Pilot light keeps burning out?? Need help!!!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
No the main burners do not snuff out. They stay perfectly lit and strong till the regulator safety kicks in. I can hear the regulator click when it shuts the gas off.

I'm wondering if I were to get one size bigger pilot jet if that might solve the problem?
I don't think that will solve the problem, only a band aid.
 
It has to be with the regulator needing some type of adjustment or the pilot light orfice needing to be just a touch bigger. When I bought it the stove was setup for propane and ran perfectly fine.

I'm not sure I can run any type of pipe into the intakes now. I have it installed back in the corner and the metal shroud is installed "cant directly get to the holes when the shroud is on"..
 
It has to be with the regulator needing some type of adjustment or the pilot light orfice needing to be just a touch bigger. When I bought it the stove was setup for propane and ran perfectly fine.

I'm not sure I can run any type of pipe into the intakes now. I have it installed back in the corner and the metal shroud is installed "cant directly get to the holes when the shroud is on"..
i don't understand why it runs fine with the glass opened. that would normally mean you are lacking air. are you sure all gas cocks are fully opened? really need to have a monometer on the manifold side as id goes out. then you no if it is a gas issue.
 
No the main burners do not snuff out. They stay perfectly lit and strong till the regulator safety kicks in. I can hear the regulator click when it shuts the gas off.

I'm wondering if I were to get one size bigger pilot jet if that might solve the problem?

Check your in box see if you got the privite message from me Top of page.. Did you check the roll out switch on B vent it could be bad or the wiring. kicking stove off.
 
Sounds like it has too much air flow through it, or something is missing;

Since it works fine with glass off, sounds like the chimney draw is causing the incoming air to move the pilot flame off the thermocouple. (atmospheric air pressure rushes into the air intake holes into burner chamber to replace the lighter exhausted gasses that rise out the vent) Seems like too much turbulence around pilot assembly, like too much vent height causing too much draft. If the pilot flame is normal under low fire conditions, this would validate my point. Less flow out exhaust, less draft, less incoming air. Installation instructions would probably have given the max and minimum venting requirements. Vent height could be exceeded, or perhaps there should be a baffle plate under or next to the pilot, like a protective shield to prevent the unwanted turbulence. Sometimes there is a stainless shield protecting pilot flame. Some units have a small baffle in the exhaust to slow it down. Sometimes as simple as a little metal tang that sticks in the exhaust outlet that changes the air flow through the burner chamber.
I believe Fake coal burner is referring to an air spillage switch which is normally installed in the exhaust air diverter. It's a high limit temp switch that gets hot if there is not enough draft causing exhaust to back up and spill out diverter intake. This is wired through the thermocouple wiring to gas valve designed to shut the unit down when less draft than required is sensed. (temp switch senses spilled exhaust into room)
 
Last edited:
I'm going to try and build a shield around the pilot area today, but I am interested in bypassing the spill switch as well. Not quite sure where this is located.
 
Not sure on your model, but it is typically located near the top of the firebox, under the flue pipe connection. (flue hood)

also, you can find it by following the 2 wires that interrupt the t-pile or t-couple
 
Ok, between working my 48 hr shift "firefighter" and doing a little pheasant hunting today, I was able to work on my stove.

I took some of the inner lining out of a old section of B vent. I tried making a few different pieces of deflector places without luck. Pilot light was still ghosting.

Finially I measured out cross way left to right and the hight I needed to clear the pilot assembly as well as the thermo couplers. It ended up looking like half a box but compleatly open. With all the logs taken out I fired it up and adjusted the pilot light so the flame length was just past the thermo coupler. Installed the front glass and fired it up.

I could not believe it but the pilot flame stayed lit and is not moving around at all!! I placed all the logs back in and fired it up again. I've had the stove running for the last hour and it's working perfect.

So it must have been a turbulence issue.

I want to thank everyone in this thread for your time and suggestions. I used them all today.

