Gas cooktop too hot

[BWR1953]

I finally got my Whirlpool gas range/oven hooked up to propane for the first time a week ago. The unit had never been used before. The hookup was done professionally by the gas company and the tech DID remove the natural gas jets and install the correct propane jets that came with the stove.

Today for lunch I actually used the thing for the first time and even on the lowest setting, the burners can boil water.

Any ideas on what I can do to reduce the heat to more normal levels?

 

[JB]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

How are your burners sized? My low priced propane range has all four burners the same size but Daughter #1's professional propane range ($$$) has three sizes.

Having four mid-sized burners is inconvenient a lot of the time because I often prepare very large recipes of stew, soup, chili, etc. and it takes for-cotton picking-ever to get 3 or 4 gallons to boil, but once it is boiling I have to turn it down to almost off to get a long term simmer. I sure would like a super-size burner to get it up there and a small one to simmer it.

I wonder if you are stuck with the same one-size-fits-none arrangement.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

Yes, even the lowest setting can boil water...its a fire.

Using a gas range is different than electricity and there is a learning curve. Hopefully you 'want' one, because if you don't like the benefits you may not like it.

Not much you can really do about the flame (assuming as you say, its all working properly) You may need to buy different pots and pans. Thicker ones that distribute the heat better.

Heat is instant you have to be ready to cook when you turn it on.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

Yes, even the lowest setting can boil water...its a fire.

Using a gas range is different than electricity and there is a learning curve. Hopefully you 'want' one, because if you don't like the benefits you may not like it.

Not much you can really do about the flame (assuming as you say, its all working properly) You may need to buy different pots and pans. Thicker ones that distribute the heat better.

Heat is instant you have to be ready to cook when you turn it on.

I was a professional cook in my early years and chose gas because I was familiar with it and like the way it cooks... when it's working properly. No learning curve here.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

Okay, I found the owners manual and it looks like there are some adjustments that I can make.

Turns out that each knob/valve on the range has it's own individual flow adjustment. But, the adjustment screw needs a really tiny, but long screwdriver to reach in from the front of the stove. Don't have one of those, so I'll have to buy one to see if that adjustment takes care of the issue.

I can also adjust an "air shutter" to regulate how much air the flames receive.

Doggone it, I thought the tech took care of all this stuff last week when he got the hookup done and the stove running.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

When you convert a gas stove from natural to propane, you change the jet sizes, either by putting in smaller ones or cranking down an adjustment collar (a hood over a needle, really).

You also usually flip over a spring plug in the regulator. Natural gas regulates at about 6 IWC, and propane comes in regulated at 11 IWC which is where it is used. The flip effectively eliminates the regulator.

If the flame is too high, the jet is the wrong one. If all the flames are too high, you may have too much gas pressure coming in.

If the flames leap off the burner, the air supply is open too much.

If the flames are yellow, the air supply is closed too much.

If the flames are high and yellow, you have the wrong jets installed.

If some are high, and some are low, the jets got installed in the wrong burners.

If high is fine, and it won't turn down enough, then the adjustment screw in the valve is off.

hope it helps
John

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

I'm a contractor and have renovated numerous kitchens and have installed no less than a dozen gas stoves.

Everyone has a story about 'their first meal' with the stove, so now when I hook one up I ask people what they are cooking with and a little warning to watch closely the first time.

When you said you hooked it up a week ago, but only using it now, you didn't 'sound' like a cook, but someone who is more common than not learning how to use gas for the first time.

Sorry about your ego...you'll be fine...glad to hear its working out.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

...If high is fine, and it won't turn down enough, then the adjustment screw in the valve is off.

hope it helps
John

This sounds like the issue. I actually watched the tech change the jets, so that I know those are correct. I also just looked at the regulator plate under the oven and it does show LP on the plate.

Here's a quick video that I just took of a standard burner at full, then reduced to low. Note that the gas flow changes relatively little.

