From: John De Armond
Subject: Re: Simple question
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 23:31:06 EDT
Newsgroups: sci.engr.heat-vent-ac

Richard Ogden wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the response, John.  I've been cooking over gas since I was 15
> (just turned 50), and have never run into a situation like this one.  I use
> heavy bottomed, highly conductive pots and also a flame spreader when
> appropriate.  I still cannot get the burner turned down far enough to
> prevent overheating.  I suspect a defect in the pressure regulator, but I
> can't even get anyone at GE or the dealership to admit there's a problem!
> 

Hmm,  Possible that it is a regulator problem but even then, the
burner ought to throttle down enough not to scorch.  Can you cut the
flame down to where it just barely comes around the top of the
burner?

Many stoves come with dual-mode regulators to let them work on
either gas or LP without having to change out any parts.  Typically,
one must take the top off the internal regulator and reverse a plug
that changes the spring tension and thus the pressure setpoint. 
Then the gas jet on each burner is adjusted for the appropriate gas.
If your stove happened to come set for NG, then you'd be supplying
too much LP.  Check your instruction manual and/or labels under the
lid or in the back.  The adjustable orfices have a cap that screws
down on the body with fine threads.  The cap is tightened down for
LP and turned out several turns for NG. If you're trying to run a
stove set up for NG on propane, then the burners will get too much
gas but they'll also burn with an orange flame.  I have a domestic
stove in the retaurant that I occasionally have to haul out for
on-site cooking on large catering jobs.  NG in the restaurant and LP
on-site.  I get a lot of practice making these changes :-) Check out
this possibility and get back with us.

John