Older Gas oven won't work


  #1  
Old 11-18-01, 04:57 PM
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Older Gas oven won't work

I have an Okeefe & Merrit single oven. The pilot light is on and there is no gas smell. However, when I turn on the thermostat nothing happens. Nothing works except for the pilot. I have no idea what the problem is my only suspecion is the thermostat because nothing happens when I turn the oven on.

If I have to change the thermostat, where can I get information on changing that part or whatever other part needs changing? Okeefe & Merrit is no longer in business.
 
  #2  
Old 11-18-01, 05:21 PM
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Hello Reno Bart.
Welcome to my Gas Appliances forum and the Do-It-Yourself Web Site.

The thermostat is not a part I would suspect to be the problem at first. Below is a list of some of the more likely parts to cause the problem your discribing.

The safety element gets heated by the larger pilot flame, which is called an "actuating pilot" and is the safety control that doesn't allow the gas to flow to the burner if there isn't any source of flame to provide ignition.

That's the element that is most likely the problem. I say most likely because the gas valve it is attached to sometimes also wears out and needs replacement.

I would suggest you remove and replace the Fluid Safety Element and see if it corrects the problem. Another option would be to purchase both the gas valve and the safety element, preferably with the element already installed.

There is a safety precaution to note here. If the new fluid safety element is screwed into the gas valve TOO tightly, it will not function as intended. Screwed into the valve TOO tightly overrides it's intended purpose and the oven will not have any safety at all.

USE EXTREME CAUTION installing this part. Yes, it is adjustable by the amount of tightness pressure applied during installation into the gas valve body. TOO loose and it won't function. TOO tightly screwed into the gas valve body and NO SAFETY!

In the oven, on a pilot assembly with a sparking ignition, there is a flame sensing element. The element looks like a thin wire rod. It senses the presence of the flame and turns off the sparker.

Apparently, the sensor is defective or the flame isn't heating it enough and or possibly not heating the senser at all. The sensing element should be directly in and encircled by the pilot flame and be glowing red hot.

If it is glowing red hot but isn't working, it will need to be replaced. If the pilot flame isn't encircled around the element, it may be slightly out of alignment.

Another type of spark ignition, has no seperate element. The sparking rod is the element. This part has a long slender ceramic case with a bent metal rod element. If it is defective or the control part it is connected to is defective, the condition you discribed happens.

Be Careful. Do not attempt to forcefully bend either type of sparking element. The metal rod breaks easily.

Many of the older stoves have seperate oven and broiler burner gas safety reset buttons that have to be pushed in to reset the safety devices.

If the pilot is already "ON" and the oven fails to lite, look for the reset button. If the pilot isn't "ON" it must be relit and left on about one minute prior to resetting. The reset buttons are on the safety devices and usually RED in color and about the diameter of a nickel.

Each oven burner and each broiler burner will have it's own safety device. Therefore, you may have to locate several reset buttons. Locaions vary from manufacturer and by models.

Suggestion:
Read the manufacturers online web site for additional product information, problem solving methods, repair proceedures, pictorials and schematics, if available.

An excellent source for orginal replacement parts is your local retail appliance parts store. Appliance parts dealers test and carry replacement parts for all appliances. Parts dealers are listed in the phone book under appliances.

Regards & Good Luck
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Tom_Bart...

Energy Conservation Consultant & Natural Gas Appliance Diagnostics Technician.
 
  #3  
Old 11-19-01, 05:03 PM
wonderskink
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O'keefe and Merritt is still in business for parts, although they stopped manufacturing new products under that name. O'keefe and Merritt was aquired by the Tappan Company, which was aquired by Electrolux of Sweden, which then bought out WCI, which owned Frigidaire, Westinghouse, Gibson, and Kelvinator. The corporate name was Frigidaire Home Products until this year when they reverted back to Electrolux Home Products.

Sooooo. You can get parts for O'keefe and Merritt by calling Electrolux at 1-800-599-7569. Or you can visit Frigidaire.com for info, and if the model is not too old, you can research parts by clicking on the "parts and service" link, and then selecting "Illustrated Parts Lookup"
 
  #4  
Old 02-08-02, 05:30 PM
trendar
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There is a safety precaution to note here. If the new fluid safety element is screwed into the gas valve TOO tightly, it will not function as intended. Screwed into the valve TOO tightly overrides it's intended purpose and the oven will not have any safety at all.

Is there any kind of indication on how far to screw the fluid safety element into the gas valve? I would guess there's no positive stop to it, so you aren't expected to seat the element into the valve-
Would it be sufficient if you check that no gas flows initially upon turn on, until the element has heated up sufficiently to push the valve open? Or is there some other kind of adjustment process, such as measuring the amount of time it takes for the valve to switch open and ignite the burners, after turning on the oven?
 
 

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