Hello - I recently bought a vent-free propane gas stove for my living room. The brand is Charmglow. We had it properly installed by a plumber and gas company and it worked great for a few weeks. Now, it won't stay lit. Before the problems started, we had it set to a lower setting (Setting 1 or 2), and the stove goes on and off to regulate the temperature. The pilot light would stay on when it turned itself off and then it would restart again at some point. Now, you can turn the pilot light on and light the flames, but it just turns off and the pilot light goes out too. Sometimes it will stay on for an hour, sometimes it will shut off after just a minute. We can't seem to figure out how to fix the problem. Any advice on what to do? Its only a few weeks old. Thanks.
HELP Gas stove that won't stay lit!
- Thread starter alo7469
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jtp10181
Minister of Fire
It should still be under warranty. Call the person who installed it. Vent-free gas appliances are not something you want to mess with unless you are properly trained.
webbie
Seasoned Moderator
Jt is correct, vent free are not designed to be fussed with. Chances are that:
1. Gas pressure is low or on the cusp of being low - or LP regulator is bad, set too low - or tank is getting empty
or
2. Component is bad from the factory, or dust in the pilot tube, etc.
Chances are greater that it is #1, because we have had very few bad vent frees direct from the factory, but anything is possible.
One thing you can do it use a straw or rubber tube and blow any dust or foreign materials out of the pilot tube - that is if you can easily see it or get to it.
See the bottom of:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/how_gas_works
for how they work....
Note, it is possible, but not probably, that the thing is working right and that the Oxygen level in the room is getting low, and it is shutting itself down (as designed). You can test this theory by making sure a window is cracked nearby.....if it still turns off, then it is probably not the oxygen level.
1. Gas pressure is low or on the cusp of being low - or LP regulator is bad, set too low - or tank is getting empty
or
2. Component is bad from the factory, or dust in the pilot tube, etc.
Chances are greater that it is #1, because we have had very few bad vent frees direct from the factory, but anything is possible.
One thing you can do it use a straw or rubber tube and blow any dust or foreign materials out of the pilot tube - that is if you can easily see it or get to it.
See the bottom of:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/how_gas_works
for how they work....
Note, it is possible, but not probably, that the thing is working right and that the Oxygen level in the room is getting low, and it is shutting itself down (as designed). You can test this theory by making sure a window is cracked nearby.....if it still turns off, then it is probably not the oxygen level.
Thank you for your reply. For the last couple of days, it has been working again just fine. The days that it didn't work, it was EXTREMELY cold and windy out. I know this shouldn't affect anything, but is it possible that the extreme cold could have been teh problem? We didn't make any adjustments, only the weather has changed.... Thanks again.
jtp10181
Minister of Fire
webbie
Seasoned Moderator
It is possible that the LP tank or regulator could have been effected by cold weather....usually this would be built into the line sizing, etc.....but perhaps a combination of factors caused your unit to go over the edge. Glad to hear it is working again!
" If you live in a home heated with propane, you should be aware that propane freezes at –42 degrees C. When the temperature starts to drop to this level, this’ll be your cue to dash outside and drape blanket heaters over that outdoor tank."
Note that is about 40 degrees below zero - we hit -10 here the other night - my assumption is that LP may start acting differently (flow) before that temp.....and that may have been some of your problem.
" If you live in a home heated with propane, you should be aware that propane freezes at –42 degrees C. When the temperature starts to drop to this level, this’ll be your cue to dash outside and drape blanket heaters over that outdoor tank."
Note that is about 40 degrees below zero - we hit -10 here the other night - my assumption is that LP may start acting differently (flow) before that temp.....and that may have been some of your problem.
jtp10181
Minister of Fire
Yes I forgot about that. If the LP tank is low and it is very cold outside the vapor pressure drops quite a bit. The vapor pressure is basically how LP works, the bottom is liquid and the top is gas, the vapor pressure of the LP is what pushes the gas into the house and to the appliances. The less liquid in the tank the lower the VP is. The temperature also changes the VP, the colder it is the lower the VP. If the pressure drops too low fireplaces (and other appliances) don't like to work.
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