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Almot's avatar
Almot
Explorer III
Mar 27, 2015

Electronic ignition for stovetop - insulation?

OEM piezo ignitor has been driving me crazy for long time, and eventually the rotating knob came loose, can't make it click anymore. Lighting the oven has been a nightmare anyway, I would love to see how big fat corporate type from Maytag would kneel and try lighting it with a lighter. Have decided to install electronic ignition, like many other people before me: old topic with pictures

Home Depot don't sell that Charbroil ignitor anymore, got it from Amazon for $15, and also an oven "sparker" - electrode for $5. All good, plenty of sparks. I'm only worried about the insulation of oven sparker at 400F.

Here is the electrode:

Red wire came with it, usual electronics insulation, it's from gas grill or barbeque where the wire is all outside the heated area.

Black wire is the ground wire from the Charbroil electronic ignitor. Dave in that old topic comments that its insulation looks like high-temp coating - yes, it is some fabric but I'm not sure that it is high-temp. It has rubber heat-shrink tubing on both ends, you don't usually see this on high-temp wires. Though, people in that old topic - didn't want to rekindle it again - appear to be happy with this ground wire in the oven, as is?

Or is there any (cheap) high-temp tubing that I could put on?
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Mar 27, 2015
    For the stove top: You don't need to install new electrodes. Just connect the new piezo to the existing electrodes and it will work fine.
    In fact if your knob part was still working you could hook both it and the new sparker to the existing electrodes - like I did.

    I haven't done the oven but I think the wire and electrode you bought will be fine since it's in a hot area with a BBQ too.
  • Blacklane's avatar
    Blacklane
    Explorer
    Mar 28, 2015
    I agree with the previous poster: the insulation on the igniter wire feels like silicone, which can stand up to oven temperatures. It's intended to be used inside a grill, and that environment is identical to an oven.
  • spadoctor's avatar
    spadoctor
    Explorer
    Mar 28, 2015
    that type of ignition may not work in the oven as you need to apply heat to the thermocouple to start gas flow in mot rv ovens
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Mar 28, 2015
    spadoctor wrote:
    that type of ignition may not work in the oven as you need to apply heat to the thermocouple to start gas flow in mot rv ovens


    Good point.
    Then there's the possibility of explosion if the process doesn't go just right.
    We just leave the pilot on all season. I don't think it uses that much gas.
  • 12thgenusa's avatar
    12thgenusa
    Explorer
    Mar 28, 2015
    spadoctor wrote:
    that type of ignition may not work in the oven as you need to apply heat to the thermocouple to start gas flow in mot rv ovens

    It works just fine. The spark lights the pilot which provides the heat for the thermocouple.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Mar 28, 2015
    Thanks, Dave. Yes, I had a feeling that ignitor type was irrelevant to thermocouple that triggers the gas flow, and you explanation makes sense.

    My only worry was about the insulation of the black wire for oven electrode. Have just re-read the old topic, John on the page 3 used the same oven electrode as the one that I bought - he discarded the red piezo button and metal cage, only the electrode is needed. On the next page he comments that wire insulation - the one that looked like hi-temp - was holding well indeed. So I guess no need to worry.

    Guys, please let's not go into explosion debates again, this has been covered extensively in the old topic. You need to press the pilot valve manually - and hold it while igniting it. (And only then you open the main flow). Doesn't matter whether you ignite the pilot by sparker-electrode or BIC lighter. Sparker is just more comfortable, no kneeling. I have better chances to get burns when igniting a pilot using a lighter, than with an electrode.
  • atperci's avatar
    atperci
    Explorer
    Apr 17, 2015
    I did this to our stove and oven. Using the cloth covered electrode has not presented any problems. We've used the oven for up to an hour at a time with no problems. I think that being as low as it is in the oven (below the burner) the temperatures are significantly lower. It takes about 10 seconds before the gas reaches the pilot light, once it does it lights within 1 or 2 sparks every time.

    However, the stove top is a different story. Only 1 of the burners lights reliably from the electronic ignition. I'm not sure if there isn't enough power? Or if the distance between the electrode and the burner (ground) is too great. There is a spark, but it doesn't appear to be as strong on the other two burners.

    One time I waited too long with the gas on and the other two burners lit off the one reliable one. Quite a surprise and a small fireball under the grate, but no damage/injuries. That is certainly one way to get them all lit!
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Apr 17, 2015
    Where is the spark jumping in relation to the gas jets on the burners that don't light well? It doesn't do much good if the spark is going someplace where is no gas, which seems rather obvious on reflection but isn't always so obvious when you're scratching your head wondering why things aren't working.

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