Trying to light my furnace.

[goramsey]

I am trying to light my Panel Ray furnace LPG in my 1959 Aloha trailer. Here are some photos to give you an idea. I push in the button and hold forever. The furnace fires up, but when I let go of the button it goes out. I get an ever so small pilot light but it goes out quickly. So, I am thinking the pilot light needs to be somehow cleaned out.





Ready for some good answers.

[bobhenry]

Thermocouples are notorious for drawing moisture when in long term disuse. I fully expect you need to pull it and take it with you to a good hardware store and get a replacement .

[DrCrash]

Pull out pilot assembly clean out the orafice with a very tiny wire as not to enlarge the hole, just clen out the crud. I would replace the thermocouple for giggles while you have it apart. Cant tell in the photo but it might actualy be a thermopile. Either way replace it with new.

[DrCrash]

Thermocouple will look like a small coper tubing that goes into the gas valve with a fitting.

Thermopile will have two [2] wires that run into the gas valve.

There function is to detect milivoltage from a pilot light so gas valve can open. Never heard of mosture afecting them. They just become weak and a small pilot light makes it worse.

Your pilot light should be a nice blue in color and about 1inch tall.
If its yellow or hace orange in it, then clean the orafice.

Pull out a wire from a wire brush. Its stiff and the right size to punch the hole out.

If that dosent work then kick the sh** out of it.

[goramsey]

Thanks for a great description. Now to see if I can do this.

[goramsey]

Wow! Another suggestion did it. I did let the thermocouple get warmed up, and slowly released the button and bingo, it works.

[Rock]

DrCrash is right on. The orifice in my shop heater will corrode over if I don't run the pilot in summer - even though the orifice is stainless I think.

It could also be that the thermocouple/thermopile is not directly in the pilot flame thus not getting hot enough.

Or it could be a weak thermocouple/thermopile or even dirty connections as these are millivolt systems.

Eric

[down under tech]

goramsey: I would still replace the thermocouple. It's job is to tell your burner control valve that the pilot light is lit. This way gas will only flow to the burner if the thermocouple tells it it "feels" the heat from the pilot light. It is a safety precaution to keep any gas from being pumped into your cabin that is not burned and that gas could kill you. It could be very bad if you strike a match or a spark from a light switch. You might have to re-light the pilot light over and over if you keep using the old nearly worn out thermocouple. Just replace it now so you will be done with it.
It is not that hard to change and not much money either.

[goramsey]

How would one go about getting a replacement for this old puppy?

[doitright]

They have been making the same type thermo for 50 years. I am sure you will be able to find one at your local hardware store. I am sure that it would help to pull the burner and pilot out to clean all parts.
doitright

[Gage]

How would one go about getting a replacement for this old puppy?

Talk with Bob. He knows where to get just about anything for the old trailers.

[bobhenry]

How would one go about getting a replacement for this old puppy?

" Ace is the place "

Actually any good hardware store or a plumbing and heating supply shop would be able to fix you up. Slightly longer is OK but shorter may be a problem. Have them check to be sure the threaded end matches yours.

Be sure and take yours with you !

[DrCrash]

goramsey: I would still replace the thermocouple. It's job is to tell your burner control valve that the pilot light is lit. This way gas will only flow to the burner if the thermocouple tells it it "feels" the heat from the pilot light. It is a safety precaution to keep any gas from being pumped into your cabin that is not burned and that gas could kill you. It could be very bad if you strike a match or a spark from a light switch. You might have to re-light the pilot light over and over if you keep using the old nearly worn out thermocouple. Just replace it now so you will be done with it.
It is not that hard to change and not much money either.

If your thinking youll blow the place up you cannot be more wrong.
The thermocouples job is letting the gas valve detect voltage[pilot light]
so the main can open upon the call for heat..They fail closed not open.
If there is no pilot light there is no gas..And if it goes out there is no gas.


Slowcowboy... The pilot light needs to wrap all the way around the thermocouple...

Second I would never alter a furnace, no matter how well you think you can do it. A verry good way to remove yourself from the gean pool!!

[Weirdnerd]

I have found that you can use an ultrasonic cleaner to remove crud from a pilot orifice without damaging the orifice, you can ask at any car mechanic to do it for you at a very reasonable price, also, thermocouples are cheap, and the main reason they fail is galvanic corrosion, the small voltage they generate is enough to corrode them internally when not in use ( they are made of two different metals/alloy : Iron and Constantan)

[down under tech]

Dr Crash: My point was to let goramsey know that gas in his TD is a bad thing that no one wants to have that happen. I know that no gas can flow through the valve if the thermocouple is not sending the signal to the burner. This is a good thing.

Thats all... Safety Rules.