Outside Stove Burner

[BaysideBruce]

I am replacing the counter top on the outside stove finally.  It started to swell during the winter and I need to do something with it.  Last week while we were camping I noticed one of the burners was not burning properly.  It had a large orange flame instead of the light blue flame that the other burner had.  The orange flame ws large but it didn't seem to have the "pressure" that the other burner had.  What should I be looking for that would cause the orange flame while I'm disassemble the stove to make a new counter top?

Yes, I know.  I'm trying to fix two different probelms at the same time.  Wish me luck.

Thanks

[mike4947]

Orange flame means it's not getting enough air mixed with the propane to vurn cleanly, so I'm betting a spider found his/her way into one of the burner tubes. For some reason they just love anything that has to do with propane.

[tlhdoc]

I have heard that spiders like the smell of propane. :eyecrazy:

[SkipP]

I have heard that spiders like the smell of propane. :eyecrazy:

They do, but why on earth they like it is beyond me! Propane, in it's natural state, has no odor. It's an additive, usually ethyl mercaptan, that we smell that gives propane it's distinctive, uh, aroma. Spiders and some insects are attracted to this additive.

[tlhdoc]

So we can lure all of the bugs that like the smell into a pit of propane and then light it. :yikes:

[SkipP]

So we can lure all of the bugs that like the smell into a pit of propane and then light it. :yikes:

Bug's-a-poppin' Now, that would be cool. Don't think I'd go for S'mores over that fire though

[BaysideBruce]

Okay, I took the stove "apart".  I cleaned the actual burner and the long tube that has the air "vents" that leads to the burner head.  I tried to clean the small little hole that the gas comes out of at the air vents.  And I still have a orange flame.  Do I need to take the valve apart next?  This burner is the one closest to the gas supply on the stove.  The other burner seems to burning properly.  How do you clean the small little hole where the gas comes out of.  I have tried everything I have and nothing is small enough to go into it.  I even tried a single strand of wire from a multi-stranded 18 gauage wire.

[mike4947]

IIRC it takes 24 gauge wire to get small enough to get into that orrifice. I've got a roll of old telephone wiring hanging in the basement and one of the strands from it is what I use on propane burner orrifices.

 
If one burner is working correctly it's not the valve.
Usually it's the farthest burner that has the problem so I'd look if the air inlet collar that's adjustable for the amount of air going to the burner and it might have gotten turned so the air is restricted.