Oven igniter

[1carguy]

Hi, we have a Jayco Eagle FW with a Wedgewood Vision stove by Atwood. The stove burners are ignited by an electric starter control on the front of the stove which works fine. However the oven pilot has to be lit manually to use the oven. We are seniors and it's not easy to get down on our hands and knees with a flashlight and match to light the oven every time we want to use it.
Has anyone ever installed a battery operated igniter/starter that would work for this brand oven? Any suggestions on installing one? thanks.

 

[BinaryBob]

Skip the flashlight and match, and use a bic long lighter. Still requires you to get on the knees, but easily lights the stove.

 

[Rene T]

The flame has to heat a sensing bulb and when it gets hot enough, it open the gas valve and allows the pilot to light. Then it continues to heat the bulb to a point where the pilot light will stay lit when you release the temperature knob. Then you can light the burner. A electronic spark will not do that.

 

[phil-t]

Yup - it's all about safety.  That burner is not where you can easily monitor the status.
There may be replacement ranges with updated electronics that would work.  Nice thing about what you have is that you don't need any AC or DC power to operate it.

 

[NY_Dutch]

The oven pilot light can be lit with an electronic ignitor, but as said, there's a safety issue. I light our oven with a long BBQ lighter without getting on my knees using a small mirror to position the flame.

 

[John From Detroit]

I do not know of anyone who has done it but in theory it can be done. WHen you press the knob down in the PILOT position it overrides the flame sensor so you could do it but it's a two hand operatin.

I've always gotten down and lit it with a Long nosed lighter..

I also use a good size ELectric Toaster Oven (Rotisserie oven by Aroma) i've had for a long time.. old and very beat up it still cooks wonderfully and can take a 9" Round cake pan though a 9x13 won't fit eitehr oven as I recall.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

Tara just uses the convection microwave. Cooks better than the gas oven anyway.

Ernie

 

[UTTransplant]

I used my propane oven quite a lot, so I got good at lighting it. When my back is sore, I pull a chair up to the oven, left side worked better for me. I would look in the stove to see where to put the long handled BBQ lighter, position the lighter appropriately and turn it on, then I would reach my left hand to the knob to turn it on. I could hear when the gas came on and the pilot was lit.

I now have a microwave/convection oven, and I miss the gas oven though I do like the extra storage I gained by passing it up.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Like Ernie & Tara, we ditched the propane oven in favor of using the convection oven/microwave. Replaced the stove/oven with a cooktop only and put two drawers in where the oven was.

 

[Larry N.]

We, too, don't use the oven -- in fact we don't have one on this coach, but we almost never used it when we had it because it cooked too unevenly, even with a pizza stone or equivalent. The convection oven is great.

 

[Lou Schneider]

On some ovens, turning the knob beyond pilot to a temperature setting switches the pilot thermocouple from controlling the gas going to the pilot flame to controlling the gas going to the main flame.

In other words, if you turn the knob to a temperature setting, you will have gas flowing to the pilot and you can instantly light it without holding the knob in.  It takes several seconds for the thermocouple to heat up and release the gas to the main burner, giving you time to get your hand out of the way.

Combine this with a long handled propane BBQ lighter and with a little practice you should be able to light the pilot without having to get down on your hands and knees.  On my oven I can see the reflection of the pilot flame on the oven's floor from a standing position so I don't have to kneel down to see if the pilot is lit.

Just be aware of the danger of gas continuing to flow into the oven if the pilot fails to light.

 

[1carguy]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like we'll just have to figure out the easiest way to light it manually. A long BBQ lighter would help but there isn't any way of doing it without getting down on our hands and knees. Lousy design, you'd think they would come up with a starter system that could be used remotely.

 

[John From Detroit]

Oh one thing that might help (or 2) I have two "Bar Stools" one is full size woden (unfinished) and the other is a shorter folding (padded top) metal job.. THe shorter one is next to the oven. I use it as a "hand hold" often getting down and up.  (The taller one I often use as a table)

Found they are very useful.

 

[Gizmo]

Yes as you have found out, one needs to get down on hands and knees and then a long lighter is the easiest and safest method of lighting a propane oven.  If getting down on hands and knees problematic, I would like Ernie n Tara, make use of the convection oven.  Convection ovens have the additional benefit of faster and more even bake/cook times.  Then as an added bonus you can do as Gary suggested in removing the oven and put drawers or a cabinet in it its place.

 

[Larry N.]

Convection ovens have the additional benefit of faster and more even bake/cook times.

I wouldn't say necessarily faster, since preheat times can be longer than that for gas, but more even baking is a definite yes!

 

[Frank B]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like we'll just have to figure out the easiest way to light it manually. A long BBQ lighter would help but there isn't any way of doing it without getting down on our hands and knees. Lousy design, you'd think they would come up with a starter system that could be used remotely.

I always thought so as well. However, an electric igniter inside a box that could have the door closed and fill up with propane before it ignites is a recipe for disaster. The oven manufacturers are trading convenience for safety.

 

[Gizmo]

Lousy design, you'd think they would come up with a starter system that could be used remotely.

It is a PIA.  FYI Furrion has an oven with what I assume is an electric ignition, I have seen them on some of the 5th wheels we have been looking at.  Perhaps check with Furrion and see what they offer.

 

[John From Detroit]

I suspect one reason they do not use a remote ignition system is with the thing the way it is you VISUALLY confirm ignition.    That is a major benefit of having to get down to light it.. Of course a mirror could be used.  With a mirror you could install a push button grill ignitor and use it.

 

[Great Horned Owl]

I'm another one who has difficulty lighting the oven. I'm extremely right handed, but because of the location of the temp control knob that I'm pushing in, my right hand is occupied. This forces me to try to light the pilot with my left hand, while kneeling in an awkward position, and trying to see what I'm doing.

My usual solution is to have DW push in the knob while I light the pilot.

The safety argument is a lot of nonsense. The oven in my house has electronic ignition. So did the ovens in my last two houses. For that matter, most (if not all) of the residential gas ovens manufactured in the last 25 years have had electronic ignition.  In our RVs, the refrigerator and the water heater both have electronic ignition.

There is absolutely no reason that it couldn't be in the RV oven too.

Joel

 

[Frank B]

I'm another one who has difficulty lighting the oven. I'm extremely right handed, but because of the location of the temp control knob that I'm pushing in, my right hand is occupied. This forces me to try to light the pilot with my left hand, while kneeling in an awkward position, and trying to see what I'm doing.

My usual solution is to have DW push in the knob while I light the pilot.

The safety argument is a lot of nonsense. The oven in my house has electronic ignition. So did the ovens in my last two houses. For that matter, most (if not all) of the residential gas ovens manufactured in the last 25 years have had electronic ignition.  In our RVs, the refrigerator and the water heater both have electronic ignition.

There is absolutely no reason that it couldn't be in the RV oven too.

Joel

I stand corrected. Thank you for the clarification.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_stove

See last section on ignition.