Gas Millivolt Fryer Tips from General Parts Group

By Pat Finley – Master Certified Lead Technician

We all know that the fryer is the true workhorse in most commercial kitchens and food trucks. Many food service operations could not run without a fryer.  With their importance to the operation of a commercial kitchen in mind, let’s review a few tips for maintaining commercial Basic Gas Millivolt-Powered Fryers.

Issues With the Pilot

Pilot outages are caused by a variety of things but are the number one call for repair. A few tips you can try yourself before you reach out for service are:

• Check your gas supply. Make sure your gas shut-off on the wall is on. If you are on propane, such as a food truck, verify your tank is turned on.
• Gas hoses. Some have quick connections. If these are not fully seated, they will not let gas flow to the connected fryer.
• Lighting the pilot. Ensure the gas valve is set to pilot and the button is firmly pressed in. Light with a match or lighter and hold it in for at least 30 seconds. If operating properly, it should stay lit and you will be on your way to frying soon.
• Foreign objects under your fryer. Although it may sound strange, I have seen the drain pipe cause issues. If it is rolling around, it can contact the terminals on the gas valve, and cause a short. Which can take out the pilot light.
• The temperature of the fryer can also lead to pilot outages. If the temperature is getting too hot, it will trip the high limit and shut off the pilot. Ensure your thermostat is set correctly and your fryer is not overshooting on temperature. If this is the case, reach out and have the thermostat calibrated or replaced by a certified technician.

Some issues that can cause pilot problems, that only a trained professional should correct are:

• The pilot is not lighting at all. If you have exhausted all the options above, it is time to call a professional.
• High gas pressure can cause big problems. When too high your thermocouple or thermopile will burn out. These are the devices that generate the millivolt dc power to hold your pilot safety circuits open and ensure your fryer will heat.
• Low gas pressure can cause low to no output from your thermocouple or thermopile causing your gas valve to operate.
• When the pilot light valve is pushed in and the pilot light goes out immediately upon release, is a sign of needing service. It can be caused by a few different things that only a certified repair technician should investigate.

Remember if you smell gas, do not light any flames. Call General Parts Group at 1-888-498-1238 or contact our local service location to schedule a certified service technician to help you out.