We have a propane Princess stove/oven. The pilot light lights in the oven but the burner doesn't. Any ideas as to what could be wrong?
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pilot but no burner
You have a bad thermocouple. The thermocouple is a sensor for the gas valve that senses that you have a pilot before opening to provide gas to the burner.Shut off the propane,locate the thermocouple in the pilot flame (it's the capillary/ bulb assembly)and take it to a heating/appliance wholesaler and get one to match. Don't mess with propane if you are not comfortable with what you are doing! Call an appliance repairman. Good luck.
You have a bad thermocouple. The thermocouple is a sensor for the gas valve that senses that you have a pilot before opening to provide gas to the burner.Shut off the propane,locate the thermocouple in the pilot flame (it's the capillary/ bulb assembly)and take it to a heating/appliance wholesaler and get one to match. Don't mess with propane if you are not comfortable with what you are doing! Call an appliance repairman. Good luck.
If the thermocouple was bad the pilot wouldnt
light. The thermocouple is mounted 'just adjacent and above' the pilot light and needs to be either preheated or hot so that the safety valve (the one with the 'push button') will stay open and send gas to the control (for both the pilot AND the burner). It may be that the thermocouple is 'fouled' and isnt sending the correct signal to the safety valve. What happens is that with constant use the thermocouple gets a 'glaze' to form over its exterior and this 'glaze' will adversely affect the thermocouple from 'sensing' the proper temperature of the pilot light. Simply use a fine sandpaper and clean off the thermocouple (back to 'bright metal') then see if your stove begins to work properly. If the glaze removal doesnt remedy the situation, then the next step is usually to replace the (RobertShaw) 'oven control' - valve assembly.
light. The thermocouple is mounted 'just adjacent and above' the pilot light and needs to be either preheated or hot so that the safety valve (the one with the 'push button') will stay open and send gas to the control (for both the pilot AND the burner). It may be that the thermocouple is 'fouled' and isnt sending the correct signal to the safety valve. What happens is that with constant use the thermocouple gets a 'glaze' to form over its exterior and this 'glaze' will adversely affect the thermocouple from 'sensing' the proper temperature of the pilot light. Simply use a fine sandpaper and clean off the thermocouple (back to 'bright metal') then see if your stove begins to work properly. If the glaze removal doesnt remedy the situation, then the next step is usually to replace the (RobertShaw) 'oven control' - valve assembly.
My experience...
...and that of other folks who have had problems is that while the stove is dormant during the off-season, spiders are attracted to the gas orafice that goes into the burner. They may have spun a web or set up home in there and are blocking the gas from entering the burner. This happened to me on a portable gas grill one winter. Take it apart and clean out the orafice. That may be why the pilot lights and not the burner. Keep us posted.
...and that of other folks who have had problems is that while the stove is dormant during the off-season, spiders are attracted to the gas orafice that goes into the burner. They may have spun a web or set up home in there and are blocking the gas from entering the burner. This happened to me on a portable gas grill one winter. Take it apart and clean out the orafice. That may be why the pilot lights and not the burner. Keep us posted.
It might be as simple as:
the pilot not hitting the thermocoupler properly. I had the same problem and I discovered the little shield that guides the pilots flame was bent. I bent the shield so the pilot hit the coupler and problem was solved. You can look at the pilot when lit to determine if it's hitting properly. Good luck. Bob
the pilot not hitting the thermocoupler properly. I had the same problem and I discovered the little shield that guides the pilots flame was bent. I bent the shield so the pilot hit the coupler and problem was solved. You can look at the pilot when lit to determine if it's hitting properly. Good luck. Bob
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