Troubleshooting Gas Range and Oven Problems
November 19, 2011 by: Greg McGuire
If your gas range or oven is down, chances are you’re looking for a way to fix it fast. Luckily, troubleshooting most problems with commercial gas equipment is fairly easy as long as you know how to replace a few key parts.
To learn more, simply click the link below that corresponds to the part or the problem you’re having and get taken directly to the answer. And if you need a part, click the link in the part’s name and get same day shipping from eTundra.com!
I need to replace my burner grate.
My burner head is clogged and needs to be replaced.
The top burner pilot has become clogged.
I need to replace the top burner gas valve.
No gas is getting to my burner but the pilot is lit.
The pilot on the oven won’t stay lit.
The oven won’t get up to temperature.
The oven doesn’t cook evenly or is “running wild.”
I need to replace my gas safety valve.
What kind of casters should I buy?
I want to buy a new commercial gas range!
Remember: whenever you work on gas equipment, turn off the gas first!
Check out more food service parts.
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FYI, when replacing a burner valve don’t take short cuts and just replace the front portion of the valve. It may save you from future problems by replaceing the whole valve.
On the lighter side of trouble shooting issues, I recently spoke to a customer in the denver area who was positive that his 6 burner convection oven range fan was burnout and not working properly at all. After repeated phone calls back and forth with the customer and the factory numerous emails and part breakdowns, We were able to conclude that the problem was as simple as plugging in the fan for the convection oven. Sometimes it pays to check the simple solutions also!
The best way to ensure that your replacement parts are the correct ones for your unit are with the Mfg., Model & SN. These numbers are generally located in the front of the unit on the inside of kick plate that drops down where you would light the pilot. Happy Repairs all!!!
Very helpful Greg……..thanks!
Don’t be fearful of completing some minor repairs on your own and avoiding a costly service call. There are several fixes for your range which you can tackle yourself. Grab a “Gas Repair for the Hopeless” guide, save some money and learn how to take care of your gas equipment.
http://etundra.com/Gas_Equipment_Repair_Book-P1566.html
When a thermostat fails and is “Running Wild” be very careful this means the thermostat will not shuf-off and is in the WIDE open position. The thermostat controls the gas flow and when not working gas is very dangerous.
When changing out the top burner gas valves some people notice that the two pieces of the valve are held together with two small phillips head screws (on some valves, not all) DO NOT try to replace only half of the gas valve. This is a very serious safty issue and it will more than likely NOT fix your problem, leaving you with two gas valves that do not work. Do it right, and do it once!!
GREAT source of information for all of us and our end users in the field. I had a situation this morning where a customer was needing a thermostat for his Garland range. He was able to provide me a model number but not at serial as the unit was older and the serial number was worn off. I called Garland tech support to verify the item number the customer provided me was the correct thermostat for his range. The tech I spoke to stated that if the customers range was older then 1986 that there was no thermostats available for his range anymore that he would have to purchase a new one. To make a long story short it is so important to get as much information as possible to ensure you are getting the customer the correct part the first time around. In this case the customer did not know exactly how old his range was but knew it was at least 20 years old.
These are very helpful hints on troubleshooting. Since 99% of the restaurants that I work with have a range similar to this, I like to remind my customers of how to find the model and serial number of the unit, especially if I am speaking to them over the phone. It ensures that I get them the right part the first time if we can’t automatically figure it out. The model/serial number is always located on the inside of the kick plate underneath the oven door or on the unit itself once the kick plate is removed. Another helpful tip is to write this information down when you buy a new range so that you will always have it as time wears on and the information wears off.
GREAT INFORMATION MAKES WORKING ON GAS EQUIPMENT VERY MANAGABLE!
Every restaurant owner that knows a little about fixing gas equipment should always keep a back up thermocouple or thermopile for every gas piece of equipment on the line. These items are cheap and will save you from paying next day air charges when your gas equipment goes out on Thursday night.
