Propane stove stays lit for 30 seconds then goes out.

wayspell · 10-16-2012, 12:56 PM

This has been driving me nuts for a couple weeks now. This is a new unit. Up till now had done all cooking outside. Had not even turned on the propane. When lighting the stove burner it lights just fine for a brief period of time, at the most 30 seconds then goes out. When I attempt to re-ignite it just sputters. If I wait awhile it will light but then again just goes out. So I thought I'll try to light the hot water heater. Pilot light lights just fine but as soon as you turn up the temperature it blows out. One night I left the pilot burning all night the next morning when I turned up the temp. same thing blew it out. I thought maybe its a bad regulator replaced it no difference. I have made sure the tank is full. To make sure there is not an issue at the tank I pulled it and put on a bbq it works just fine. I've tried opening the lines turning on the gas at the tank very slowly, closing the lines turning it on very slowly. I've tried everything that has been suggested to me at this point nothing is working. Dealer says they will look at it but they are two weeks behind schedule and also an hour away. Really hoping someone has had this experience and knows how to fix it. Help!

paflyfisher · 10-16-2012, 01:45 PM

Does your three burner stove top light and stay lit? Just wandering if you might have some air in the line that needs to be purged out. If I remember correctly, there is also a type of check valve/regulator down line from your tanks, under the RV, that if the propane tank is turned on to fast, this check valve/regulator will close, allowing no gas to reach WH, stove, heater or refrig. Just thinking!!!!!!!!!

wayspell · 10-17-2012, 09:52 AM

The stove will not stay lit for more than 30 seconds. I already replaced the regulator. Can the hose that connects to the tank have a problem?

paflyfisher · 10-17-2012, 11:48 AM

Is the regulator you changed the one directly at the tanks? There is an other valve, I think its called an over pressure thingy that is down line (under the RV) from the tank regulator. It is a safety valve, that if the tank regulator fails this safety will detect an increase in pressure and close.

wayspell · 10-17-2012, 01:42 PM

No, there is not any other valves. Extending from the one I replaced is copper tubing to each of the appliances.

Chakara · 10-17-2012, 08:59 PM

Does the stove experience the problem no matter how high or low it is set?

-Chak

wayspell · 10-18-2012, 07:30 AM

It doesn't matter high or low. Like it burns all of the fuel in the line then goes out. Then you have to wait several minutes before it will light again. It's like there is something blocking the flow. However the pilot on the hw tank will stay lit all night but you can not turn up the temp with out it going out. That is why I really thought it would be a bad regulator. I suppose I could have replaced it with another bad one??

RedHorse1 · 10-18-2012, 07:35 AM

Hey Way (I must be a poet and didn't know it)
Since you have the same symptoms with the stove and water heater it's gotta be something upstream. I think that's just some low pressure plumbing, the regulator and the pig-tail. There is a valve in the pig-tail (the part that connects to the tank) that will close under high flow conditions (like a broken line). It can close if the tank valve is opened quickly. Possiblly yours is partially closed and allowing a small flow through (enough for the pilot but not the burner). This valve can be reset by removing the pig-tail and rapping the connector on something solid (block of wood or the tank?) The pig-tail may also be defective or there may be an obstruction in one of the lines. I would immediately suspect the regulator but since that's already replaced must be something else. A pig-tail isn't very $$, I'd try whapping it a couple of times and replacing it if there's still no gas. Keep us posted!
There must be a 1,000,000+ things that can go wrong with a trailer but fortunately there's very few things that require a rocket scientist to figure out and fix.

wayspell · 10-18-2012, 10:52 AM

Redhorse
I have tried rapping the pig tail a few times to no avail. I think I will pick up a new one on the way home tonight.
Wish me luck. I'll let you know.

dlindsay001 · 10-19-2012, 07:01 AM

I had the same exact problem about 3 weeks after we bought ours earlier this summer. I was opening the valve too quickly. I would go in and try to light the stove, it would light and burn full on for about 10 seconds, then gradually the flame would reduce to nothing. I did some reading on the internet about the check valve in the pigtail and it can take awhile for the valve to open back up once it experiences a rapid increase in pressure. Sometimes it needs "help" opening back up, so, I did take the pigtail off and hit it on a piece of wood several times. I put it back on and opened it "extremely" slow and it has worked fine with this slow opening method ever since.

wayspell · 10-22-2012, 12:55 PM

Thanks for the help. Rapping the pig tail a couple times and opening the valve extremely slow seems to do the trick.

thomsonr · 07-01-2014, 07:28 PM

My symptoms were exactly as described in the initial post, all propane had worked fine on previous outing. I had tried initially to slowly turn on the pressure to no avail. A few small taps with the disconnected pigtail on the frame of the 17Z did the trick.

RVing sure is a learning experience. You can't alway trust the dealers for the right information.

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