Suburban oven - pilot will not light

[JayArras]

I have a Suburban cooktop/oven in my MicroLite 21DS. The burners light fine but gas doesn't appear to be getting to the oven pilot at all. If I turn on the oven pilot knob and push in, I hear no gas and smell no gas, which leaves me to believe that the thermostat control may be faulty. I disconnected, inspected, and reamed out all the gas tubes leading to the pilot light and thermostat with a fine wire, so the lines don't appear to be clogged. I've searched the forum for answers, but everyone's problem seems to be that the pilot won't stay lit. In my case, I can't even light it! Has anyone else had this issue?

[richp]

Hi,

Are you holding the flame source in the proper location? Are you pushing and holding the knob in while your flame source is under the pilot area?

Perhaps describing fully the procedure you are using will give additional clues about what is going on.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

[JayArras]

Thanks for your suggestions, Rich, but I have done all of those things. I have been camping for many years and have owned several trailers with ovens so I know the procedure well. In fact, we used this oven last year. That's why I suspect something on this has failed.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by JayArras

Thanks for your suggestions, Rich, but I have done all of those things. I have been camping for many years and have owned several trailers with ovens so I know the procedure well. In fact, we used this oven last year. That's why I suspect something on this has failed.

It sounds like your gas valve, there are 2 stages to it. When you depress the knob the magnet in the valve should pick up and let the pilot gas go through, then you hold it in until the pilot thermocupler gets hot which produces Millie amps and holds the gas valve open once you turn the knob from pilot. If your not getting gas your valve is not opening when depressed. Remove the pilot line at the valve and check if you have gas at the valve coming out. Has to be either the valve or the knob your pushing in to light it.

[Villagerjjm]

See if the thermocouple has been displaced off the retainer. It does not take much trailer movement due to bumpy roads to displace it. If everything is aligned right and it still does not light, replace it!!! It be broken!!

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

See if the thermocouple has been displaced off the retainer. It does not take much trailer movement due to bumpy roads to displace it. If everything is aligned right and it still does not light, replace it!!! It be broken!!

This is true, but he stated he's not getting any gas at the hood of the pilot at all to light.

[onetonford]

I know on mine if you pull the knob off under it is a screw for adjusting the pilot flame. Have you checked and try to adjust as it is a needle valve and might have some dirt in it.

[Villagerjjm]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

This is true, but he stated he's not getting any gas at the hood of the pilot at all to light.

Yes... I saw that. It makes sense because you have to heat up the thermocouple so that it holds open the valve to allow the propane to perpetuate the heating of the thermocouple. However, if the thermocouple is not in the proper place to open the pilot light valve, the valve will not allow the propane through to ignite.

Valve may be blocked or the thermocouple is broke.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

Yes... I saw that. It makes sense because you have to heat up the thermocouple so that it holds open the valve to allow the propane to perpetuate the heating of the thermocouple. However, if the thermocouple is not in the proper place to open the pilot light valve, the valve will not allow the propane through to ignite.

Valve may be blocked or the thermocouple is broke.

Well your kinda right, the thermocupler has nothing to do with lighting the pilot, only comes into play after the flame from the pilot heats it up to create Millie amps to open the gas valve. Other then that, is why you have to hold the knob in to let the gas flow.

[Wolverine 1945]

Thermocouple must be inline with pilot li ,,,
And it must also be clean !!!
Emery Cloth works well !!! l !!!

[JayArras]

Well, it's the weekend, so finally had time to try everyone's suggestions. Thermocouple in alignment and clean. Check! Needle valve inspected and cleaned. Check! I am not hearing any hiss when I turn the knob for the oven like I do with the burners, which leads me to believe that the valve is faulty.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by JayArras

Well, it's the weekend, so finally had time to try everyone's suggestions. Thermocouple in alignment and clean. Check! Needle valve inspected and cleaned. Check! I am not hearing any hiss when I turn the knob for the oven like I do with the burners, which leads me to believe that the valve is faulty.

The gas flow to the pilot is so low you probably won't hear any "hiss".

Just hold a flame next to the pilot jet and if there's gas you'll get flame. If not you won't. If you're only waiting to hear a hiss, not the right way.

If your top burners work fine, you've checked pilot orifice and tube for obstructions, then all that's left is the valve and I see a new one in your future.

Before shelling out the money for a new valve make a quick check to see that there is gas TO the oven control and that it's inlet has not been plugged with a small bit of crud knocked loose by travel (or gooped on at the factory when the line was connected).

[Witch Doctor]

Good advice above, try it before buying a new valve, they seldom go out, I have not heard of many being replaced on this forum, I think there should be a pilot adjustment screw on the valve. Take the pilot tube off the valve and depress the knob, see if gas is coming out.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

Good advice above, try it before buying a new valve, they seldom go out, I have not heard of many being replaced on this forum, I think there should be a pilot adjustment screw on the valve. Take the pilot tube off the valve and depress the knob, see if gas is coming out.

I agree that valves are pretty much trouble free. Have never had to replace one myself in over 40 years and several RV's.

What I have found, most recently on my 2018 Micro Lite, is that individuals in the factory that assemble the LPG system believe that if a small amount of "Pipe Dope" is good, a ton of that "Monkey Poop" will do better. When replacing the regulator on my trailer with a much more reliable Marshall Brass unit I found that the pipe dope was also extending to the inside of the fittings, just waiting to break off in chunks. Not much "thinking ahead", their goal is to just make sure it doesn't leak when it's pressure tested and from there it's the owner's problem.

[JayArras]

I've been tied up with other things (life's like that ) But we're leaving for a Columbus Weekend camping trip today, so while I was packing I thought I'd make one last ditch effort to try to light my oven using a suggestion that one of you had of blowing out the feed with a can of compressed air. I had had the damn thing apart and stuck a wire down all of the orifices, but that compressed air did the trick! So thank you all for your suggestions!

[Wolverine 1945]

Frogs @ Work !!!