Thanks for the insight John, you've been very helpful.

EDIT: Sorry, BWR, but your video is toxic to Firefox.

I'm a contractor and have renovated numerous kitchens and have installed no less than a dozen gas stoves.

Everyone has a story about 'their first meal' with the stove, so now when I hook one up I ask people what they are cooking with and a little warning to watch closely the first time.

When you said you hooked it up a week ago, but only using it now, you didn't 'sound' like a cook, but someone who is more common than not learning how to use gas for the first time.

Sorry about your ego...you'll be fine...glad to hear its working out.

Jumping to conclusions based on your own assumptions is what let you down. All you have to do is ask folks if they've used gas before. Then go from there instead of assuming everyone but you is ignorant. Duh.

As a retired space systems engineer, I have plenty of time to cook when needed, but am also very busy at other times. I'd simply not had time to use the stove since the hookup last week.

And as for my ego... you can't even make a scratch on the surface.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

Looks to me like the "tech" needs to come back and finish his work or you need to buy a really long screwdriver and finish his work for him.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

This sounds like the issue. I actually watched the tech change the jets, so that I know those are correct. I also just looked at the regulator plate under the oven and it does show LP on the plate.

Here's a quick video that I just took of a standard burner at full, then reduced to low. Note that the gas flow changes relatively little.

Thanks for the insight John, you've been very helpful.

Deleted toxic video

Jumping to conclusions based on your own assumptions is what let you down. All you have to do is ask folks if they've used gas before. Then go from there instead of assuming everyone but you is ignorant. Duh.

As a retired space systems engineer, I have plenty of time to cook when needed, but am also very busy at other times. I'd simply not had time to use the stove since the hookup last week.

And as for my ego... you can't even make a scratch on the surface.

If you would have said "flow regulation" not "too hot" you would have gotten a completely different answer.

Good thing about the ego...no worries.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

If you would have said "flow regulation" not "too hot" you would have gotten a completely different answer.

Good thing about the ego...no worries.

Not sure if it is such a good thing about the ego at all....
Unwarranted rudeness and arrogance usually aren't productive...and certainly lack class. A simple thank you would have been more appropriate.

OP should perhaps include a detailed list of criteria that need to be met in order to be worthy of responding to one of his questions ~ without causing him undue irritation.

 

[JB]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

I looked at the video before I had to reboot my system to get rid of it.

Your regulator is waaaaaay out. It should be able to turn the gas nearly off.

I wonder why you didn't answer my question about burner sizes.

Now I am going to go back and edit out rude comments. They are not allowed here.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

I looked at the video before I had to reboot my system to get rid of it.

Your regulator is waaaaaay out. It should be able to turn the gas nearly off.

I wonder why you didn't answer my question about burner sizes.

Now I am going to go back and edit out rude comments. They are not allowed here.

The video was toxic to Firefox? Hmmm... maybe because I used MS Windows Media Video 9 for compression? I can post the original .avi file if that'll help, although it's 18meg instead of 750k.

Yeah, I've used gas stoves many, many times over the years and on low they all had nice, small lazy flames. Great for simmering. This one is still much too high. My spaghetti sauce was all over the place when I was cooking lunch.

Didn't answer your question about sizes because I was side-tracked by some of the other's comments. Didn't really know what you meant by sizes, actually. However, I did look up the info in the manual, which states that 3 of the jets are #65 and one is a #62 "Power burner." It does seem to produce more flame that the others.

I'll pick up that small, long, skinny screwdriver tomorrow on the way home after my appointment. Based on what I've learned here, that should be the cure.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Gas cooktop too hot

Bought the skinny little screwdriver(s) I needed from Harbor Freight today for five bucks.

Adjusted the valves and all the burners are workin' perfectly now!

Thanks to all who helped!

In this short video I have the front burner on low and the rear burner on high.

Looking MUCH better than yesterday!