Stove spark'r not sparking...

pconroy328 wrote:
Just an update - I pulled the stove apart, cleaned the electrode and connections. No help. I shimmed the electrode up a it higher to the burner and I could get it to spark about 1 out of 4 times. Better.

A little looking, reading and it seems like it's not a replaceable item; the electrode is part of the burner assembly. But, I found a new one on eBay for $15. I've ordered it and will report on if it fixes the issue.

Exactly same symptoms as when the wires are touching or resting on the metal bottom... did you try holding the wires up and or off of touching anything metal?

Just an update - I pulled the stove apart, cleaned the electrode and connections. No help. I shimmed the electrode up a it higher to the burner and I could get it to spark about 1 out of 4 times. Better.

A little looking, reading and it seems like it's not a replaceable item; the electrode is part of the burner assembly. But, I found a new one on eBay for $15. I've ordered it and will report on if it fixes the issue.

Happens to ours all the time. This is first camper that has been chronic issue. On this stove, if any of the wires leading to the burner are touching metal they ground out and don't spark. I have to continually re route the wires to stay away from each other and not be resting on any of the pipes. You can test by holding the wire up and away from any metal and spin the knob. There will be spark. Then hold the wire down onto the base or pipe and the spark will go away. At least then you know igniter and everything is working

It's a pain.

Usually a bad connection somewhere between the spark generator at the twist knob and the sparker location (either a central location where a pilot would otherwise be, or spark gap at each burner). Could be open circuits (broken wires or connections) or shorts from insulation failures in the wiring.

Mine was the high voltage wire to the central sparker unplugged spade connector at the spark generator. As RVs rattle down the road a lot of things shake loose.

Failure of the ceramic spark generator is the least likely mode. However, a RV tech might be quick to sell you a new one.

If the spark gap location is central (i.e. in a pilot position) and only one burner fails to light, it could be a blocked communication tube (spiders love the scent of the stinky stuff added to LPG). Dismounting and clearing out these tubes might be considered routine maintenance for RVs spending most of their time in storage.

In any case, with a central spark location, as with a pilot, some patience is needed. The burner needs to be turned on long enough for some gas to make its way up the tube from burner to sparker, to be ignited there and flash back to light what is coming out of the burner.

Fallback for any gas burner is a flame held close to the burner as gas is turned one. I like kitchen matches (used to light gas stoves since the early 19th century) but will put up with safety matches or butane lighters.

x2 on the gas lighter. Lights instantly so no gas piling up while the sparker is trying to do its thing. Think its actually safer not using the sparker.

Change the battery?

My dogs go ballistic from the sound of the stove liter. I use a handheld gas liter instead, which does not work well for the oven lite. For that application I have the wife to start the oven pilot

The ignitors in my stove didn't last long at all. So, rather than mess with them, I began using a gas lighter. The burners fired up immediately and I never missed the old spark ignitor system.

i found spark has to be ABOVE the propane to get it to fire. just getting spark was not enough the gas has to run through the spark.

dakasa47 wrote:
Hello,

One time we were having trouble with one of the burners lighting. Turns out a spider had weaved a web inside the pipe that led from gas to the burner. We were told by RV mechanic we had called it could have led to a serious fire if we hadn't found it.

If/when the OP comes back and confirms SPARK, the next step would be to ensure the supply of propane. If the OP doesn't follow-up, we may never know.