Needing stove troublehooting help

Steve Dion · May 17, 2010

We don't know what stove you have, but check out Sure Marine. They have some trouble shooting tips there.

http://www.suremarine.com/

I had a similar problem with a stove and they had a fix for it.

Ross · May 17, 2010

Usually with safety burners you have to turn the knob to "on" and then push in on the knob and hold while you light the burner and until the thermocouple is hot and latches the solenoid in the valve. Also you have to allow time for the supply lines to purge themselves of air before you will get gas at the burner.

Ralph Johnstone · May 17, 2010

Short of replacing the entire stove, you may be looking at a failed solenoid valve at the propane tank. Hunter seemed to use some real junk for their solenoid valves back in the late 90's and mine failed closed after only six years. I replaced it with an ASCO industrial grade solenoid valve and don't expect any problems for at least the next 100 years.

Lee Coller · May 17, 2010

Ralph Johnstone said:
Short of replacing the entire stove, you may be looking at a failed solenoid valve at the propane tank. Hunter seemed to use some real junk for their solenoid valves back in the late 90's and mine failed closed after only six years. I replaced it with an ASCO industrial grade solenoid valve and don't expect any problems for at least the next 100 years.

I had to replace my solenoid valve on my 04 Hunter last year as well.

Stu Jackson · May 17, 2010

KISS

If I understand, you want to light the oven, right?

Light the right side top burner FIRST and let it run for a few minutes. Turn it off and then light the oven. A little "blast from the past" trick.

If that doesn't work, work your way up the food chain to find out what's wrong but checking the burner for gas inside the oven, and then do what others suggest.

larryw · May 17, 2010

Check the tank solenoid- turn it on, wait a few minutes, then put a hand on it, you should feel it getting warm, so it is getting power. If still no fire, tap the valve with a screwdiver handle, it may be just stuck from nonuse.

Don12364 · May 17, 2010

Am assuming you are unfamiliar with gas stoves on boats. If I am wrong I apologise.

All the previous advice is good about waiting up to 30 seconds with the burner knob on (to the first position - this normally corresponds to the high burner setting) and pushed in and also operating the ignition every few seconds.

Also make sure you see a decent spark when you press the igniter button. Yours may have even a battery operated igniter so if no spark then look see if there is a battery which may be spent. If still no spark use a match or a gas lighter.
If still no success go find someone who does cook by gas on board and ask them to see if they can light it. On board gas is far better protected than that used domestically so you may just be being fooled by the safety systems.

If none of the burners will light then it is unlikely to be the stove.

My stove also has a stop cock directly below the oven as an additional means of turning it off.

Now, if you still don't have any luck then your nose and ears are the next best diagnosis tools. Uncouple the tube immediately after the solenoid - i.e. towards the cooker - and have someone momentarily turn the solenoid on for a count of three. Here the gas is at regulated pressure so the amount of gas released in three or four seconds will not cause a problem. You should smell the gas and very likely hear the hiss.
In very small quantities propane is not dangerous - after all it is very similar to what farts are made of!

If all is well remake the connection and then do the same at the flexible tube joint under the cooker.
By now you should know where the problem lies.

When you have it sorted make sure you check the joints you disturbed by painting a little washing up liquid in water over the joint and watching for bubbles.
BTW: By shaking the gas bottle you can feel the liquid inside sloshing about so you can easily verify the bottle is not empty.
Sorry again if you already knew all of this.

Snotter · May 17, 2010

If you are handy enough without blowing yourself up, take your tank off and connect it directly to your stove to see if it will work then. If it does then you know if the lines are plugged, a high-pressure solenoid is incorrectly located on the low-pressure side, if the solenoid is clogged, etc., etc. If you feel uncomfortable testing it this way then disconnect it and put a compressor on the back end to see if air is getting through.

Paul Mermelstein · May 17, 2010

If you press in the knob on the stove top and turn it, and you do NOT hear any gas coming out, it is most likely the solenoid. Most of these are placed right near the gas tank. They often stick or burnout. To test, use a volt meter at the solenoid to see if you have 12 volts. If so, replace the solenoid. If no voltage, it is an electrical issue that you will need to backtrack.

thomas.dargan · May 17, 2010

stove problem

1. Figure out manufacturer from greasy little hidden plate
2. Download diagram.
3. Study diagrams until you realize your dumb mistake.

Worked for me.

bensdad said:
I just bought a 2000 Hunter 320 which I love.

It has a propane stove/oven that we would like to use but, for some reason, it doesn't light.

The gas tank is full, valves opened, the LP light switch on the counter next to the stove is on, and the "stove" light on the DC power panel is on. I've taken a thin wire and poked down into the burner outlets as far as I can to free any clogs. Also, I don't hear or smell any gas flow.

In other words, I think I've checked everything a non-tekkie expert can do.

Fortunately, my marina service manager was honest enough to say "we're not experts in this and I don't want to charge you for several hours of exploring without confidence we can make it work." Naturally, he is able to take it all out and install a new one as Plan B.

Before resorting to Plan B, does anyone have any other suggestions what may be preventing it from working?

Dick Grimes
Lake Guntersville, AL

Benny · May 17, 2010

Possibilities:

1) Thermocouple switches. Your stove is equipped with safety switches that will shufoff gas flow in case the flame is accidentally blown out. The way they work is by sensing heat and when the burner is cold it stops gas flow. To be able to light the stove you need to temporarily bypass this safety feature and you do that by pressing in the switch. Open the valve and press the switch in and keep it pressed until it lights. After a few seconds after it lights you can release the switch and the stove should stay lit.

2) Remote solenoid switch. This solenoid is electrically controled at the switch in the counter. Its purpose is to remotelly being able to shutoff gas flow without having to go back to close the tank valve. The switch should be located at arms length from the stove and hence its location near the counter. The solenoid can go bad and it defaults to closed, shutting off gas. It is located in the tank locker and attached to the regulator. A bad solenoid can usually be detected by being to hot to the touch when the cabin switch is on. They get warm and sometimes it may not be that evident that it has failed. As a test I have bypassed the solenoid to insure if it is working or no.

These two are the more likely culprits.

druid · May 17, 2010

You know, my first reaction is: DON'T!

Don't mess with propane if you don't know what you're doing. Get a qualified gasfitter to look at it and get it right.

I'll mess with a lot of things, but propane I leave to the Experts.
druid

Ross · May 17, 2010

If you understand the hazards and risk and if you are reasonably intelligent you can safely work on anything on a boat. If you would not attempt to change the tire on a car with the engine running or if you would not try to repair a water faucet with the supply valve open then you can troubleshoot a propane system without killing yourself.
I suppose there are some who will try to change an electrical outlet while it is energized but turning off the supply breaker is much better.