Gaggenau cooktop

[Samuel Sperbeck]

We have a Gaggenau two burner gas cooktop in our 2001 Patriot Thunder. We have to hold the knobs down for quite a while before the burners will stay lit. I think the problem is there is a coating of cooked on grease preventing the flame from heating the thermocouple. The whole cooktop, and the rest of the coach, was filthy from never having been cleaned. Our offer reflected that fact. After many hours scrubbing, with various cleaning products, the cooktop is acceptably clean, Any suggestions as to how to clean the thermocouples? My first thought is to use some crocus cloth on them, but I worry about destroying them.
Thanks, Sam

[Lee Welbanks]

Samuel, Try using a green Scotch Brite pad, I believe they are copper so you're not going to hurt them, Get a can of spray brake cleaner which will take off most any grease product. I always use Non-Chlorinated brake cleaner, it won't hurt most paints. You could always just replace the thermocouples can't cost that much.

[Keith Moffett]

I have not had this chore but have cleaned the gas stove on coaches.  I would use baking soda and a tooth brush.

[Samuel Sperbeck]

I tried brake cleaner with no effect. That crud was cooked on over many years and needed the abrasiveness of the Scotch Brite  pad to break through the buildup. Now the burners stay lit with just a slight pause before releasing the knob. Great improvement.
Thanks for the suggestions, Sam

[Roland DuBree]

Seems to me you have to push down hard on the gas line knobs to get the burners to stay on

[Jerry Emert]

I have to keep the knob pushed down for about 2 seconds to get the flame to stay on.  I only comment to show what I think to be what is supposed to happen.  If the thermocouples are misplaced, greasy or covered with food or maybe even just old it may cause the symptoms. 

[Mike Shumack]

I have to hold the knob down for 2 seconds too, then I found that once I had a flame, if I slowly turned the knob (to lower flame setting) while holding it down (so it would keep sparking) it would stay lit faster.