1/2" w.c. at the stove top, build up of oil in your regulator and lines can cause low pressure. Does the stove top have a seperate regulator? It will be a little square deal between the incoming lp line and the burner rack. If everything else lights on propane start there.

[Bruce]

I had a similar issue with the stove in our Aladdin trailer.  Ended up with 2 things wrong.

1) the propane line was plugged.  Our trailer sat for years, so there was something in them.  Also there is some oils in propane that over time can accumulate in the lines and prevent adequate fuel flow.  What I did was blow the line out from the stove side toward the tank.  At first there was no air flow at all, then a popping sound as the line cleared.  The stove now works but the oven still doesn't like me.  When you do this just make sure that the tank and any other propane appliances are disconnected from the lines.

2) I also had a bad regulator, only way to find out is try another one.  You may be able to blow air through a good one, that I can't say.

when reconnecting lines, if they are a flare type connection (most are) do not use teflon tape; if there is a leak there is something wrong that needs a proper fix.

 

Bruce

[Chad Scaries]

Thanks for all the info guys, I'm really going to have to get a new regulator and run new lines to the stove to ensure all is well. I have a hunch the regulator is plugged up some, and I did find a kinked line I straightened but it really should be replaced.

 

[Jeffery P]

I am having a similar issue with my stove, and if anyone has any other suggestions I would appreciate any help. The stovetop works great, no issues at all. The oven, however, has a perfect pilot but when the oven is turned on I get the burner lighting for abot 3/4 of a second and then it goes out. It does this every 30 seconds to a minute, never staying lit for longer than a second. Any other ideas?

[david craft]

doing the unthinkable here...resurrecting a dead thread. lol. its a great thread though. lets get some terminology first...

thermostat- sets the temperature. its up next to the range knobs.
safety valve- its the valve that send gas to the main burner..its behind the burner
pilot burner- the small burner next to the main burner.
sensing bulb- small bulb from the safety valve that opens the valve when heated
bypass flame- the larger flame at the pilot burner that heats the sensing bulb

so, you light the pilot at the pilot burner. but it doesnt have full pressure..its been reduced by the thermostat. when you turn the thermostat up it sends full pressure to the pilot burner. this in turn heats the sensing bulb which is positioned so that it only heats when there is full pressure. after a few seconds the safety valve will send gas to the main burner and you get cookies!

[david craft]

Now that we got the basics of operation down, lets move on. Lets say the pilot light onthe oven lights but doesnt get any bigger once the thermostat is turned up...bad thermostat or adjustment screw closed. Ok..it lights and goes up with the thermostat but not enough to heat the sensing bulb..dirty pilot burner, bad thermostat, wrong screw adjustment, or wrong position of the sensing bulb. ( a skillet shoved under the main burner will do a number on the pilot assm...). Now, if the sensing bulb gets heated but the safety valve doesnt open...bad safety valve(if its getting gas and the orifice on the main burner isnt plugged). If you have an old oven, there can be adjustment screws on the thermostat for oven calibration, pilot flame and bypass flame. There can be an adjustment screw for the range top pilot as well. Ive even seen a shutoff for the safety valve. I gave the caveman camper test for a LP leak in the LP system thread. The caveman camper test for LP flow from a regulator is to light a burner. Now in a cameleon fashion, watch that burner as you light another burner, and then another. Did the first burner reduce in size as the other burners were lit? Good sign of a flow reduction. Could be low on LP, restricted line, tired regulator. Does the flame dance up and down..oscillate? Pull the main rubber line from the tank regulator to the manifold and check for oil. This does not check for leaks or overall pressure. If your oven is over 5 years old (2010 or earlier) good luck finding a thermostat or safety valve for it. These had mercury and there done making them. You could probably retrofit..the old turquois appliances are pretty and hard to toss in a real restoration. Dont disassemble thermostats or safety valves. Check for leaks with a soap solution with no ammonia.