Does My Oven Have a Pilot Light | How Do You Know
Pilot lights aren’t common in the newest ovens and gas stoves. If you have an oven of an older model, then your oven probably has a pilot tube.
If there is a gas tube with a small blue flame burning at its end, which may or may not be lit, then your oven has a pilot tube. You’ll notice an insulated electrical device in the burner if your oven has a glow bar.
Does My Oven Have a Pilot Light
A small light called a pilot should always be on in older gas stoves. This small flame is used to ignite larger flames in your oven and on your stovetop burners. The light can go off from time to time, whether it’s because it’s blown out by a draft or other blast of wind, covered in debris, or because you have an older oven.
When this happens, the oven and burners will not light, and you will be unable to cook your food. Fortunately, relighting a pilot light is pretty simple.
Newer gas ovens and ranges don’t have a pilot light. They have piezoelectric igniters. Rather than the stove igniting automatically, newer models need you to turn on the heat to your preferred temperature and then press another button.
Pressing the button will create a spark that will ignite the gas and your stovetop will run. The gas is ignited using an electric ignition system.
Although it may take a few seconds to light, this method is far more popular, which is why modern gas stoves use it.
How Do I Know if My Oven Has a Pilot Light?
Finding out whether your gas oven has a pilot light or not is easy. Remove the cover plate and, the flame spreader from the oven to uncover the pilot and burner assembly. You may find a gas tube with a small blue flame burning at its end. That is the pilot light.
If you observe such light, it’s safe to say that your oven has a pilot light.
However, the pilot light might not burn because it was turned off manually. You should look for the flame as well as the gas tube.
You can also tell if your oven has a pilot light by identifying whether your oven runs on electricity or gas. An electric gas oven does not have a pilot light; instead, it has a glow bar in the center of the burner area.
Where Is the Pilot Light on an Oven?
The pilot light can be a small hole located in the front center close to the door opening bottom of the oven or a back corner, and it’s typically labeled “pilot light.” It can be in the back of the broiler compartment if you don’t find it inside the oven.
Hold the knob down for at least one minute after the pilot is lighted. Reassemble your oven and make sure the pilot light is working properly. If it is working properly, you will observe a little blue flame. Clean the pilot light area down using a microfiber cloth.
How to Relight Pilot Lights?
If you smell any gas odor in the kitchen, it can mean that your oven pilot light has gone out. Don’t relight the pilot light in case the odor is too strong. Call the gas company right away after closing the main gas shut-off valve for the appliance with the leak or for your residence.
Everyone should be out of the house until the gas company technicians fix the situation. Wait until the room is completely clear of gas odors before lighting a match or turning on an electric switch. Even if there is no gas odor, open windows, and doors for at least five minutes to ventilate the room before relighting any pilot light.
You will find instructions for relighting the pilot light in the owner’s manual. Or you can seek instructions on the appliance itself. Typically, these are found near or on the burner control unit.
Usually, a gas kitchen range has two or more pilot lights, one or two of which start the surface burners and the other ignites the oven burners.
- Lift the cooktop and hold a lit match to the pilot light to relight the surface burner pilot light.
- If the oven pilot has gone out, switch off the oven first and let it cool completely before relighting the pilot.
- You may need to take out the oven bottom and the heat baffle beneath it to get to the oven pilot.
- If using a lighted match to reach the oven pilot is difficult, use a lighted piece of paper curled into a thin wick. After the pilot is relighted, immediately extinguish the paper.
How Do You Light a Gas Oven Without a Pilot?
When there is a power outage, you can use a fit in your dual fuel range or electric ignition gas or gas cooktop to light the exterior burners. Turn the knob to the minimum position while holding a lit match on the burner. The electronic ignition on the gas range oven eliminates the need for status seekers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my oven pilot go out?
Pilot lights can go out due to very low flame settings. The flame can be adjusted with the help of the owner’s manual. Other issues, such as a loose or defective thermocouple, low gas pressure, or a malfunctioning gas control valve, can cause the pilot light to repeatedly go out.
What does it mean if the pilot light is yellow or orange color and not blue?
The pilot light must always burn blue. If you see a flickering yellow flame, it means there is excessive air in the gas line. This happens when the gas line has a leak or the thermocouple is broken. The bright orange flame on your pilot light is the most dangerous colored flame you can ask for. It means excess gas is feeding the flame.
Conclusion
Not all gas ovens have a pilot light. More traditional and older models of gas ovens may have a pilot light that ignites the gas on the stove automatically when the heat is on. Newer models have a different way of igniting flame. While most people prefer the newer methods more, there are still many cooks and professional chefs who love the more traditional ways of gas ovens.
