Cooker condemned...advice on a new/second hand/small etc

[system 4-50]

Go for a walk on the motorway. We have already established in another thread that spare wheels go rolling by more often than you would expect.

[bizzard]

Is it a cast iron burner bar or a pressed steel burner bar? If pressed steel it might nearly have rusted through so poking it about might make more flame holes than it had originally. Compressed air won't blow crud and rust away unless its incredibly powerful or the crud and rust is dislodged first. Have you cleaned the jet yet?

[SimonM]

Thank you all again - Mike will acquire compressed air and give it a try.

 

Find a friend with a decent compressor, alternatively go to a kwik-fit or similar and bung them a fiver. You need both volume and pressure, car tyres lack pressure canisters lack volume.

[Nb Gwithian]

Hello again. So I have now followed your advice and used a compressor on the oven gas bit, scrubbed it, dried it, compressed it again. Am attaching 2 photos - the tall flame pic is the before, soon after the gas man ce, the short flame pic was taken today. I know it is difficult from a pic, but any thoughts on whether this is still no good? Thanks as always. Kay

[Tony Brooks]

Well its certainly better but I will let Mike give his opinion.

 

I think the later photos are typical of what you can get when cooking burns on to the burner assembly.

 

I also wonder if you can and if so if you did take the whole burner assembly out to work on it. If not it could still be full of rust and muck. ON may modern cookers it is not really and option for the boater to get the burner assembly out but on older ones they often just lift one end and pull out.

[Nb Gwithian]

Hello Tony

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I did remove the burner and have given it hell to try and remove rusty debris!(hammering/soaking/wire brush/compressor/ more soaking etc) It does seem to be more rust that burnt on foods.

 

I am on the look out for a new (secondhand) cooker, but in the meantime would love it if my 'vintage' *hate that term* cooker would get through the bss in April. I may have another go at the burner, especially after your comments re it looking like burnt on junk.

 

As always v grateful for the friendly advice and help.

 

K

[bizzard]

Hello Tony

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I did remove the burner and have given it hell to try and remove rusty debris!(hammering/soaking/wire brush/compressor/ more soaking etc) It does seem to be more rust that burnt on foods.

 

I am on the look out for a new (secondhand) cooker, but in the meantime would love it if my 'vintage' *hate that term* cooker would get through the bss in April. I may have another go at the burner, especially after your comments re it looking like burnt on junk.

 

As always v grateful for the friendly advice and help.

 

K

But, I repeat. Did you probe and clean the actual jet once the burner was removed.

[Athy]

my 'vintage' *hate that term* cooker

Then just call it "old" while you're using it.

Call it "vintage" when the time comes to sell it.

[MtB]

But, I repeat. Did you probe and clean the actual jet once the burner was removed.

 

I'd second this, because that post-cleaning flame size looks too small to my eye. Is that photo with the Regulo control set to MAX? If yes the small flame size suggests a restriction in either the gas jet or in the supply pipe.

 

Secondly, there is still yellow tipping of some of the flames which shouldn't be there. Yellow tips are caused by insufficient air mixed in with the gas in the venturi and this *could* be caused by a partially blocked gas jet.

 

Thirdly, there is noticeable variation in the size of each individual flame in the bank of flames and they ought to all be the same size. This suggests the holes in the burner the gas comes from vary in size, which they wouldn't have new from the factory. Did you physically poke out the crap from each of the (hundreds of) holes? If yes, then there must be either advanced corrosion of the holes or still loads of debris inside the burner.

Forgot to say, I think given the small flame size and significant yellow-tipping, I'd say this burner still isn't working properly. I doubt it will kill you but given it isn't right, I'd still expect a BSS bod to fail it.

[Ex-Member]

Suggestions on what to use 'elbow grease plus whatever' appreciated. Soak in bicarb??

 

 

Leave everything in a bowl of hot water with a good scoop of washing machine powder. This will work on anything that has dirt or burnt on food, eg. grill pans, casserole dishes/pans etc. Depending on how bad it might need 2 goes or leaving overnight

[b0atman]

To clean the Jet holes I have a multi set given to me by my father from his old camping days .Can these still be bought ?

I would like to say this is the best post that I have seen on this site in a long while .

[MtB]

 

For comparison, here is a photo of the flame picture (as we gas bods call it) from my own oven, with which I'm perfectly happy.

 

You'll notice the complete absence of yellow tipping compared to yours, and the steady solid-looking base to the flames. The flame at each end is larger and bending inwards, which is not generally normal or desirable, but all Vanette ovens do this and it is not a safety risk.

[Tony Brooks]

When I was on the hire fleet we used a SUITABLY sized drill banged into a bit of broom handle to clean the jet holes in the burner.

 

Poking the actual jet/injector needs a bit of care but I would use a strand of conductor from some cable as long as it is small enough.

 

Does the burner assembly have a screw with perhaps a locknut at the end opposite to the one you lift up to take the burner out. If so it is probably the air adjustment and I have known them to stop rust flakes falling out of the burner tube. If you have one clean the jet/injector as Biz said, then remove the burner again and make sure the jet holes are free from rust etc. Then use a torch to make sure all the rust is out of the burner. If there is an air screw or air baffle in the end you may have to take it out to clear the burner tube but please make sure you note its position AND how many turns you needed to get it out. When you reassemble it you will probably have to use the air adjuster to get a decent flame. Yellow means add more air (unscrew or turn baffle so it blocks less of the tube). If the flame goes light blue and/or starts lifting off the burner you have too much air so adjust the opposite way.

 

On no account use it with yellow tips to the flame.

[Nb Gwithian]

All, as always grateful for your time and insight. I have tried to clean the jet, but am struggling to get at it and don't think I did a very good job. Will try again. The cooker is screwed to a wooden unit, and one of the screws has lost its head thread so can't manage to get the cooker off the base and then turn it upside down!

 

The burner is a single piece of cast iron, no screws or ways to get inside except through the burner holes, and where the gas jet sits. There are about 20 burner holes max, and I did dig in with wire and a narrow scewer. Again I will have another go at it and follow suggestions re bicarb/washing powder/. Even the holes in the metal don't look the same size!

 

Yes, the pics show the gas on max, after 10mins of running.

 

Will update when I have more exciting pics to share :-)

 

Thanks again

K

[Tony Brooks]

The injector/jet that Biz is on about is in the end of the piece you have to draw the burner assembly off when you take it out. If the stove is the type I think it is then it is usually a hexagon that screws into the holder you slide the burner over. It woudl be easiest to take the injector/jet out to clean. \more modern stoves may be different.

 

If Mike says different then follow his advice.

 

Make sure any soft washer under the jet/injector is in good order or renewed if you take the injector/jet out.

[BD3Bill]

Thank you all, as mentioned previously this is a flavel courier cooker, circa 1973, fitted when the boat was built circa 1973. It has passed bss 2012. As far as I am aware (and I am no expert) it has no cut outs, either on top burners, grill or oven.

 

 

Ultimately would like to replace, but right now cash is short and if I can keep this going for another year (and bss) that would preferable.

You'd be well off getting the BSS examiner who passed the Boat in 2012 to come and do it again when it's next due.

 

Much simpler, even if it means moving the boat some way, or paying extra travelling.