# SMEV Oven Grill, Gas jet size increase. now actually grills



## Hymer_Bay (Feb 6, 2008)

Model SMEV OF311FGT...more of a warmer than a grill. 

OK, I plucked up the courage and opened the grill jet out...3 MINUTE TOAST (one side)....WOOHOO! 

Here's what I did... 
1. Turned off gas. 
2. pulled off panel below oven. 
3. disconnected Electrical cable and Gas feed. 
4. removed all front bezel screws ( and supporting over from inside (by opening door) lifted oven out. 
5. removed RH side cover..maybe 10 or 12 screws. 
6. removed gas pipe that goes from control valve to elbow on Grill burner 
7. unscrewed elbow from end of burner assembly 
8. removed jet from elbow (with a ring spanner in a vice) 
checked nozzle for blockages/sooting up/deposits...seemed clean enough. 
9. gauged jet size with tiny drills, found it was bigger than 0.5 but smaller than 0.7mm 
10 drilled out on lathe to 0.7mm. on the basis that if 0.6 then 6x6 =36 and 7x7 =49 so flow should be increased by about 49/36ths or 36%. If it was only just over 0.5 then flow might have been increased by 60% or so. 
11 tested on bench with a rubber hose from a regulated camping Gaz cylinder...seemed fine 
12. reassembled in reverse order taking care to tighten gas fittings firmly ensuring no cross threads, no dirt in joits etc. managed not to forget Elec cable. 

I now get 3 minute medium-brown toast (first side) from a cold start with using sliced white at about 1" below the bottom edge of the burner. 

Truth be told that I think I may have overdone it a little, perhaps 0.65 or 0.62mm bore would have been enough. maybe I will get an 0.65mm drill and plug the bore and try again.....I'll see how it performs over time. 

Flames are now about 30mm long, blue (before the mesh is red hot). They were previously about 20mm. 

I notice that the flame holes in the burner tube come right up to the edges of the radiator/reflector above it and tend to lick over the ends. it seems a couple of bits of Stainless sheet are needed one each end or the end holes need blocking, but I expect it is just a theoretical issue...I'll let you know if it turns out not! 

No plans yet to mess about with the oven burner jet, but maybe one day... 

will post here if SMEV reply to me. 

Simon 

PS:- I am not a gas engineer and I am NOT reccomending this as a safe or sensible procedure ..its just what I decided to do. if in doubt DON'T...I don't suppose sane gas engineers drill jets out so I suppose it is risky. Certainly it may cause the oven casing to heat up above the grill more than previously and I won't be using it with the oven door shut!


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## 92046 (May 1, 2005)

*SMEV Grill*

You'll be shot down in flames if you tell a gas engineer that :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## hannah29 (Feb 13, 2006)

would love to get ours sorted but one thing would worry me. our oven sits below a cutlery drawer and above a dish drawer which gets quite warm as it burns now. some of our metal spoons get really hot. we also have the curtain tucked away that separates the bed off quite close by...so i think that could be a little dodgy....they are a pain though and very slow to cook

hannah


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

*Re: SMEV Oven Grill, Gas jet size increase. now actually gri*



Hymer_Bay said:


> Model SMEV OF311FGT...more of a warmer than a grill. !


Hi Hymer Bay

Your project to improve your grill does sound like something I would do* but even though our grill is not a smev it is just as poor ...but I went for the easier way to get perfect toast and I do mean fast and perfect!

A fold Flat toaster that sits on the top of the hob:-

You can get one at any good camping shop or Argos <<<

I recommend them to all toast lovers who have a slow grill.










Mike

* but I cannot condone it as I am not a gas engineer either ...just an ordinary one :lol:


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## stuffed2 (May 9, 2005)

Be very careful using your new grill, overgassing causes more carbon monoxide to be produced , by reason of incomplete combustion and flame inpingment . You cant smell it or taste it , but its you that will end up as toast. ment to say to original poster not the hob grill - that works fine for me


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## Hymer_Bay (Feb 6, 2008)

hi Stuffed2,
Thanks for the warning, you are quite right about the risks, but, as I said in my post, the flames are blue. They are normal and healthy looking also. Just the same as the gas ring and oven flames... This from the internet...

http://www.propane101.com/carbonmonoxideandpropane.htm

"*Incomplete Propane Combustion - Carbon Monoxide*
Carbon Monoxide is produced during the incomplete combustion of propane. Incomplete combustion is defined as within the limits of flammability but higher or lower than the ideal ratio of 4 parts propane 96 parts air. Incomplete propane combustion can occur in one of two ways:

Lean Burn - The ratio of propane to air is less than 4 parts propane. 2.5 parts propane to 97.5 parts air would produce a lean burn. A lean burn can be recognized when flames appear to lift away from the burner and can potentially go out. 
Rich Burn - A ratio of propane to air is more than 4 parts propane. 8.5 parts propane to 91.5 parts air would produce a rich burn. Recognizing a rich burn is very simple as the flames are much larger than they are supposed to be and are largely yellow in color. 
Several products of incomplete combustion that are easily visible and if noticed, action should be taken immediately. Visible signs of incomplete combustion include burner flame appearance (as listed above), soot collecting on appliance windows such as that of a space heater and excessive water vapors forming on windows and cool surfaces during appliance operation. Appliance service and adjustment is needed if any of these visible signs of incomplete combustion are noticed."

Turning gas flames up and down is usually OK on gas rings, ovens blowlamps etc (so long as they are a healthy blue) so hopefully we won't 'toast' ourselves. :wink:

We actually like to grill lots of things...not only toast...


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