Thanks again and hope everyone enjoys a nice "warm" Thanksgiving :)
Garrett
 
it sounds like a excessive draft issue check your manual for restrictor settings
 
  • Like
Reactions: coaly
it sounds like a excessive draft issue check your manual for restrictor settings

Sure does ! Glad a protector of sorts cures the airflow issue around the pilot to rule out mechanical or electrical problems. I'm sure you would like to leave it alone since it works, but........if it has too much draft it will be killing the efficiency allowing a lot more heat than necessary up the vent. They already eat enough gas ! I don't know if this unit has a restrictor plate or adjustment for draft, but that would be the cure. That's the small baffle piece, or maybe called a damper I thought might be missing. Manufacturers call them different things.
You mentioned it ran perfectly fine when it was set up for LP. Was this at another location or was it connected to the same exhaust vent? Same termination cap?
If you slow the draft down too much, the spillage switch is going to heat up and shut the burner and pilot down on safety. So the draft has to be just right. That would be great if it's adjustable.
When you mentioned it was shutting down in your garage with no exhaust vent, it wouldn't have a draft to allow hot exhaust up the vent hole and the disc switch (spillage) should shut it down when it heated up.
Here's what happens when there is too much vent restriction, or poor draft usually from not enough chimney height. (another section of B-vent is added to cure) When the main burner lights, there is little to no draft in the cold chimney and the heat doesn't go up the exhaust quick enough to start drafting. Some of this exhaust and heat spills out the air intake of the exhaust diverter, and trips the spillage switch before the chimney gets drafting. In that case the main burner will only stay lit long enough to trip the switch. Some switches have a reset button on them, others are auto reset. So if you do something to slow the flow too much, that is what will happen. When you can get to the back easily, it's simple to light the main burner, and shake a match out and hold the smoking match up to the diverter intake to make sure it's pulling air in. If the smoke lingers at the intake, it's not drafting. Exhaust fans in the house and other factors can cause poor draft or back draft. The spillage switch is there to stop exhaust from entering the room.
 
I just checked over the whole unit. I can not find any type of adjustments anywhere.

The bvent is to hot to touch on the pipeing inside the house but on the outside it's just warm.

The box at the top of my firebox is about 26" wide but only has a 1/2" slit for the heat to travel through. No way to open or close this slit.

On the outside I have the Amerivent 4" pipe cap. I can see the thermal waves coming out but not sure if it's to much or not.

Is there anyway I can close down my pipe on the outside? Try to reduce the flow? I see they make reducers. I could possibly reduce the size down to a 3" exit.

If I do any of this I am going to grab some air monitors from work and see if I am inducing any bad juju into my house.
 
I would make a deflector type baffle at the top where the exhaust enters the vent. As long as it has a working spillage switch in the air intake of the exhaust diverter (where it usually is) it will shut down when it senses exhaust backing up and spilling into the home. Check it with smoke from a match to be sure it's drafting and the smoke doesn't back into the house. You'll know right away.
You should have a CO detector with it in operation anyway.
 
What is the altitude your stove is running at? They have to be derated at smaller orifice size usually above 2,000 feet. Your stove will over fire and shut down. Also is the vent connections tight at the stove and not leaking air or other conections. What is the height of of the flue pipe? you need to check the gas presure on the stove and the voltage mv. on the thermopile To Much fire could put out to many volts = shut down. Practicable elimination to find your problem. I have my pilot turn way down no problem on B vent Also do a Match flame test at the at the diverter.for flue draw. Is the roll out switch the right temperature range for that nat. gas stove? Any shields added to back of stove blocking air flow or holding heat to stove roll out switch? How tight is the house ? exhaust fan running? Did you get the pictures I e-mailed you? To much draw flames will start to lift.
I have some files on other brands of B- vent stoves I can e-mail you with pictures and trouble shooting . if it will help you out they work on the same principle.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.