Home Repair forum - Problem with gas oven burners

Author

Problem with gas oven burners

naturesjuice@yahoo.com

2006-08-29, 9:25 pm

We just hooked up a used gas oven that someone gave us. The two back
burners light right up, but the two front burners take way too long to
come on. We took off the top of the range and adjusted the pilot
light to a higher setting and this definitely seemed to help. However,
when we put the top back on the range, the two front burners still
wouldn't light up in an appropriate amount of time. It was weird. Any
ideas or suggestions? This is an old model Sears Kenmore (we can't
read the model number or serial number on it clearly), so don't know
the exact year. We'd like to get it going but are stumped as to why
the front burners seem to light up okay when the top is off but not
when it is on. Why would that make a difference? Several of our
handyman friends have looked at it and they are mystified. We won't be
able to use it if the front burners take too long to light up because
of the gas odor and the general inconvenience of waiting for the
burners to light. Thanks for any help or ideas about this!

Art

2006-08-30, 3:25 am

I would find a new oven with electronic ignition. Pilot lights waste a lot
of money.

<naturesjuice@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1156903813.843177.138420@74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com...
> We just hooked up a used gas oven that someone gave us. The two back
> burners light right up, but the two front burners take way too long to
> come on. We took off the top of the range and adjusted the pilot
> light to a higher setting and this definitely seemed to help. However,
> when we put the top back on the range, the two front burners still
> wouldn't light up in an appropriate amount of time. It was weird. Any
> ideas or suggestions? This is an old model Sears Kenmore (we can't
> read the model number or serial number on it clearly), so don't know
> the exact year. We'd like to get it going but are stumped as to why
> the front burners seem to light up okay when the top is off but not
> when it is on. Why would that make a difference? Several of our
> handyman friends have looked at it and they are mystified. We won't be
> able to use it if the front burners take too long to light up because
> of the gas odor and the general inconvenience of waiting for the
> burners to light. Thanks for any help or ideas about this!
>

Doug

2006-08-30, 3:25 am

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 03:08:33 GMT, "Art"
<begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote:

>I would find a new oven with electronic ignition. Pilot lights waste a lot
>of money.

I estimate that the 4 pilots in my old gas range use about $20/year.
Would you consider that a lot of money?

Doug

Doug

2006-08-30, 3:25 am

On 29 Aug 2006 19:10:13 -0700, naturesjuice@yahoo.com wrote:

>We just hooked up a used gas oven that someone gave us. The two back
>burners light right up, but the two front burners take way too long to
>come on. We took off the top of the range and adjusted the pilot
>light to a higher setting and this definitely seemed to help. However,
> when we put the top back on the range, the two front burners still
>wouldn't light up in an appropriate amount of time. It was weird. Any
>ideas or suggestions? This is an old model Sears Kenmore (we can't
>read the model number or serial number on it clearly), so don't know
>the exact year. We'd like to get it going but are stumped as to why
>the front burners seem to light up okay when the top is off but not
>when it is on. Why would that make a difference? Several of our
>handyman friends have looked at it and they are mystified. We won't be
>able to use it if the front burners take too long to light up because
>of the gas odor and the general inconvenience of waiting for the
>burners to light. Thanks for any help or ideas about this!

Check the side areas of each burner for small pinholes. These holes
bring the gas flow and flame from the pilot into the burner.
VERY often these holes clog with use from grease, etc. Open them up
with a small strand of wire or a similar probe and I suspect that you
will have solved the problem.

If in doubt, examine carefuly the burners that work versus the ones
that don't. You will see the open pin holes on the sides of the
working burners.

There should also be a pilot tube in the proper position from the
pilot flame to each burner. Makes sure that the tubes aren't clogged
at the non-working burners.

The top off versus top on issue may simply be due to the way the gas
flows over and around the burners due to the clogged pin holes.

Doug

Rich Greenberg

2006-08-30, 8:25 pm

In article <1156903813.843177.138420@74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com>,
<naturesjuice@yahoo.com> wrote:
>We just hooked up a used gas oven that someone gave us. The two back
>burners light right up, but the two front burners take way too long to
>come on. We took off the top of the range and adjusted the pilot
>light to a higher setting and this definitely seemed to help. However,
> when we put the top back on the range, the two front burners still
>wouldn't light up in an appropriate amount of time. It was weird. Any
>ideas or suggestions? This is an old model Sears Kenmore (we can't
>read the model number or serial number on it clearly), so don't know
>the exact year. We'd like to get it going but are stumped as to why
>the front burners seem to light up okay when the top is off but not
>when it is on. Why would that make a difference? Several of our
>handyman friends have looked at it and they are mystified. We won't be
>able to use it if the front burners take too long to light up because
>of the gas odor and the general inconvenience of waiting for the
>burners to light. Thanks for any help or ideas about this!

Look at the tubes between the pilots and the burners. They may be full
of spider or insect nests, or they may be mispositioned.

--
Rich Greenberg N Ft Myers, FL, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 239 543 1353
Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, Zero & Casey, Siberians Owner:Chinook-L
Retired at the beach Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

naturesjuice@yahoo.com

2006-08-31, 5:25 pm

thanks Doug, your advice was 100% accurate. We cleaned out the small
pinholes and got the burner to come on right away. We had previously
blown out a clog with an air hose but apparently it blew some debris
into the line farther down and reclogged it . That's why we didn't
think that the small holes were clogged again but apparently that was
the case. the other suggestions were also very helpful . thanks
again!

Doug wrote:
> On 29 Aug 2006 19:10:13 -0700, naturesjuice@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
>
> Check the side areas of each burner for small pinholes. These holes
> bring the gas flow and flame from the pilot into the burner.
> VERY often these holes clog with use from grease, etc. Open them up
> with a small strand of wire or a similar probe and I suspect that you
> will have solved the problem.
>
> If in doubt, examine carefuly the burners that work versus the ones
> that don't. You will see the open pin holes on the sides of the
> working burners.
>
> There should also be a pilot tube in the proper position from the
> pilot flame to each burner. Makes sure that the tubes aren't clogged
> at the non-working burners.
>
> The top off versus top on issue may simply be due to the way the gas
> flows over and around the burners due to the clogged pin holes.
>
> Doug

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