Gas Oven Pilot Light

[sprehoda]

We are unable to light our gas oven pilot light.

We had it lit once but no more.

I have tried turning the knob to "Pilot", pushing the knob in on "Pilot" and holding it, and turning it to 300 all while waving a lighter around the gas outlet.

Any suggestions on what we might be doing wrong.

Steve Prehoda

[terry and jo]

Presuming that you are getting gas to the top burners, thus you don't have a problem with supply, at least not to the stove overall.

As for lighting, turn the knob to "Pilot" and push the knob in and hold your lighter at the pilot orifice while continuing to hold the knob in. Do not turn it to any temperature. If you've not got a pilot burning, a temp setting will do nothing.

Wait until you get a flame at the pilot and continue to hold the knob in for a while. There is what is called a thermocouple there that the flame from the pilot envelopes while burning. The thermocouple must heat up to a certain temperature in order to keep the gas flow to the pilot going. If it isn't heated up enough, the pilot will go back out when the knob is released.

Once the pilot has heated the thermocouple for a while, let the knob back out. If the pilot stays lit, then you can turn the oven control to a temperature of your choice.

A thermocouple is actually a safety device that will cause the gas flow to the oven to stop, should the pilot light go out for any reason. So, it it is an older stove, that thermocouple may need to be replaced. If it isn't old, the above steps should help.

Over on the RV Dreams website, Howard posted a daily journal entry where he was making different repairs to their Cambridge fifth wheel. In it, he includes images of the pilot light and thermocouple. You might check this link out.

http://www.rv-dreams-journal.com/2012/03/storms-repairs-game-night-springfield-la.html

Terry

[Motorcycle Jack]

You do know the cook top needs to be up, don't you? Then follow the above instructions.

[sprehoda]

That did the trick.

Many thanks,

steve

[terry and jo]

John,

Thanks for that reminder. I had the focus of my thinking too narrow. Other than the comment that I made about presuming that gas was getting to the stove. I should have been more specific that the cook top cover did need to be up.

What really makes that funny is that when we converted from the RV fridge to the residential fridge, I removed a ground wire assembly from the copper line to a ground. I didn't know that that ground wire to the copper gas line was actually a ground for the switch that is activated by raising the cook top.

Sure made me feel foolish at the time.

Steve,

Glad you got it working. It sure helps to be able to get those baked goods.

Terry