Glow bar conversion ?

[flicka1978]

I recently purchased a used GE propane range but did not realize it has a glow bar ignition for the oven. Can I convert it to propane pilot ignition or am I stuck using up my valuable watts on the glow bar to bake brownies ? Sorry if this has been addressed but I can find nothing about it. John

[wdyasq]

I don't think it can be converted without a lot of work.

Ron

[zeusmorg]

 Why would you want to convert it? Would you rather have a few milliwatts of energy used up when you fire up your oven, or burn a pilot light constantly?

 The reason they went to the electric ignition systems was to save overall energy used.

[TomW]

Uh, tap tap.

You ever seen the numbers here?

Hardly milliwatts. Usually 2 to 4 hundred watts while running and a 24/7 drain while on standby.

Think before you dispense advice you do not really "know". Please.

Cheers.

TomW

[southpaw]

A lot of the glowbar ignition systems for propane ranges use a heater wound on a dissimilar metal bar to open the gas valve, this heater is in series with the glowbar so if the glowbar burns out the valve won't open, and while the heater is warming up in the valve the glowbar has time to get hot before the gas flows. This means that while the oven is burning the glowbar remains hot and probably draws a couple of hundred watts continuously, quite a load for an re system, not much on the grid.Very difficult to convert to standing pilot, the parts (new thermostat, pilot assy., and oven safety)would cost as much as a standing pilot range.

Kurt

[Volvo farmer]

This is getting scary. If I have a great interest in a topic, a guy with a flying combine and another guy named W come along and post before I get the chance.

Conversion is hopeless, take it from your friendly local appliance repairman. Anything is possible but you're barking up the wrong tree here, unless you're really in love with the range.

I converted a completely electricity-free range from natural to LP in the performance of my duties today. As a service to my off-grid buddies, I noted the make and distributor of the range and have noted it here. Less than $300 brand new for something that cooks food with gas and no electricity. Made in Mexico, who woulda thought?.

Tinyurl here.

http://tinyurl.com/yq8a39

[zeusmorg]

 Sorry, ignore the info i posted, i missed the "used" in the original post and was thinking of modern electronic ignition systems on gas appliances.

[asheets]

Gotta agree with you here, Tom...  When my folks owned a laundromat, we considered going to electronic ignition.  Ran the numbers with Xcel, and the break-even point exceeded the projected life of the retrofit.  You pick your poison, I guess.

[thefinis]

Aw crud so the new fancy Maytag pilot-less gas dryer I got a year ot two ago is worse than one with a pilot?(display on sale everyone wants electric dryers) I just figured they didn't use much if any electricity except when running and it was making heat when running that was used for drying anyway.

Finis

[GeeMac]

What about installing a switch to interupt the 24/7 standby part. Some sort of safety for the gas would be needed too.