Dumb question, but please help....

[FrankLanger]

Sorry in advance for the dumb question, but I can't seem to solve it myself.

We have a Hillerange two burner propane range/ oven on our boat--probably an older model. We have the two burners working great, but have not been able to figure out how to light the oven. It says to light the pilot light and then turn the dial on the front--problem is I can't figure out how to light the pilot light.

I have looked inside the oven and there is a confusing little piece at the back of the inside of the oven that looks like where the propane gas would come in. I have tried several times to hold a match along it's entire length, while having the dial turned on. It has not lit anywhere, and I haven't wanted to wait any longer as I don't want to cause an explosion.

I also tried the above procedure again with the burners lit, so I knew there was propane coming to the stove. I suspect it's all working fine, and that I'm just doing something wrong, or missing a step, to get it lit.

Can anyone provide a simple but sufficiently detailed explanation of how I might get it working? Unfortunately, I have no access to the boat for the next two weeks, so can't take pictures--and then we'll be sailing for two weeks without access to internet. I'd like to get this figured out before our trip, if possible.

Thanks for any ideas or advice.

Frank.

[Faster]

Hey Frank

At one end, or in the vicinity of the oven burner there should be a small metal shield, behind which will be a thermocouple (just looks like a small metal probe, about 1/8 " diameter) The pilot jet should be in that area, so that the pilot flame contacts and heats the thermocouple.

Get yourself a BBQ lighter (with flame - not just a sparker), light one of the burners and then turn the oven control to "pilot" and push it in and hold it. Apply the lighter to the pilot/thermocouple region, when the small pilot flame comes on keep holding the oven button down for 15-30 seconds. If, when you release the oven control, the pilot goes out, relight it and hold it down longer. If the pilot flame does not appear to be enveloping the thermocouple you may have to shift it slightly. But I suspect that if you try this you'll have good results, especially if the rest of the stove is in good shape.

Once the pilot flame is established and stable, turn the oven to the required temp/setting - the main burner should light off the pilot and control from then on.

Good Luck.

[TrueBlue]

Don't know about Hillerange (weren't they built by Seaward?), but we also have a three-burner range/ oven which is out of production . . . Mobilite - originally built in Finland. Fortunately it came with manuals and looks/works like new. Perhaps ours lights similarly as yours.

The oven is very simple to light. After opening the oven door, I turn the oven dial to the "ignite" icon and using a butane lighter-stick, light the bottom burner via a small round orifice, located centrally and forward of the oven's bottom. The blue flames should then be seen spreading to the entire bottom burner.

[FrankLanger]

Faster, thanks for your helpful reply--I'll try that and keep my fingers crossed. I know what a thermocoupler should look like, and also know about having to hold the knob in for awhile until it all heats up, so that should be doable.

My wife always kids me (with justification) about my inability to find anything even when it's staring me in the face--I suspect I just haven't found the thermocoupler behind the metal shield you mentioned--I'll look again, more carefully.

Thanks again!
Frank.

[FrankLanger]

Thanks, TrueBlue. If Faster's way doesn't light it, I'll look for the orifice you mentioned and try that. I think maybe I've been a bit too cautious in not wanting to wave my match (or barbecue lighter) around for too long, looking for the right place to get it lit--but maybe caution is not a bad thing in this case!
I'll try again, hopefully successfully.
thanks again.
Frank.

[Sailormann]

I don't know anything about Hillerange, but our Force 10 manual says not to use the burners and the oven at the same time. I am wondering if there is some safety mechanism on your stove that would prevent the oven from lighting when the burners are going ????

Here is a link that might help....

Hillerange Stove:*FirstClass Online

[FrankLanger]

Sailorman, thanks alot for this lead to the manual--it contains alot more detail and shows that there are a few extra steps that I need to take to get it lit. I can see now why I couldn't get it to work.
Thanks again!
Frank.

[Sailormann]

You're welcome. Enjoy !