Oven burner will not stay on.

[vansmudge]

The symptoms are that the flame seems to rise from the top of the burner in an arc shape and then either extinguishes or return to appear to be burning normally only for the whole process to repeat until the flame goes out.
I have changed the regulator - which made no difference.
It is quite pretty to watch, but frustrating when we need the oven!!!
Any ideas welcome.
Thanks

 

[Dustydog]

I am not a gas qualified dog but did have the same sounding problem a few years ago.

Our Dealer said the Stoves people had mounted the thermocouple type thing too far away from the burner and hence it kept going out. They set the offending bit nearer the burner and all has been well ever since.
BUT they are gas experts and spent time and money qualifying to discover such faults. If you are not gas qualified may I very politely suggest talking to a caravan gas qualified engineer purely from a safety point of view.
What make and model caravan do you have?

 

[otherclive]

Ours did that too in our present van. We just kept the oven on for a pre warm period of 10 minutes by which time the thermocouple had warmed up, but at a service the dealer sorted it out .

 

[Damian]

What you describe is "flame lift off" and is caused by the flame using the oxygen nearest it first , then seeking more oxygen from above.

The reason it happens is that on initial start of the oven the convection effect has not started, so no air movement through the oven.
This is assuming that you have the oven door shut.

The remedy is to have the oven door open for a while on start until the heat causes natural convection and automatically draws fresh air into the bottom of the oven.

I think you will find in the "User Manual" for the cooker advice to leavethe oven door open to start, which of course you have read .............havent you?????????

 

[vansmudge]

Many thanks for the quick replies.
I tried to contact several gas service people, but it was of course Saturday afternoon!
A neighbour sugested changing the thermocouple, but the whole cooker needs to come out to do that.
Our caravan is Fleetwood Heritage 560/4 and have had it from new (two weeks before they went belly up!)

 

[vansmudge]

Thanks Damian,
You have such a way with words about reading the 'user manual.'
I hold my hand up and say 'No'
The reason is that her indoors is manager of the cooker department and I haven't had the opportunity to read it myself!
Seriously, thank you for your contribution.
I will let you know how I get on.
Thanks and regards.

 

[Damian]

Quote " A neighbour sugested changing the thermocouple, but the whole cooker needs to come out to do that."

I love neighbours, or any other "helpful" people who give information like that, just kick him in the nuts! (no dont!!)
It seems that any gas related problem we get loads of advice about changing thermocouples, when in actual fact they very rarely go wrong, and when they do the flame will simply not stay on for any length of time.
You are right about the cooker needing to come out to change one anyway,and believe me they are not that simple as the cooker virtually has to be dismantled, so dont even go there.

As for user manuals, you would be surpised just how many people do not read them for each appliance and they are pristine, still in the nice folder handed over when the van was bought.
In fact it is a minority of folk who do read them,but there is a lot of information in them which is not in the generic van user manual.

 

[Martin_E]

Well fancy that......owners not reading the manuals lol

 

[ProfJohnL]

Ther can be a number of reasons for the syptom you have described, but the solution to all of them is to have the oven and therest of the gas sytem properly checked over.

For your safety of everyone who uses the caravan arrange to have an LPG qualified Gassafe engineer do the work. Working with gas systems is not a job for DIYers It is illegal for non Gassafe registered people to install, service, repair or remove any domestic or commercial gas systems.

 

[otherclive]

My oft used comment to my 40 something kids is "RTFM'

 

[ProfJohnL]

Really Clive Bragging again?

Fancy all 40 children understanding French