Old Hickory Rotisserie Oven Troubleshooting
Old Hickory Rotisserie Ovens are great for delis, grocery stores and other commercial kitchens. When your oven is having malfunctions it can slow down the kitchen and hurt business. Below we offer some troubleshooting assistance to some problems you might run into with your rotisserie oven.
Burners do not ignite
Burners that do not ignite, could have one of two problems:
- There is no gas flow - Usually if the burner doesn’t ignite, there is no gas to fuel it. Check all the gas valves to ensure they are open and that gas is reaching the unit.
- The gas container is too cold - The gas container can get too cold, especially with butane. Water in the gas can freeze in the gas regulator. Remove and control the gas valve at the connection (manual) or the LPG pressure regulator. If that doesn’t work you will need to contact the gas company or distributor.
Burners too weak
When the burners are too weak it can be due to more internal issues.
- Gas pressure too low - If the gas pressure is too low you will need to contact your service or gas company.
- Wrong orifice size - For the wrong orifice size, you will need to install new orifices in the correct size.
Main burner initially ignites, but then goes out
If the main burner initially ignites but then goes out, there are a variety of reasons this could happen. Most of the issues you will need to check the thermocouple for any complications.
- Thermocouple tip not enveloped by pilot flame - If the thermocouple tip isn’t enveloped by the flame adjust the position to make sure it is fully encompassed. If this is the cause of the issue it is a quick fix.
- Thermocouple not heated enough or too much - When the entire length of the thermocouple is heated too much it can cause the flame to go out. Only the thermocouple tip should be enveloped by the flame and heated. The pilot flame should be strong and blue.
- Primary air intake blocked or needs adjusting - If it is blocked or needs adjustments you can clean or adjust the intake by following the manual’s cleaning procedures. Check out our Old Hickory Cleaning Guide for more information.
- Thermocouple is loose - Tighten all the thermocouple connections to make sure it is properly tightened.
- Defective thermocouple - A defective thermocouple will need immediate replacement. Make sure you follow the guide on procedures for your oven unit.
Burner back-fires
Back-fires are not normal with rotisserie ovens and it could be the primary air.
- Too much primary air - You will need to adjust the primary air intake, usually by contacting your service company.
Pilot flame does not stay on
Always be careful not to let gas leak if the pilot flame does not stay on.
- Flames on pipe burners disrupting pilot flame - Try blocking off holes on the main burner pipe directly below the pilot burner to see if they are disrupting the pilot light.
- Defective thermocouple - If it is not the flames on the pipe burners causing an issue you could have a defective thermocouple. This part will need immediate replacement.