OK,

Having trouble with my gas oven.

Whirlpool SF367LEKQ

It all started a few years ago when I did the self clean cycle.  

What happens is:  If it's cold, it will light and function normally.  But once it's been on for awhile, or if you try to increase the heat or use it again and it hasn't fully cooled down, then it will refuse to stay lit.

Now what it does is, it will ignite, the gas lights up, but it keeps sparking like it doesn't think the flame is lit.  Then it will shut the gas off.  Once in awhile it will stay lit, but most of the time, it lights, continues sparking, then shuts off the gas.  The only remedy is to let it cool down completely and then it works fine again the next time.

This only happens with the lower burner.  The upper (broil) burner functions completely normally.

Any ideas?  Easy fix?  I'm pretty handy, but I'm not going in for deep surgery.


Thanks for the help.

flame sensor.  clean or replace.

That sounds like it would be the problem, but I can't find anything in the diagrams called a flame sensor.

The burner and the igniter are The only parts I see in there.

Something something flame rectification new fangled technology that's not as good as what it replaced bla bla bla.
I don't work on them but check them for operation and have seen this malfunction often, probably expensive to boot.
Does it go...click click poof, then clack, then click click poof? But not stay on?

It goes:  click click, poof (gas lights), click click, click click, click click, then it shuts the gas off.  It's like it doesn't think that the gas is lit.

Call the Manufacturer, maybe a warranty issue.

It's 11 years old

Either way, call them.

Do you have the schematic?  They're usually attached to the appliance.

thermocouple

sounds like the thermocouple. just listed as a sensor here.

Many of the spark start units us the starting electrode as the sensor electrode to keep the gas on.
Flames conduct electricity very nicely.
Make sure the starting electrode is clean, especially on the side facing the burner.

If the insulation at the base of the electrode is dirty it can bleed off enough current the sensor circuit cannot tell the flame is completing the circuit.
Make sure that is clean all the way around.

Does it do this on only one burner? or on both on the same side?
Is it the oven burner or a stove top burner?
Some do not use a thermocouple at all.
They rely on the flame sensor function of the ignitor system.

Lower oven burner only.  Makes sense about the electrode.  I tried cleaning it, but I'll go in and do a better job.  I think the Thermocouple is a temp sensor only.  It's nowhere near the flame.




Thanks for this...very informative.  Only wish it explained how the "flame safety circuit" worked and how to fix it...But if Brickeyee is right about the electrode detecting the flame, then a good cleaning should help.