I purchased the above listed GE gas slide in range in 1992 or 1993 when I built my house. It was retrofitted at the time for use with propane gas as I do not have natural gas in my area.

Last February with the help of this website I purchased (from this website) a new clock/timer unit and replaced it myself. It was a rather involved job, but I saved myself tons of money. Thanks for the assistance.

Several years after I installed this oven, it started taking a long time to preheat and it was also making an air rushing sound intermittently as it was heating up. I called GE and a GE Service Tech arrived. He removed what he needed to remove to get to the burner area in the bottom of the oven. He showed me where the burner has an open end that has an orifice screwed onto the gas line in the bottom right corner of the oven bottom. He then removed the burner and showed me how the open end of the burner fit over that little copper orifice. He then unscrewed the orifice and showed me how the little hole had trash in it. He cleaned out the trash, but everything back together and it worked fine for the next few years. He had told me that propane gas it dirtier than natural gas and this was a common problem.

A couple of times over the last few years I have had the same preheat problem with the air rushing sound. I would remove that orifice and all would be fine for the next year or two.

Recently I have noticed the long preheat wait and the air rushing sound. This has been going on for a couple of weeks or so. Well, today after using the oven, my carbon monoxide detectors went off in the house. I figured it was the oven not completely burning the gas, so I took apart what was necessary to get to the orifice and sure enough it had trash blocking the hole. I cleaned it fine, but my question now is where do I set the air shutter at the open end of the burner. Several cleaning times ago, I noticed that the air shutter screw was loose and I cannot say where the air shutter was set, so I set it sort of halfway open, halfway closed. Is there a way for me to tell exactly where to set it for optimum performance? What exactly does the air shutter do and how important is it to be set correctly? What is that air rushing sound and is it dangerous when it does it? I am delaying putting the burner back on in hopes that someone my be able to give me some advice.

I am sorry for the long dissertation here, but I did want to thank all on this website for their excellent advice in the past and for any help I may get now.

Alex Niforos
336-414-5097

Thank you Gene. I printed the user guide off and followed the directions. Its amazing how turning the air shutter raises and lowers the flame and makes it change color. I love this site. My next question is about my refrigerator in the appropriate section.