Imperial Griddle Top Range Smothering

[fixbear]

Gasman, Have you found your problem?  Interesting that it is affecting 3 ranges at once.  Can you sent us a pic of the line?

[gasman]

We are dealing with Natural Gas. The flame never turns yellow it just starves for oxygen.

The pressure is set to manufactures specifications. The burner on the left is a straight burner the

center and right side are the U shaped burners. The griddle has manual valves controlling the burners.

The ranges are under the hood it smothers with the with the hood “vent” on or off and the make up air on or off.

The vent has no obstructions in them.  It is almost like the area for the burner compartment is too small.

[ectofix]

Well, I misread your question that this is regarding three separate griddles.  So…some questions:

Why did you resize the orifices?  Did Imperial tell you to do that? HOW did you resize the orifices?  Larger or smaller?If you oversized the orifices, that might cause a greater need for combustion air. What are you seeing when you say “smothering”?  Flames that slowly lift off the burners, slowly wafting around and appearing to be reaching for more air? When you say “the vent has no obstructions in them“, are you saying to the FLUE vent RISER isn’t blocked by anything? Did you adjust the primary air shutters in an attempt to balance the fuel-to-air ratio? Did you do as Badbozo suggested by ensuring the back of the griddle is slightly higher than the front? Combustion air must enter from in front of and underneath the burners.  Has anything been added or improperly installed that might be blocking the passage for air? Did you call Imperial about this problem?

[fixbear]

Ectofix,  Thank you for posting the exact questions I was thinking on this.  What bothers me is that he say’s all 3 are doing the same thing. Makes me think environment of the ranges.  Like your flame description.

[fixbear]

Gasman, if the flame starves for oxygen, the first indication will be yellow tips and then go long and dirty and more yellow.  If the flame is lifting off the burner and disapearing you have a high air problem.  Too lean!

[ectofix]

No kidding.  You’re correct.  I stand corrected with regard to a previous comment I’d made about orifice sizing.

[fixbear]

I have a real problem with word suffocation.  It means that the flame is being covered by something to extinguish it  Weather it is solid or a inert gas or liquid.  From all the conversations I have been watching here,  It sound like you flame is going lean and leaving the burner.  Then it of course goes out.  If it was starving for oxygen/air, the flame would not go out but get long, dirty, and yellow.  Gasman, I hope this helps you.

[fixbear]

Like to add one other rare possibility that I have run into on this.  Steam!!  Normally invisible except when saturated,  But a great extinguishing agent to flame.  If the ovens are in use with a high moisture product and the door’s are not sealed, the steam will effect the flames of the burners. Check oven vents.  They are made to keep the venting going up the rear,  but if constricted the steam from cooking has to go somewhere.

 

   I have a Imperial that kept putting out the pilot light during cooking due to this.