Troubleshooting My Force 10 Stove

[deblen]

Propane system info Safe Boat Propane System Installation

[inspectr]

Been there, done that.
In my case the stove had not been used for a considerable time and I found that due to some water getting through the porthole above the stove I had some corrosion in the zinc diecast bases of the burners. The galleries in the burner bases were clogged up with white powdery zinc oxide.
Getting the thing apart was a brute of a job
Takes some time for the air to be purged from the lines, but you need to ventilate the boat while you work on gas. Turn off all power at the main breakers to reduce the risk of sparking!
Start by removing the brass burner inserts and check the condition of the base, and clean or replace the burners.
Second the comments in the posts above about checking the thermocouples, and the spacing between the thermocouple head and the burner.
The Australian rep was worse than useless, he commented that the stove was more than 10 years old and should be replaced, not interested in supplying replacement parts including the thermocouples, found them online
Second the cautions above, best to remove the stove from the boat and work on it the the workshop in a well ventilated space - gas is deadly dangerous in a boat. If you do not know what you are doing, use a gas fitter specialist.

[Jubilee39]

I had a burner on my 3 year old force 10 stop working apparently due to thermocouple malfunction. While searching for a replacement I came across a service bulletin recommending a star washer be used when installing thermocouple. I took apart the burner and found grease around thermocouple. cleaned all connections and now all is working fine.

[davefromoregon]

Hi. I know this is an old thread, but on target. My 2008 boat has one. Up until recently, the oven would come and stay on. While the burners work fine, the oven will ignite and perhaps stay on for a minute then go out unless I hold the knob down.

Suggestions?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by davefromoregon

Hi. I know this is an old thread, but on target. My 2008 boat has one. Up until recently, the oven would come and stay on. While the burners work fine, the oven will ignite and perhaps stay on for a minute then go out unless I hold the knob down.

Suggestions?

Clean the thermocouple with some emery paper

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Boat's SHOULD also have a shut-off valve, usually a manual cock type, accessible right where the propane line connects to the stove. The purpose of this valve is an emergency shut-off in case you have a stove or solenoid malfunction and need to shut off gas to the stove.

If the burners will not stay lit you'll need to order new thermocouples from Force 10. Easy to install.

1. Any valve between the solenoid and appliance (outside a proper propane locker) is contrary to ABYC Standards and insurance will be denied in Canada and the US until such valve is removed ... unless the surveyor missed it. The OP is in the US.

2. When solenoids fail, they fail in the closed position so not a safety issue. We carry a spare. I replaced one once .... about 20 years ago.

2. Cleaning the thermocouple lightly with emery paper will bring them bck to life 98% of the time.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by nickfox45

I don't think I'm getting gas at the burner, although my wife swears she can smell it.

Where would that other solenoid switch be? If I'm not getting gas at the burner, what's my next step?

The switch is normally within reach of the stove. The solenoid it controls is in the propane locker.

Is the valve on the tank open? Is the propane switch turned on? Can you hear the solenoid click when the switch is turned on and off?

And if the system has no gas in the lines, it will take a minute or two for propane to reach the burners.

The batteries are for the ignitors. Forget them for now and use a match or a grill lighter.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Clean the thermocouple with some emery paper

And you may want to check the distance the thermocouple is from the burner. Don't treat roughly the capillary tube won't take it.

[jamhass]

You might also have some corrosion where the T/C attaches to the valve. It has a hex nut, easy to remove and clean. The T/C only produces a low voltage, so clean contacts are important.

[donradcliffe]

To check if gas is flowing, hold a lit match near the burner. The air/gas coming out of the burner will distort the flame of the match. Sometimes you can put your ear to the burner and hear the flowing air/gas, and sometimes you will smell propane before the burner lights.