Oven Doesn't Work

[Richard Bain]

The oven on our 1986 C34 doesn't work.....well it did for a minute or so. We bought the boat last year, and the previous owner never used it!!

The pilot light lights, but the gas doesn't seem to want to make its way through the line.

I took the oven off....and tried to find out the problem....I even thought that maybe a spider web was the culprit.

Now I am wondering if it is a solenoid stuck shut??
Has anyone ever had problems and found a problem that I should check for??
Thanks!
Richard

[sail4dale]

Yep, I had that problem on my Cat 30 and it was the safety thermocouple that must heat up to allow the gas to flow th the burners.  When you turn on the burn ere the pilot light increases intensity and heats the thermocouple. It required a replacement and it installs easy.  Check with the stove Mfr and switch it out.  Not a big deal except when it happens on a overnight race and you can't feed your crew

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

I could be wrong, but I think there is a thermocoupler doo-hickey sensor mounted near the pilot light.  I think after the pilot light burns for a minute or so, the sensor heats up enough to open the main gas valve to the burner.

Look for a skinny little cylinder mounted on a skinny wire that should be clipped right above the pilot flame.  If it gets knocked out of the holder, it won't heat up.  If it's in place, try letting the pilot light burn for a couple of minutes before turning the gas up high.  If those things don't work, your guess of a stuck valve in the oven might be right and if I were in that spot, I guess I'd start tracing gas lines to the valve and see if I could remove it and shoot a little WD-40 in there, blow it back out and then bang it on the table to see if it could be unstuck.  Looking forward to someone else giving an answer that's more of a guess in case our oven ever goes T.U.

[Ted Pounds]

I don't think it's a solenoid.  If the pilot light is lit then gas is getting to the stove.  With a stuck solenoid no gas at all would get to the stove.  The thermocouple is mainly to shut off gas if the pilot goes out.  It may be the problem but my guess is the thermostat, which controls the gas flow to the oven burner,  may be bad.

[Ron Hill]

Richard : Ted is correct, if the burners light and the oven pilot stays lit the solenoid is staying open and OK.  
You need to contact Seaward (562)699-7997 and "probably" get a new thermal couple/ thermostat.  THEY can let you know what you really need.  

[PAUL T.]

Richard...... I just had the same problem with my oven, a 1988. I called Seaward and Tom talked me through the diagnosis. If you lift off the top panel (the panel over the stove burners) you will see two valves for the oven. The valve that is attached to the oven knob
is called the thermostat, the valve just in back of this is called the oven control valve. the oven control valve has the small sensor bulb that is attached to the pilot assembly. If you can light the pilot and the flame gets slightly larger when you turn the oven knob to a temperature and the oven won't light, you have a bad oven control valve. If the pilot does not get any bigger when calling for heat than its the thermostat. You can test the oven control valve by applying a flame directly to the little sensor bulb attached to the pilot. I had to replace the oven control valve,its pretty simple. the hardest part is threading the delicate little sensor bulb down the hole. You have to back out a screw on the pilot to remove the old bulb. Even if you have to replace both valves, its far less expensive than a new stove.
I hope this isn't too confusing.........PAUL

[Ken Heyman]

While we're on the subject, we bought our 88 two seasons ago and the PO also never used the oven or the burners. To date we have only used the burners which I have to light manually(i.e. turn on the propane and hold a flame to the burner). I assume this is correct? Once this is accomplished is a pilot flame alive that in turn will ignite the flame in the oven?

thanks in advance,

Ken

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

I can't remember the make of our stove/oven, but we have two burners on top that are lit manually, as you described, each time.  

Our oven does have a pilot light though.  When you open the door and look up at the big burner, our pilot light is located towards the right side (aft) and it's a kind of separate little tube thingy with a little metal deflector on it.  That has to be lit manually before you can use the oven.  We never had an oven in any of our previous boats.  We use it now and then for pop-n-fresh cinnamon rolls or cherry turnovers for breakfast in the mornings.  Ummm.

[Stu Jackson]

Our stove is CNG but probably operates the same way as the LPG units.  Since we use our oven rarely, and the burners regularly, I generally forget how to light the oven.  There are, ahem, however, instructions right on the inside of the door, so that helps me "remember."  And who says guys don't ask for directions

[RON SCHERER]

Richard----Do you still have the sails for sale??? Good luck on the oven. Ron

[dpenz]

Only a small amount of gas flows to the oven pilot.  If the stove has not been used recently, it can take a long time to purge air out of the hoses and tubing that extend back to the electrical safety solenoid valve at the tank, and get the pilot lit.

I always light a stove burner first, as it will vent the gas line much faster.  This takes about 10 seconds.  Then turn off the stove burner and turn the oven dial to "pilot".  Wait 10-15 seconds and then light the pilot.  You can then turn the oven dial up, but the main burner will not fire up until the thermocouple is hot and the safety interlock is satisfied.

[Ron Hill]

David : I believe that the instructions for the oven/stove that should be  riveted on to the oven door; tell you to light the right burner for 1 minute before trying to light the oven.