Help troubleshooting gas stove problem

[Justan]

Hello,

I have a Lennox direct vent free standing gas stove. It is the Epic model 33/40 according to the manual. It is fueled by propane. I bought it used and it has been in service for a couple of years. I use it to heat my workshop, and when it is not in use I shut it off at the control valve for the stove and also shut off the fuel supply valve at the propane tank.

Recently it has become difficult to keep the burner lit after the fuel has been shut off for a while. The pilot will light in the manner noted in the manual, after that the fire will light without issue. However, after burring for 30 seconds to about a minute, there is a loud click and then the fire and pilot go out. In the previous few sessions I was able to repeat the process once or twice and the flame would stay on, but that is no longer the case.

Also if the pilot is left on itself for an extended period it will go out, but I have not heard the loud click when this happens.

What is a good way to troubleshoot this?

Thanks in advance

 

[DAKSY]

You will need to have a multimeter set to Volts DC.
Disconnect the thermocouple (TC) from the gas valve.
Connect one lead of the multimeter to the copper sheathing of the TC.
Connect the other to the extreme end (that goes into the gas valve).
light the pilot & hold the knob in until you get a steady reading on the multimeter.
If you have less than 28vDC, replace the TC.
If you have MORE than 28vDC, we will look elsewhere.
Let us know what you find.

 

[murray1113]

Also give the pilot light a good inspection. We often run into cases of poor pilot flame due to some dust or small piece of soot affecting pilot flame size and strength. Also, if the pilot hood is corroded it can lead to poor flame characteristics. A common problem is that with a weak pilot, it's enough to hold the valve open when it's just the pilot running, but when the main burner kicks on the draft increases and is enough to pull the pilot away from the thermocouple enough to shut it off.

 

[Justan]

Thank you both very much for your thoughtful comments!

I ordered a replacement thermocouple and it will arrive later this week. Once it does arrive I’ll do a complete inspection and cleaning of the assembly.

Unrelated to the problem above, when I bought this stove (used) it did not come with the remote control. I found that a factory replacement for the remote is very pricy. Does anyone know of a universal remote that will work or a way to duplicate the functionality with another remote? Should I post this on a separate thread?

 

[murray1113]

We use the Napolean Universal Thermostatic remote it retails for about $150. There are also cheaper models from skytech which just have an on off button.

 

[Heatsource]

skyteck 1001tha is a good remote

 

[Heatsource]

(broken link removed to http://woodheatstoves.com/images/Nova%20SIT%20820%20troubleshooting%20guide.pdf)
here is a trouble shooting guide I uploaded a few years ago....