Camper Propane Stove Problem

I have an old camper with a small stove inside. When lighting the stove the flame will only produce where the lighter is and once the lighter is removed it goes out.

There are holes in the pipe leading to the stove that look like they are meant for mixing the propane with oxygen. When I cover those holes the stove will maintain a flame.

The stove has always worked, we just haven't used it in a few months during the winter. As a side note we have recently bought a new propane tank but it has worked since putting that one in.

I don't know much about propane but just to list some other factors so you get the whole story, the propane is half full, it is cold outside, the whole system is from 1977 (other than the propane tank).

Any help is appreciated. We are currently living out of this thing so it would be nice to use the stove rather than a camping stove.

ALSO one more bit of information. I can get the pilot lit on the furnace but as soon as you switch to on the pilot gets blown out. Could this be a related problem?

THANKYOU!

 

It probably needs cleaning. Primarily the tubes between the valve or orifice and the burner. Insects love to build nests in there which can block the gas or airflow.

 

Welcome to the forums.

Because it affects two appliances..... you may also have a low gas pressure issue.

 

I will try and give it cleaning but it's happening on all three burners. Sounds like to big of a coincidence to me.

What would cause the low gas pressure? Is the pressure not created by the tank? So a new tank should be alright no? Could the regulator not match up with the new tank for some reason?

 

If it's affecting your stove and furnace then PJ's suggestion of low gas pressure or volume could be the culprit. You might have a clogged or bad regulator. Changing propane tanks would not affect it as it's still the same regulator.

What regulator do you have? If it's from after 1995 it might have some new, annoying safety features. One thing you can try is to turn off everything in the camper including pilot lights. Turn off the valve on your propane tank. Disconnect the regulator from the tank. Wait a minute then reattach the regulator (tighten it well) and turn on the tank's valve. Then go inside and try your stove.

Another problem I've seen with newer regulators is if they are not tightened very well onto the tank. There is a little nipple inside that must be pushed open by securely tightening it on a tank. If it's a bit loose the valve doesn't open all the way and you get poor gas flow. I've also simply seen regulator and tank incompatibility. Manufacturing tolerances at opposite ends for the regulator and tank valve only allow the safety valve to partially open no matter how hard it's tightened. Trying the regulator with a different tank will usually work.

 

Hello Luke and Welcome to the Gas Appliances topic.

In your quote above the underlined description (holes in the pipe leading to the stove) is puzzling and confusing. Holes in the fuel pipe leading to the entire stoves fuel supply? Or do you mean fuel in the burner tube attached to the burner? Kindly advise to clarify. In order to best advise you help us to help you. Thanks.

I suspect you mean the air shutter on the back end of the burner tube. Opposite end on the burner head. Should have a tiny screw allowing shutter to be adjusted to regulate volume of air intake to be mixed with the fuel as fuel travels down tube to burner head. Is that correct? Advise.