A gas stove is a completely familiar and understandable device. However, its use can raise certain questions. So, the hostess may not understand how to turn on the oven in the gas stove, if the owner has not previously encountered a specific model.
But dishes cooked in the oven usually turn out to be much tastier than those cooked on the hob, and retain more useful elements. Therefore, it is worth learning how to start the oven once, so that later you can easily pamper your household with mouth-watering culinary masterpieces of any complexity. Do you agree?
In this material we will deal with the principles of operation of gas ovens, we will tell you about the ways kindling a flame in them and safety measures that must be observed when operating such equipment. We will supplement the material with visual photos and thematic video recommendations.
The content of the article:
- How a gas oven works
-
Methods for lighting a fire in the oven
- Method # 1 - electric ignition of the oven
- Method # 2 - manually lighting the flame
- Safety precautions when lighting the oven
- Typical gas oven malfunctions
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
How a gas oven works
Understanding exactly how a gas oven works, it is much easier to light a fire in it correctly. If the hob burner directly heats the bottom of the cookware and heats up absentmindedly limited space around it, then the oven pumps the required temperature in an insulated space. Heating of the air, which is involved in heat treatment, often occurs from below, after which the incandescent streams rise evenly upward, circulating inside the oven.
The oven has its own separate burner in which the gas-air mixture burns. Burners are most often diffusion burners: the mixing of gas and air in them occurs naturally, without additional suction of oxygen.
After opening the valve, the gas passes through the nozzle, combines with air and ignites with a spark. The latter is formed by electricity or an open fire from a match or lighter.
The additional convection function in the oven ensures a more even heating of the food ingredients and helps to create an appetizing crust. It is definitely worth overpaying for such functionality, because the taste of the dishes becomes even brighter.
If your oven is equipped with convection, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features of enabling, using and disabling this mode.
Methods for lighting a fire in the oven
The ignition of the flame can be carried out in two ways, which directly depend on the functional features of the equipment model itself. It depends on them how correctly the hostess can light the gas oven in her kitchen.
The methods for lighting a fire in an oven are as follows:
- Electric ignition oven is inherent in many modifications and is more convenient and safe, since it does not imply direct human contact with the burner.
- Manual ignition flame requires a certain skill. But models of stoves or ovens with a similar principle of lighting a fire are usually slightly cheaper.
The algorithm of actions when operating different ovens will be slightly different. Let's consider the features of use in more detail.
Method # 1 - electric ignition of the oven
It is quite easy and quick to turn on the oven using automatic ignition.
To do this, you need to take just a few simple steps:
- turn the gas supply valve to the maximum;
- press and do not release the electric ignition button;
- after the flame appears, release the ignition button after 5-10 seconds.
If, after these manipulations, the fire does not light up or the burner does not work correctly, you need to stop the fuel supply and open the oven door for ventilation. After a couple of minutes, you need to repeat the ignition attempt.
The button for automatic ignition of a gas oven is usually located on the panel of the stove next to the temperature regulator for the oven.
The need to hold the auto-ignition button lies in the oven's security system. The gas monitor needs a certain temperature and time to properly monitor the equipment.
Additionally, holding is designed to protect the device from the production of unwanted sparks if the button is pressed accidentally. After briefly pressing this button, you can set the temperature level required for cooking a particular dish.
Method # 2 - manually lighting the flame
You can also ignite the gas in the oven manually. Even if the cabinet is equipped with an electric ignition, there may be situations when this option will not work. Therefore, even owners of modern high-tech models should understand how you can set fire to the oven in a gas stove with matches.
Step by step, this process looks like this:
- ventilate the oven for a few minutes and find the pilot hole;
- bring a burning match or lighter to the igniter;
- turn the gas supply switch and hold it until the flame ignites;
- after ignition, do not release the feed knob for 15 seconds so that the security system responds correctly to turning on the oven;
- if the flame in the burner is produced stably, without separation and sparks, you can close the door and warm up the cabinet for subsequent cooking.