This information is extremely useful! I printed the articles out for future reference. I don’t have as much experience but I can now at least trouble shoot for the customer and know what questions to ask. Thank you for all the great information!
REMEMBER THAT THE THERMOCOUPLE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND CHEAPEST FIXES. SO IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TRY THAT FIRST BUT DON’T FORGET THAT IF THAT DOESN’T WORK YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT A FEW EXTRA DAYS FOR SHIP TIME OR PAY FOR EXPEDITE SHIPPING. IF YOU NEED TO GET YOUR MACHINE RUNNING YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO COVER ALL ANGLES ON THE FIRST TRY.
Always check that the regulator is connected in the correct direction. Look for the arrow on the underside, it should point into the unit!
A little preventative maintenance never hurts either. Lubricate you burner valves with graphite grease on regular intervals. Nothing worse than a stuck, or hard to turn valve. Also a great up sell that can save your customers a service call.
I have a US Range model u60-6r24rru one side of the lower oven unit does not shut off the gas it keeps heating just by turning the Temperature knob just slightly to ON , the other oven strangely has no gas going through the Pilot line , however when I turn on the Temperature Knob I am able to lite the oven by hand although lets say when set at 350 it shuts off I guess the Thermostat is working on that unit
how can I repair this would appreciate any suggestion you can give me
Thank you!
Hi Fritz,
It sounds like your gas safety valve is defective and should be replaced as soon as possible. You’ll also need to replace the thermostat on the side that you’re having to light by hand.
Until you get this fixed, you should cut off all gas to the range, because if that safety valve is shot you face a very real danger of gas building up and possibly igniting.
You can get replacement safety valves here and replacement thermostats here. Good luck!
Thank you so very much for your helpfull advise, Have a great holiday
Does anyone know if it is possible to convert and old Garland 6 burner with pilots to electronic ignition?
Hi Jim,
Unfortunately it cannot be converted. The main reason is the lack of electrical power. Even if the range had power, there are no electronic gas valves for it.
You could put a separate sparker on each burner but it would require drilling holes into the front panel (6 of them). Then you could shut the pilot valves off and use the sparker to light each burner.
for some reason my convection oven is not working i check the plug and its plugedin. what can i check all the different relays and electrical connections with
Hi Tom,
You can find a continuity tester here: http://www.etundra.com/Continuity_Testers-C3771.html
You can also find all kinds of restaurant equipment parts here: http://www.etundra.com/Equipment_Parts-C125.html
If you need some help troubleshooting your equipment, call the sales staff at Tundra Specialties: 1-888-388-6372
Why is my stove top putting off black soot? Only three of the ten burners do it. How do I fix it?
Hi Beau,
If you have yellow tips on the flames the air shutter on the burner venture needs to be adjusted so that you have a nice blue flame. This will stop the soot problem and give you more heat.
I cook in our church camp and one of our Wolf ovens shuts off ten minutes after startup. The Pilot light also shuts off. The safety valve, thermocouple, and the thermostat have all been replaced. Do you have any suggestions?
Sounds like you may not have the thermocouple in the pilot flame far enough or when you turn it on the burner is consuming most of the gas causing the pilot flame to get too low. This would cause the thermocouple to cool and shut the safety down. The thermocouple needs to be at least three quarters of the way into the pilot flame.
have a wolf range that even after the burners have been turned off the ignitors keep sparking any suggestions?
I have a southbend oven and want to convert it to LP propane what parts do I have to change?
I have a GE range model #EGR2000Ec1BB serial # zzz11041P the broiler works fine the baker not at all no gas
Hi Diane,
Unfortunately we don’t deal with residential ranges like GE. Your best bet is to call the manufacturer for troubleshooting tips…
Good luck!
I have a franklin chef commercial oven. Top burners are working and all pilots are lit including the stove but the burner isn’t coming on
Hi Teddy,
It could either be a defective thermostat or a bad safety valve, more than likely.
If the pilot is staying lit then the thermocouple is good right?
That’s right Teddy. It’s got to be the thermostat or the safety valve.