Oven won't stay lit

Often on ovens you have to hold the knob down for a period of time before the flame will stay alight.


Try getting the oven lit then holding the knob down for 30 seconds. That should be more than enough time if that is indeed the problem.

Is it a new oven or has the problem just arisen? It

if its a pilot lightr that stays lit all the time,then its the thermocouple next to the pilot light thats bad and cant keep the pilot on

I have one that won't light at all, what could the problem be?

Most gas ovens that aren't electronic ignition usually have a pilot light.
Usually one in the oven area and one for each burner. (Sometimes shared between two burners.)
These pilot lights must lit at all times...otherwise it won't light up and you'll smell gas.
Usually the pilot light is in the very back of the oven and can be seen with the broiler drawer opened.

There is a small set screw located at the pilot light assembly in the oven and also at every burner.
This allows you to adjust pilot light up or down, thereby letting you set pilot light flame to a level that doesn't get blown out by a draft...or you can turn it off completely.

If you use that set screw to turn off the pilot light gas, you'd need to strike a match to light the oven or burners everytime you needed them.

Instructions

1. Access the burners inside your oven by removing the access panel in the front of the oven or by opening the broiling drawer, depending on your particular model.
   
2. Determine if the pilot itself is lit, since some ovens have a small flame on the pilot at all times that then grows and extends to the burner when the oven is turned on. The lack of a pilot flame indicates the oven thermostat is malfunctioning or there is a problem with the gas hose. Check the pilot itself to see if it is clogged with debris or grease that could be preventing the flame from staying lit.
   
3. Determine if the pilot flame will grow if it is lit by turning on the thermostat. If the pilot flame doesn't extend, the thermostat itself likely needs replacement. If the flame is extending but the gas valve is not opening, the safety valve could be dirty or defective. The flame should be blue in color. A yellow flame indicates the pilot is dirty and is not burning hot enough to get the main burner to ignite.
   
4. Light the burner on the top of the oven with a match if the igniter doesn't appear to be effective. If it lights manually but will not light automatically, the igniter is likely faulty. Do not do this if there is a heavy smell of gas in the kitchen, since there could be a risk of a fire. In that circumstance, turn the oven off, ventilate the room and call a technician.
   
5. Listen for any sounds of gas hissing or a clicking sound indicating the oven is trying to turn on. If there is no response from the oven at all, the gas may not be functioning properly and will need to be examined by a technician for safety purposes
   

On standing pilot ovens the maker uses a safety device to kill the gas in case the pilot blows out. As long as the pilot is lit the gas safety magnet hold the gas flap open inside the safety valve.To save energy the pilot has 2 flames. The standby pilot keeps the cooper/nickel probe/sensor warm so the oven will light faster, the 2nd pilot is much larger, only appears when the oven control is turned on and this is what opens that valve. So when you turn the oven knob on the gas leaves the control and goes downtown to burner land. If that pilot is lit and that slow opening flap inside that valve is open, then the gas will enter the burner tube and ignite when it hits the pilot. Pretty slick ain't it? So what can go wrong? With age the flap inside the safety valve will wear out, get weak, work a little, then take forever to light and eventually just goes bye bye. When you get ready to replace the valve it ain't gonna be adjusted exactamundo, you gotta tweak it. To do so after bubble testing for leaks and lighting the pilot you turn it on and observe the flames. It needs to be not more than half way up the flame spreader. If it is to small of a flame it will take forever to bake even a pie shell, if it is too much their could be burned bottom and in some cases fire hazards. OOPs.

If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61

you thermocouple is weak or flame sensor not in good location

thanx for the email reply .oven lighting problem was caused by the pilot light not quite touching the flame tubing

sounding like thermostat isn't working. If you could ohm out the t-stat should be closed when you call for heat. If that passes the test then only thing it could be is the gas valve.

replace the thermal coupling on the pilot make sure it is in the flame of the pilot it looks like a copper wire or tube if its bad it wont open the gas valve after the pilot heats it up