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Excess sooting with gas charbroiler and hotplate

1K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  halb 
#1 ·
I am using a Vulcan VCRH24 4-hob gas hotplate and a Vulcan WCRB25 gas charbroiler and both are creating too much of a yellow flame, even after adjusting the air inlets. This is resulting in bad sooting on the underside of pans - a thick residue of greasy soot, which is also caking the underside of the radiants on the charbroiler.

The gas is from canisters (LPG/Propane), not street gas (natural) - any thoughts on this? I am in Brazil, so I don't know if the quality of the gas itself may impact the sooting, but it does not seem right to me.

Both units are under warranty and were installed by authorised installers, so I can probably get them to come back out and take a look.

 
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#2 ·
The sooting is caused by incomplete combustion. The incomplete combustion also produces carbon monoxide, which is very dangerous, as you know. The incomplete combustion could be caused by a number of things, including impure fuel.

If this were my kitchen, I would cease using these units immediately and get them checked out.

Good luck.
 
#5 ·
Thanks @dogfood - yes, definitely made for LP gas as standard, but there is also a conversion kit for running them on mains gas which the installers can fit. I am going to speak to the installers and get them back in, but in the meantime will adjust the air-inlets again to allow more air in, without getting the 'dancing' flame problem. That done, I am going to have to try changing the gas supplier and see if it might be adulterated gas that is the issue.
 
#8 ·
Thanks @halb - yes, I find the greasy aspect to it strange. I am actually using diluted oven degreasing agent to clean the bottom of some pans. I will get a video of this over the weekend, and see what impact changing the air inlets will have. We get adulterated petrol in Brasilian petrol stations, so it would not surprise me to find out that we have this with gas bottles also.
 
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