Wife making cookies...RV oven keeps going out...

[groundhogy]

I am rapidly getting into trouble each time we have to light the oven again. Even though its not my fault.

Light the pilot light and it stays on ok.
Turn knob and burner lights and oven heats ok.
At some point, the oven ceases to be lit. (maybe in the cycling procecess?)

I have observed that the pilot seems to be very happy by itself. Seems to tell me that the thermocouple is correctly sensing the pilot is on.

I have manually cycled the call for heat on and call for heat off several times by turning the temperature knob way up and way down.
I have not seen the burner turn off by itself doing this.

help..

[groundhogy]

Great information. I really appreciate the time you all took to respond.
I think I should now become a gas oven technician. lol.

[bartlettj]

I had this same problem with mine. It turned out that there was too much insulation in the back and it was restricting the exhaust vent, so the pilot worked fine but eventually after the main burner would light it would starve itself of oxygen and go out. The gas valve would then shut off the pilot because it lost flame and the safety valve tripped.

Also, I've found that sometimes the thermostat sense bulb shifs around and hits the wall of the oven, which throws it out of calibration.

[pnichols]

mchero wrote:
My DW got hooked on the microwave convection oven (electric). Current gas oven used for storage.

You have the ultimate setup ... a microwave/convection oven PLUS a gas oven. That way when camping without hookups and you're outside generator hours, you can still bake something with your gas oven.

The most pleasant camping includes having choices and backup plans on how to get things done in the widest variety of situations.

[mchero]

My DW got hooked on the microwave convection oven (electric). Current gas oven used for storage.

[groundhogy]

that makes more sense

[marcsbigfoot20b]

groundhogy wrote:
On the comment about... dont put additional insulation in the oven because its designed to have the air space to keep the outer skin cool...

The heat that comes up the back of the oven seems really hot.

I guess..
Hard to imagine thats the genius design on purpose.
Maybe because its a mini oven in an RV and they have to keep the walls thin? lol. So you cant put too much insulation in? and you have to use convection to cool the outside.

It’s a fuel burning oven, it can’t be sealed or the flame would go out due to no oxygen. Therefore there has to be a vent which is why I always crack a window and turn on the range hood fan to draw out the exhaust.

[groundhogy]

On the comment about... dont put additional insulation in the oven because its designed to have the air space to keep the outer skin cool...

The heat that comes up the back of the oven seems really hot.

I guess..
Hard to imagine thats the genius design on purpose.
Maybe because its a mini oven in an RV and they have to keep the walls thin? lol. So you cant put too much insulation in? and you have to use convection to cool the outside.

[turbojimmy]

dougrainer wrote:

turbojimmy wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
Some of you overthink things. IF it was a sensor/thermocoupler, WHY would it light the main burner first time and then fail to keep oven at temp the 2nd or 3rd time????????????????? BECAUSE the Tstat is at fault. Doug(been here and done that numerous times)

In my case the Tstat was calling for heat but the gas valve wasn't giving it up. It started at random and then quit completely. I took it apart and cleaned it per advice I found in the interwebs but it would not function.

The OP's issue might be as simple as a Tstat, but downstream from the Tstat a gas valve has to open. If it doesn't...no heat.

1. Gas Tstats and such, you NEVER rebuild. They are not designed to be rebuilt safely.
2. The Tstat has the Temp sensor probe, the Main gas line to the burner safety valve and the Pilot tube to the pilot assbly.
3. Turn on the tstat to pilot and gas flows to the pilot orifice.
4. You LIGHT the pilot and hold the knob until the pilot thermocouple has been satisfied and the pilot stays ON
5. You turn the oven to 350, the Pilot goes to a slightly larger flame and this larger flame trips the Main burner thermocouple to OPEN the tstat to allow the gas to flow to the main burner
6. Burner is full lit. Once the interior temp reaches 350 degrees the tstat shuts down the main burner flame from its temp sensor on the roof or back wall of the oven
7. The pilot goes back to its lower pilot flame.
8. IF the oven main burner needs to light to maintain 350 degrees, the Tstat tells the pilot to increase the pilot light flame and this trips the Main burner thermocouple and the Main burner relights and the sequence starts all over. VERY SIMPLE
9. From my 39 years experience as an RV Tech, I stand by my advice to replace the Tstat. The OP has a 20 plus year old oven.
10. Last, there are some Atwood Ovens from about 4 to 6 years ago That the fix was to replace the Pilot assbly complete as this was also a cause of this problem. But ONLY, for those from about 2012 to 2014. Doug

Did all that. My gas valve was bad. But, a sample size of one.

