I have a Kenmore gas oven, Model # [FONT="]790.78783407 that I bought used for a rental home. I am using Natural Gas. The flame output on the top burners are low and the oven takes nearly 20 - 25 minutes to reach 350 degrees. First thing that came to mind was the gas supply pressure being too low, so I had the local gas company come out and they checked both the outside gas meter and then came in the house and put a meter on the line by the furnace and had me turn on my 30,000 btu gas fireplace and gas water tank. The pressure remained consistent and they said there are no issues with the pressure.
So I then took a look at the Pressure Regulator to see if was switched to LP. It didn’t appear to be, but as a test, I reversed the plug so that it was now set for LP. The burner output for both the oven and top burners were no different? I turned on the broiler and it ignited correctly, but the flames were very weak, about 1/4 inch in length. So I switched every thing back to Natural Gas and the flames were still the same as expected.
I read that if the Pressure Regulator bypass/service switch is turned off, that the oven will not get gas at all and not light. So I flipped the switch to OFF or Service and to my surprise, the oven would still light up with the same low output flame!!! While the broiler burner was on, I would flip the switch on the Pressure regulator ON and OFF and back ON every 10 seconds. The oven flame remained on with no difference in flame output no matter what the switch was set to. I then turned the top surface burners on and still no difference in flame output. So it appears that I get the same level of gas to the oven no matter what and it doesn’t matter how many burners are on, the flame output levels remain the same.
So my theory now is that the Pressure regulator is bad and only allow a certain amount of gas into the oven no matter what, or that there is gas restriction in the gas pipe just before entering the oven. Wish the utility service person could have checked the output right at the oven, but they didn’t and it was a no cost service call so I can’t complain.
Any thoughts on the Pressure regulator being the culprit? When turning off the gas using the service switch on the Pressure regulator, should this turn off all gas to the oven or just reduce it. It appears this switch only affects the oven and not the top burners since it is where the gas exits to the oven. Why have a switch at all if it doesn’t cut off all of the gas?
Thank you,
Dave
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