Dometic Cooktop - Burner goes out

My Mini has a 2 burner Dometic cooktop with electronic spark. One burner lights and burns fine, the other lights, but goes out when you release the knob. Assuming there is a thermocouple, that would seem like the culprit. The TM Manual says to consult the stove manufacturer's manual, but they didn't include it. I have spent a few hours on the web looking at Dometic manuals, but there are none for the 2 burner propane models. TrailManor lists the model in the delivery manifest as a 2BR-1066057 (no hits on Google). I found one wholesale house that sold a DM-1066037 and it looked the same, but no manuals. I guess the next step is to write to Sweden and see what happens. If anyone else has some ideas, I would love to hear them.
Thanks
Scott

The fact that it lights but goes out when you release the knob sounds more like the LP supply line. Can you (with the door open) light both burners and hold the knob, of the suspect burner, for a bit of extended time to see if you can clear that line?

Just a thought.....

[Bill]

This is apparently a widespread problem - it appears on the websites for other RVs. For example, have you been watching the discussion on heartlandowners.com?

I'm not familiar with this model, but it sounds like the piezo sparker ignites a pilot light, which then is supposed to light a burner. I have no idea if is a single pilot light, or two pilot lights, one for each burner (though that seems overly elaborate). If there are two pilot lights, then each one would have its own thermocouple, and the problem could indeed be the thermocouple for the "bad" burner. Otherwise, as namklg says, it sounds like a gas supply problem.

If you light the "good" burner, let it run for a minute, then turn it off, wait a minute, and then turn it back on again, does it relight without pushing the knob or snapping the sparker? This would confirm that the pilot light servicing that burner is staying lit.

Whenever I hear that a pilot light won't stay lit, my first suspicion (and quite often right) is that the thermocouple is good but is not positioned correctly. The thermocouple must get HOT, and since the pilot flame is small, a small position error will leave the thermocouple with insufficient heat. It is important that the thermocouple is bathed - completely engulfed - in the blue pilot flame. You need to get into the unit to the point where you can see the pilot flame, and make sure the thermocouple is positioned in it. Re-positioning the thermocouple is usually quite easy - the thermocouple is mounted on some sort of metal strap or bracket, which is easily bent a bit.

Finally, can you confirm the model number by finding a tag somewhere in or under the cooktop?

Bill

Thanks for responding Bill. There is no pilot only an electronic spark. The process to light a burner is that you turn on the knob, push it in, and then hit the momentary switch that creates the spark. When the burner lights, you immediately stop pushing the knob, then set the burner temp. Both burners light just fine, but one goes out when you stop pushing the gas control knob. I did find that by continuing to keep the gas knob depressed for 3 to 4 minutes, then releasing the knob - it stays working. And if I continued to turn it off, Light it, On - it worked fine.

As far as model numbers stamped on the bottom - it is the same as in the Trailmanor manifest 2br-1066057. I attached a brochure from the Dometic site Page 221 (pdf page 12) shows a two burner that looks like it but a way different part number (Dometic CRAMER CE99-ZF460).
There does not seem to be any usable manuals on that one either.

I need to look undeneath (at age 66 it is not as easy to see in there) and see if I can figure out where the thermocouple connects. When my TM was new, the cooktop was not secured very well in the counter, so something else may have worked loose.

Thanks again

[Bill]

If there is a thermocouple, it must be heated - presumably by the main flame if there is no pilot. The fact that it will stay lit if you manually keep it on for a long time suggests that the thermocouple is located at the edge of the flame, and not being heated properly. It needs to be moved until it is fully bathed in the flame.

Can you see the thermocouple(s)? Are there two, one for each burner? If so, can you compare the location of the "good" thermocouple (in the flame) with the location of the "bad" thermocouple?

Bill

Originally Posted by Bill

If there is a thermocouple, it must be heated - presumably by the main flame if there is no pilot. The fact that it will stay lit if you manually keep it on for a long time suggests that the thermocouple is located at the edge of the flame, and not being heated properly. It needs to be moved until it is fully bathed in the flame.

Bill

Ok, so I have a question because I want to learn. Why would it be the thermocouple if it lights, with an electronic 'spark', and then goes out when the knob is not depressed? I thought that the thermocouple was to create the spark that caused the LP to ignite. Please, let me understand...

Thanks,
karen

A thermocouple is a safety device, it stops the flow of gas if the flame appears to not staying on. Propane is a dirty gas and it leaves a film that acts as an insulator. You can clean them by using a dollar bill and rubbing vigorously on the tip that the flame hits. If that does not solve the problem it needs replaced. Of course all the above is only true if there is one.

[Brittany Dogs]

The dealer said my new TM has a new kind of stove that Dometic just put out. I was told that I have to turn the knob to light, press it in, press the spark to light the gas, HOLD in the knob for a few seconds whereas the flame should stay lit. I never have to hold it longer than say 5 seconds. Holding it for 3 minutes is crazy so something is wrong and the guys above have good suggestions. The thermocouple must be defective.

Thanks for all the input. I can see the bottom of the Cooktop by removing a kitchen drawer, but it has a heat shield on the bottom, so you can't really see the parts. I am guessing that the spark probe may double as a thermocouple tip. There does not seem to be any other parts up in the flame area. I am used to the thermocouple on my home gas furnace pilot that sits right in the flame (as others have indicated). Sure would be nice to see a manual before pulling it apart. Since buying the unit new, we have spent maybe 20 nights in the TM, and probably lit the burner 3 times per night, so it isn't time for it to fail.

Thanks again for all who have commented. I think I will try to contact the US distributor of the stove to see if I can get some technical information.

Just a quick update for those with a Dometic Stove. Spent a good part of the day doing research. Most of the action in this brand seems to be accross the pond. It would appear that Dometic bought a company named Cramer. They seem to refer to the cooktop as a Hob, and if there is an oven, they call it a Cooker. So knowing the terminalogy helps the search. It appears that a Cramer CE99-ZF460-I-G is visually the same as the 2br-1066057 that TM installs. I found a site in the UK that lists the spare parts for a model CE99-ZF460 - they are located at http://www.leisurespares.co.uk/stock...amer-products/ Clicking on the parts list gives an idea of what Dometic sells for parts. Looks like the thermocouple part number is 36336 and comes in a 5 pack, which tells me people use a lot of them. The thermocouple is electronic not mechanical. The only price I found was about 27 pound sterling, so I am still looking for a source domestically. I will update here when I actually get one.

BTW - After looking at the burner closer - the termocouple does stick up on the back side. It sits right in the flame, so I have to assume that it is defective. I will hit it with an ohm meter this weekend and compare to the good one.