Pilot light goes out every year around this time?

[Sqwertz]

Every year for the last 3 years, the pilot light in the oven has gone out. Two years it went out on Thanksgiving morning (the first year it added about 1.5 hours on the turkey since I didn't know it went out). This year it went out a day early - just last night. It never goes out any other time of the year.

The pilot light feeding the two sides of the stove are still lit

- so it wasn't a gas service interruption. The first year this happened the water heater pilot light also went out.

Somebody said it might be the wind, but the range doesn't vent to the outside. It did get kinda cold last night, but it's done that a couple times this month already. Not that that would have any effect on the lines/pilots.

Anybody want to take a stab at explaining why this happens every year around this time?

[crossposting to austin.food and rec.food.cooking - maybe it's a local phenomenon]

-sw

[turkey]

My guess is that you are using more burners on the stove at one time than other times of the year. The pilot flame may be too small to start, and when you are using much more gas, (as well as everyone in your neighborhood), the pressure drops enough to kill the pilot light.

[Sqwertz]

Hmm. I wasn't using the stove yesterday - only the oven for 45 minutes. But the theory that more (non-poltergeist) people are using gas in my 'hood actually makes sense. I live at the very butt-end of the gas lines by almost 3 miles.

When I did re-light the pilot I noticed it was very weak. And these pilots, especially, are based solely on pressure. I don't have any adjustables for my pilot output like I did for other stoves.

Thanks, Turkey. Don't let RFC scare you aware.

-sw

[HiTech RedNeck]

The pressure regulator at your gas meter is supposed to cut down the gas mains pressure of several pounds per square inch (psi) to a household gas plumbing level of about 1/2 psi. Unless the mains pressure falls to something close to that, your household gas pressure level should remain constant. Call your gas company and have them check the pressure regulator at the gas meter. It might be partially clogged.

[dpb]

Bingo!!! Crudded up would be my pick as the most likely culprit here given the "weak" description. Why this time of year could also be related to picking up condensation -- just day before yesterday the cold front came through here dropping us from highs in the 80s to a low last night below 20 and highs in the low 30s so on south/east yesterday would have been the day there...

--

[EXT]

There are many systems in use, ranging from high pressure distribution down to old city systems that have been converted from manufactured gas in the

50s. These old ones did not use regulators, the whole distribution system is very low pressure often with cast iron mains. No matter what, call your gas company, and let them figure it out. They may want to bump up the distribution pressure a little if that option is available, and/or check your regulator if you have one. It is also possible your service pipe from the street or the pipes in the house are too small for the load that you place on them with your appliances on Thanksgiving day possibly combined with other factors. Like running 20 amps on 14 gauge wire. Let the gas company figure it out.

I worked for 40 years at a local gas company, I have heard many strange things over the years.

[alvinamorey]

This is quite likely. However, if the pilot flame is too small and everything else works fine on the stove and other gas appliances, the pilot is dirty or needs adjustment. The adjuster is often a slotted screw looking thing in the front of the stove. Follow the pilot light pipe back to the place where it attaches to the main gas pipe inside the stove. That's the likely place that adjuster is. Of course, gas is dangerous, so if you are not handy, call the gas company.

[Logan Shaw]

I don't remember what the weather was like last year and year before that, but this year, the day before Thanksgiving was also the first really cold day of the year here in Austin.

So the day your pilot light went out might have been the day you first turned on your furnace. Do you have a gas furnace, Sqwertz? If so, that might be something to consider.

- Logan

[Sqwertz]

The furnace has been on several times before that. I don't think I even turned it on the day before Thanksgiving.

I really think it has something to do with the load being put on the gas lines during this time. It only does it on Thanksgiving (and this year, and the day before as well). Perhaps my pressure regulator has trouble adjusting to the lower pressure.

-sw