Orange Pilot

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Oct 17, 2011
123
central Texas
I had to take my Dearborn stove out of the back room to give it a good cleaning because of dust accumulation. Prior to disconnecting it, the pilot had developed a white tip on the blue flame because of dust. Anyhow, I gave it a good blow with the air wand on the air compressor and re-lit it after that. The white tip is gone on the pilot is gone, but it was replaced by an orange aura around the blue flamed pilot.

What gives?
 
I had to take my Dearborn stove out of the back room to give it a good cleaning because of dust accumulation. Prior to disconnecting it, the pilot had developed a white tip on the blue flame because of dust. Anyhow, I gave it a good blow with the air wand on the air compressor and re-lit it after that. The white tip is gone on the pilot is gone, but it was replaced by an orange aura around the blue flamed pilot.

What gives?

I'm thinkin there's STILL something in there. Orange flame = dirty flame. What do you have for the mV output on the thermopile?
 
I'm thinkin there's STILL something in there. Orange flame = dirty flame. What do you have for the mV output on the thermopile?

The orange aura dissipated after an hour or so and it is now like it ought to be. What is "mV output on the thermopile?" Can you use more laymen terms?
 
The orange aura dissipated after an hour or so and it is now like it ought to be. What is "mV output on the thermopile?" Can you use more laymen terms?

Sorry. Most gas units have adjustable pilot flame heights, & to adjust them correctly, you need to use a multimeter, set to DC voltage. The probes tips on the red & black wires are placed on the TP & the TP-TH (or TH-TP) connections on the terminal block & a reading is displayed on the multimeter. That reading is the millivolt output from the thermopile, sometimes called a millivolt generator. Most units are set at around 550 millivolts (mV) with ONLY the pilot on. That reading will drop about 200-250 mV when the burner is switched on.
 
Sorry. Most gas units have adjustable pilot flame heights, & to adjust them correctly, you need to use a multimeter, set to DC voltage. The probes tips on the red & black wires are placed on the TP & the TP-TH (or TH-TP) connections on the terminal block & a reading is displayed on the multimeter. That reading is the millivolt output from the thermopile, sometimes called a millivolt generator. Most units are set at around 550 millivolts (mV) with ONLY the pilot on. That reading will drop about 200-250 mV when the burner is switched on.

Probably a bit too advanced for this Dearborn. It is a simple Dearborn space heater. Old fashioned pilot light. No electrics involved; just a gas line and a set of matches.
 
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