PM-
Thank you for the info.
A google search actually brought up a few sites that discuss the issue in some detail and mention Shabbos 41a and 41b, Yevamos 6b and a machlokes between the Rambam and Raaivad concerning which melacho is violated by heating an iron bar until it glows.
Joseph-
Typical household current is AC. Batteries produce DC. Either way, the filament in a bulb produces light and heat due to its resistance to the flow (one-way or back-and-forth) of electrons.
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? P??????????????? ????????????????P ? ?
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? (3) ? ? ? (3) ? ?
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? ???B ? ? ? ???B ? ?
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? (1) (1) (2) (2) (1) (1) ?
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K K K K
Keys:
K - Knobs
B - Burner
P - Pilot
1 - Gas to burner
3 - Metal tube between pilot and burneroomis1105-
rabbiofberlin-
Bemused-
The above diagram is the view from above of a stovetop with pilots.
I therefore believe that my original explanation of how a piloted stovetop works, including the conclusion that once a burner has ignited, the pilot and burner are two separate and distinct flames, applies to their stoves as well.
Any plumbers here who do?
The best analogy I can think of re: the pilot-burner relationship, is one of two candles, about a foot apart, one burning and the other not.
If you extend a fuse from the non-burning one to the burning one, the fuse will ignite once it is close enough to the flame, then the fire will travel along the fuse until the second candle is lit.
What you will end up with is two separately burning candles.
The fuse that connected them and allowed the second candle to ignite no longer exists.