Oven Pilot in '58

[bevman]

I'm checking out the oven before turning on the gas to see if things really do work. There are no pilots on the top burners (I guess that explains the cast iron hopper of kitchen matches) but inside the oven about 2" away from the oven burner is an 1/8" aluminum tube with a brass ferrule on the end, nothing fancy. I'm used to seeing pilot and thermocouple but no, just tube. I looked at the back of the Robershaw oven knob and there are obvious gas supply inlet, supply to burner line, and small copper "wire" that goes to the thermostat bulb in the top of the oven.

Is there something missing, or is this the setup. Do I just light the flame at the end of the pilot tube and it stays on until I shut off the gas? Oh, I should mention that there is no "pilot" setting on the oven knob.

I'd give you the model/make but there is nothing. It's white with grey flecked interior/three burner top, with stainless top that holds the cast iron rings.

Any clues?

[TomW]

Originally Posted by bevman

... Do I just light the flame at the end of the pilot tube and it stays on until I shut off the gas? ... I'd give you the model/make but there is nothing.

Any clues?

Since you have nothing, I will toss out how my oven works.

While I have a "pilot" setting on one knob, it does not surprise me that your pilot is controlled by the gas shutoff valve. Your oven evolved from a household oven, and I do not believe ovens of that era had a "pilot" setting.

On my oven, the thermocouple has nothing to do with the pilot. Once my oven's knob is turned to "pilot", gas flows to the pilot until the knob is turned off. The pilot, in my oven, is there to light a secondary pilot whose gas supply is more robust, an turned ON when the gas control module wants the main burner on. Once the secondary pilot is lit, it warms the thermocouple. Once the thermocouple is hot enough, it signals the gas control module to supply gas to the main burner. The main burner then lights off of the secondary pilot.

Hope this helps,

Tom

[bevman]

Thanks, your recap is exactly how I understand things should work. My oven seems to missing the thermocouple in your explanation. Here is the unit and the "Tube".

[flyfshr]

That silver tube is the temp sensor. It should be connected to the oven control knob. My '59 oven has to be lit every time I use it. They didn't have a pilot light. At least my original Princess didn't anyway.

Brad
FF

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

That silver tube is the temp sensor. It should be connected to the oven control knob. My '59 over has to be lit every time I use it. They didn't have a pilot light. At least my original Princess didn't anyway.

Brad
FF

They must have a pilot or you would have to light it every time it needs more heat. The early ones had no thermocouple to shut off the gas if the pilot goes out. They usually have a vent in the oven to outside to let the gas out if the pilot went out.
In newer ovens the thermocouple will shut off the gas to the main burner, so no vent is needed.
That small pilot pipe should be fastened close to the burner to keep it lit.
I hope this helps and not confuses .

[TomW]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

That silver tube is the temp sensor. ...

I agree.

If it is the temperature sensor, it will probably be damaged by sticking it in the pilot light. Regardless of damage, sticking a temp sensor in a flame will fool the thermostat into thinking that no additional heat is needed.

Tom

[bevman]

The "temp sensor" is another, different wire in the top of the oven. The photo shows the underside of the oven chamber/roof of the broiler. The place next to the burner.