Stove wont lite

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Deano2002

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Joined
Apr 21, 2013
Posts
968
Location
Morris, IL.
I pulled out the cook top and cleaned it all up and re installed it, went out and turned on the gas but soon realized I forgot to connect the gas line. Hooked up the gas line then opened up the LP again and went to light one of the burners and it was barely going then went out, cant get any burners to light now, any where I can start to trouble shoot? I was thinking that tomorrow morning I will crack open the fittings at the tank after the regulators to see if there is any pressure, I did that at the stove top and there was no gas pressure?
 
Shut off the gas at the tank then turn it back on very slowly.  Many (most) tanks have a safety shut-off valve that cuts off the gas if it flows too fast, as if the line gets broken in an accident.
 
I have had this happen to me.      If you turn the valve on and open the valve too fast you can hear a click. This is a safety valve in the tank that thinks there is a leak and restricts the flow to a trickle. Shut the valve and wait a while.  If you open the valve very slowly you will not hear the click and everything should be fine.
 
ok thanks guys, I was wondering about something like that. Will try that in the morning then onto why the fridge wont work.
 
just went out and opened the valve up slowly all the way, went inside and stove still wont light, is there a time table that it resets or something?
 
Another possibility is the propane detector.  Since you turned the gas on with the line open.  Your coach is old enough to have a shut-off valve connected to the detector, I think.
 
were might I find that or what does it look like? Maybe it will be good in the morning. Ther cant be that much to a stove top! lol
 
Mine doesn't have the cut-off valve, but if yours does, it will be located on the output of the LP tank.  The LP detector usually is located in the kitchen area, down close to the floor (LP is heavier than air).  Just what it takes to reset, I'm not sure, but I would look for a reset button on the sensor itself.
 
The LP pressure after the regulator is very low, around 0.5 psi, so you may not be able to detect it easily.

Do you have a fixed (permanent) LP tank or portable bottles? I ask because the advice about opening the valve slowly applies only to the DOT portable bottles.

I would consider replacing the regulator is you can't get any gas flow. A clogged regulator is not all that unusual, especially if it is old. It's a fairly inexpensive thing to try as well, especially if on a fixed tank or single bottle (no fancy dual pigtails or crossover).

LP detector: It should be a rectangular plate, typically about 2x5", down near the floor in the galley area. It would have a little grill for a "sniffer" and an on/off/rest switch. Maybe an indicator light too. In older rigs, the LP detector is electrically coupled to a shut-off valve near the tank. If the detector is turned off or has no power or has given an alarm, it shuts the lp valve off to prevent a possible fire.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
The LP pressure after the regulator is very low, around 0.5 psi, so you may not be able to detect it easily.

Do you have a fixed (permanent) LP tank or portable bottles? I ask because the advice about opening the valve slowly applies only to the DOT portable bottles.

I would consider replacing the regulator is you can't get any gas flow. A clogged regulator is not all that unusual, especially if it is old. It's a fairly inexpensive thing to try as well, especially if on a fixed tank or single bottle (no fancy dual pigtails or crossover).

LP detector: It should be a rectangular plate, typically about 2x5", down near the floor in the galley area. It would have a little grill for a "sniffer" and an on/off/rest switch. Maybe an indicator light too. In older rigs, the LP detector is electrically coupled to a shut-off valve near the tank. If the detector is turned off or has no power or has given an alarm, it shuts the lp valve off to prevent a possible fire.
Click to expand...
I have a 65 gallon fixed tank underneath, when you say replace regulator, which one, the one at the stove top or at the tank? There is another something after after the regulator that looks similar and down at the tank there is a 16 ga wire that is twisted together without a wire nut twisted on. I'm going  to go out shortly and see if any thing has change since last night. If not I am going to crack open the line right after the regulator and that other valve to see if any gas is getting that far. Thanks for all the good tips folks!
 
Just went out to see if anything has changed on the gas/stove issue but still no fire. Here's a couple of picture of the tank valve and regulator along with the wire I was explaining, something is not quite right with that..... that second picture is a yellow and a white wire twisted together, no clue what that's about yet
 
If you don't even smell propane after trying to light the stove, the supply is being blocked .

That 'thing with the yellow and white wires' is probably the shut-off valve wiring that is connected to the propane detector inside and mounted down low. Any way to check wiring connected on the propane detector? If you have the shutoff option you will likely find 4 wires on the detector. If your detector has on off-on switch, make sure it is on, it may cycle through a few tests and then light a green light.

This valve and detector combo have often become defective and many solve the problem by simply removing/bypassing the valve out by the tank. The detector itself has a 'best by' date of about 10 years and if older should be replaced anyway (A date is often stamped on the back of the unit.) This kind of valve and detector combination is no longer required as it was when your motor home was built.
 
actually that wire is to an inside monitor of the LP tank's level which is not working correctly, I think because it shows full at the eyeglass and the inside monitor. I ended up taking the line off behind the regulator and that other valve, opened the tank valve and nothing, only a little smell, so then I decided to pull the regulator and other off completely which I did, and the opened up the valve again and guess what? Nothing at all, nothing. When we looked at the MH the owner told us that he filled the tank up last year and really never used it, but his mother stayed in it for a time while her house was being worked on or waiting for a closing or something. I would say the tank is bone dry and the gauge is not working on the tank or the petcock is not opening up which I doubt the later. Oh well, take it to get filled this week. Make me somewhat encouraged.
 
I was talking about the regulator at the tank, but it sounds as though you have found the problem. Either the tank is empty or the service valve (tank outlet) is not working.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
I was talking about the regulator at the tank, but it sounds as though you have found the problem. Either the tank is empty or the service valve (tank outlet) is not working.
Click to expand...
the thought crossed my mind that outlet valve wasn't opening up, but how could I tell that unless I can look directly into the outlet which I cannot get my big ole head that close
 
You could try opening the 80% overflow valve next to the filler inlet.  It's designed to vent vapor while filling the tank, then the vapor changes to liquid propane when the tank is filled to the 80% point.

If there's anything in the tank you'll get a hissing sound as soon as you crack it open.  No sound is confirmation the tank is empty.
 
gauge/sending unit was bad on tank sending the wrong info to the interior display panel, full tank of gas and all is good although stove flame doesn't seem as big as house stove, maybe a safety issue
 
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