To locate the pilot window, carefully examine the bottom and sides of the switched off oven. Most often, the required hole is located at the bottom of the cabinet or on its walls. If the oven is equipped with a gas grill, look for its burner from above.
Gas grilling is another way to get an incredibly tasty crust on meat, thoroughly bake the dough for a pie or fluffy sponge cake
For ignition, it is better to use long fireplace matches or a special lighter with an elongated nozzle. This will protect your hands from burns and maximize the distance between the burner pilot and the hand.
Safety precautions when lighting the oven
In whatever way the flame is ignited in the oven, it is always worth observing the specific rules for safe operation. Interaction with gas is always a risk, so you should be extremely careful to neutralize the likelihood of an emergency.
Next, consider the basic rules for safely lighting the oven:
- Always ventilate the gas oven before turning it on to free space from possible gas accumulation.
- Inspect the hoses, periodically check the tightness of their connections, and if necessary replace worn out with a new one.
- Make sure that the burner in the oven ignites completely. If a section does not burn, shut off the gas supply, ventilate the cabinet and reignite the flame.
- Never leave a working oven unattended, do not forget to check for the presence of a flame through the window of the cabinet door.
- Never use a switched-on oven as a heating source. Do not heat the kitchen with the air heated by the burner.
- Thoroughly clean all surfaces inside the oven after every cooking. Grease and other contaminants can clog the pilot or burner openings due to which the flame during subsequent operation will burn unevenly or will be absent fully.
Gas smell or sound alert leak sensor - an alarm in which it is prohibited to use the equipment. Ventilate the area and, if possible, find the source of the fuel leak.
The initial diagnostics of oven malfunctions can be carried out independently if the procedure does not imply the disassembly of the main components. In other cases, the work must be entrusted to a specialist.
It is always worth keeping an eye on the operation of potentially hazardous equipment. The incorrect functioning of any elements should be alarming and become a reason for calling the master from gas service for inspection, diagnosis of the problem and its elimination.
Typical gas oven malfunctions
Even with careful use and correct lighting, the flame in the oven burner can be unstable or completely disappear. These common problems have very specific causes and are fairly easy to fix.
If the flame in the oven ignites without problems, but often goes out after some time, the cause can be sought in the operation of the gas control system. Most likely, its sensor is faulty or dirty, therefore it does not respond to ignition correctly, giving a signal to shut off the gas supply.
In the same situation, problem nodes may be thermocouple and a gas stove solenoid valve. The latter does not receive sufficient voltage due to a breakdown of the flame control sensor and automatically shuts off the blue fuel supply.
In the event of a breakdown of the electromagnet itself, the valve is not held in the open position, due to which the proper flow of gas is also not ensured
In addition to malfunctions of specific parts, an incorrectly adjusted minimum flame level can cause the flame to go out after heating the oven. After the maximum warm-up, the burner switches to a gentle mode. If it does not meet the required parameters, the thermocouple will not warm up enough, which is why the device turns off.
If the gas burner in the oven does not turn on at all, the primary diagnosis will be to identify blockages in its holes that can form due to carbon deposits or food debris, or contamination of the gas itself nozzles. If there are no deposits that interfere with ignition, it is likely that the structural parts are worn out and need to be replaced.
The gas valve as a separate unit can also affect the incorrect functioning of the burner in the oven. Any link in the structure of the internal pivot mechanism can be damaged. Often this part cannot be repaired and is completely replaced.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
What it looks like and where is the pilot hole in a gas oven is described in the video below. Additionally, the video shows how to remove the protective plate and gain access to the burner.
Information on how to light a flame in an oven without electric ignition with gas control in the following video:
As with any gas equipment, working with the oven should be extremely careful. Pay attention to any alarming dysfunctions of the device and contact specialists in time to avoid emergencies.
And lighting a flame in a gas oven is quite simple: you only need to learn how to do it correctly once, after which the hostess will not need outside help.
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