| How range works | | | | burners through a safety valve. The gas safety |
| Gas ranges basically take natural gas or propane | | | | valve does precisely what the name implies. It |
| and turn it into concentrated heat that you can | | | | prevents gas from being introduced to the burner |
| use for cooking and baking. There are burners on | | | | when there's a possibility that it won't get ignited |
| the cooktop and one or two burners in the oven | | | | properly. There are a few different variations in |
| which burn gas that has been ignited by a pilot, | | | | their operation, but the purpose is always the |
| spark ignitor, or glow ignitor. | | | | same, to prevent accidents, and allow gas to get |
| On the cooktop you usually have 4 to 6 burners | | | | to the burner when it is safe. |
| with grates over them that allow you to cook in | | | | In order for the gas in the oven to burn it needs |
| pots and pans. Gas flows from the main gas | | | | to be ignited. The most common ignition systems |
| valve to a manifold that has a corresponding | | | | in use currently are the spark ignition and glow-bar |
| number of burner valves. The gas is brought | | | | ignition systems. Pilot flame systems tend to have |
| from the burner valve to the burner through a | | | | hard to find parts. |
| venturi tube. The burner control knobs that you | | | | Many ovens use the glow-bar ignition system to |
| see on the control panel attach directly to the | | | | light the oven or broiler. During normal operation, |
| burner valve. This valve controls how much gas is | | | | the glow-bar will glow yellow-hot. A weak or |
| sent to the burner. To get a larger flame, you | | | | faulty ignitor may still glow, but only glows red |
| send more gas to the burner. The venturi tube | | | | through orange. Replace a faulty ignitor. Some |
| between the burner valve and the burner allows | | | | glow-bar systems have a fuse in the system, |
| the gas to properly mix with air for clean | | | | under the cooktop or in the console itself. Check |
| combustion. The air and gas mix then flows into | | | | for continuity in these systems. |
| the burner where the pilot flame or ignitor ignites | | | | Spark ignition systems use a spark module to |
| it. On models with a spark ignition, there is usually | | | | generate a high-voltage spark which is used to |
| a spark switch attached to the burner valve, a | | | | ignite a pilot light. This module is used for the |
| spark module and the spark ignitor. When you | | | | burners on the stove as well as the burner in the |
| turn the valve, the switch tells the spark module | | | | oven. As the pilot light heats a capillary tubes' bulb |
| to send electricity to the spark ignitor to create | | | | liquid, it expands and puts pressure on a |
| the spark to ignite the gas. Almost all older | | | | diaphragm. The diaphragm then opens the gas |
| cooktops with unsealed burner units allow you to | | | | safety valve, releasing gas to the burner. This gas |
| raise the entire top for cleaning and service. | | | | then gets ignited by the pilot light flame.ask us |
| In order to control how close your food is to the | | | | about all problems or |
| flame, there is at least one adjustable rack in the | | | | Pilot ignition systems in the oven use a flame |
| oven. In the oven, there is at least one burner on | | | | sensor to determine whether or not the pilot is lit. |
| the bottom. If there is a broiler below the oven, | | | | This sensor sits in the middle of the pilot flame. |
| this is the only burner in the oven. If you have a | | | | The position of the sensor is very important. The |
| utility drawer or nothing below the oven, there is | | | | pilot flame has two parts to it, the outer yellow |
| probably a second burner on the top of the oven | | | | flame, and the inner blue flame. The sensor needs |
| that is used during broiling. The burner is a tubular | | | | to be in the hottest part of the pilot flame, |
| device through which the gas flows before it's | | | | located right at the tip of the blue flame to |
| ignited. It has a lot of little holes on its sides that | | | | operate properly. If the sensor detects that the |
| lets the gas burn and provide heat evenly | | | | pilot is lit, only then will it allow the gas safety |
| throughout the oven. The gas gets to the oven | | | | valve to open and let gas flow to the burner. |