[dougrainer]

turbojimmy wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
Some of you overthink things. IF it was a sensor/thermocoupler, WHY would it light the main burner first time and then fail to keep oven at temp the 2nd or 3rd time????????????????? BECAUSE the Tstat is at fault. Doug(been here and done that numerous times)

In my case the Tstat was calling for heat but the gas valve wasn't giving it up. It started at random and then quit completely. I took it apart and cleaned it per advice I found in the interwebs but it would not function.

The OP's issue might be as simple as a Tstat, but downstream from the Tstat a gas valve has to open. If it doesn't...no heat.

1. Gas Tstats and such, you NEVER rebuild. They are not designed to be rebuilt safely.
2. The Tstat has the Temp sensor probe, the Main gas line to the burner safety valve and the Pilot tube to the pilot assbly.
3. Turn on the tstat to pilot and gas flows to the pilot orifice.
4. You LIGHT the pilot and hold the knob until the pilot thermocouple has been satisfied and the pilot stays ON
5. You turn the oven to 350, the Pilot goes to a slightly larger flame and this larger flame trips the Main burner thermocouple to OPEN the tstat to allow the gas to flow to the main burner
6. Burner is full lit. Once the interior temp reaches 350 degrees the tstat shuts down the main burner flame from its temp sensor on the roof or back wall of the oven
7. The pilot goes back to its lower pilot flame.
8. IF the oven main burner needs to light to maintain 350 degrees, the Tstat tells the pilot to increase the pilot light flame and this trips the Main burner thermocouple and the Main burner relights and the sequence starts all over. VERY SIMPLE
9. From my 39 years experience as an RV Tech, I stand by my advice to replace the Tstat. The OP has a 20 plus year old oven.
10. Last, there are some Atwood Ovens from about 4 to 6 years ago That the fix was to replace the Pilot assbly complete as this was also a cause of this problem. But ONLY, for those from about 2012 to 2014. Doug

[turbojimmy]

dougrainer wrote:
Some of you overthink things. IF it was a sensor/thermocoupler, WHY would it light the main burner first time and then fail to keep oven at temp the 2nd or 3rd time????????????????? BECAUSE the Tstat is at fault. Doug(been here and done that numerous times)

In my case the Tstat was calling for heat but the gas valve wasn't giving it up. It started at random and then quit completely. I took it apart and cleaned it per advice I found in the interwebs but it would not function.

The OP's issue might be as simple as a Tstat, but downstream from the Tstat a gas valve has to open. If it doesn't...no heat.

[dougrainer]

Some of you overthink things. IF it was a sensor/thermocoupler, WHY would it light the main burner first time and then fail to keep oven at temp the 2nd or 3rd time????????????????? BECAUSE the Tstat is at fault. Doug(been here and done that numerous times)

[turbojimmy]

groundhogy wrote:
Well, I am still here..

Those are some very good tips and comments. Thank you.

We still have Christmas cookie production running.
She is using the knob to, i guess, bypass the thermostat or sensor/relay. She turns it to total broil and then turns it back to very low. This doesnt let the thermostat decide i guess.

For temperature monitoring, I have a fluke DVM that has a thermocouple input and tells temperature. This oven is like an Amana or Magic Chef or something, but the temperature is also WAY WAY off.

A lot of heat seems to escape from the unit. Maybe from the back. You can put your hand there and feel it. I was thinking it needs some fiberglass stuffed in there. Like maybe they forgot to insulate it.

How old is it? The oven in my '84 Allegro failed in this manner. It was the gas valve not re-opening. Eventually it stopped working completely. The part is no longer available. I *think* it was a Magic Chef or maybe Atwood. I replaced it with a scratch-n-dent oven removed from a new motorhome for half the cost of a new one.

And I do believe broil is pretty much constant on so you won't have the issue, though temperature regulation could be tricky.

[wa8yxm]

groundhogy wrote:
I wonder if the thermostat has a temperature adjustment screw or something?

Per Atwood.. NO

[garyemunson]

That heat you feel escaping is a result of double wall construction that lets air circulate to keep the outer shell from getting too hot and starting a fire inside the cabinet oven recess. I would not try to restrict hat airflow at all.