The ignitors usually stay on after the flame has started. do the ignitor electrodes need to be replaced or what?
How do I access the parts - through the burners or from the bottom? How?
the stove is 15 years old but this has beengoing on for years and I am finally tired of listening to the continuous clickkkkkkkking.
Thanks!
On any range I've seen with electronic ignitors, the valves have a position that closes a contact to turn on the ignitor and manually moving the dial to the 'Hi' setting opens the contact again and the ignitor ceases to spark.
You don't mean the ignitors run even when the burners are off, do you?
I'm surprised to read that this has been happening for 'years,' the transformer for the ignitors must be really tough to withstand that and it doesn't sound like an electrode or transformer problem but rather a contact not opening as it should or you not advancing the control past the ignite point.
The ranges with which I am familiar, use a cam on the control shaft for each burner that presses against a stationary switch that turns on the ignitor. The cam usually presses on a switch via a leaf spring or directly on a button then release it once you have rotated the control further.
Since it seems everyone re-invents the wheel, the location of the cam is not predictable but it must be along the length of each burner shaft.
There is typically one high voltage supply that services all burners; you can see if that is the case with yours by observing the spark gap at each burner, if they all spark together, then it is a single voltage source.
If only one of them sparks, then you have separate sources for each burner. Since that costs a little more, most manufacturers use only one.
If they are all sparking together, then you need have only one bad (or not properly adjusted) switch causing the problem.
>Â Â I may have since stumbled onto a solution by pushing the electrodes down as far as they can go (the electrodes can be pulled up or pushed down a little ways).
Increasing the spark gap may stop it from clicking at you but many types of high voltage take offense to not being able to release the energy where it should be done and will discharge the spark internally; something that can be fatal to them over time.
I'm not familiar with your particular range so can't offer much guidance for gaining access to its innards but in any case, be certain you have shut off any valve related to the range before doing any kind of removal of anything.
It pays to be a little paranoid when dealing with gas.
I wish I could help you more then your problem may be caused by an old spill that has mechanically interfered with the switch operation or just the need for a simple adjustment but I don't know personally of a source for repair info on your range that I can access. Â Â Â Â
I have a GE ZGU650 Gas Cooktop that I have successfully repaired.
Adding to the above. I found the ignitors would keep sparking after the gas had lit on some of the burners. By adjusting the flame, the ignitors would stop sparking. Hmmm. Strange. Here is what I discovered. The ignitor electrodes are fed by a module that is activated by a switch closed by a cam on the gas control knob. If the gas is on, the switch is closed. This tells the spark ignitor module to start sprarking. When the gas is ignited, the flame (a plasma) can conduct electricity. This conduction is from the electrode to the burner cover (the removal thing with all the holes). The conduction is through the burner cover to the burner frame it sits on. I found that because of cleaning, the burner cover bottom was rusted, hence, restricting the conductivity. Ran the covers over a piece of sand paper so the covers made good bare metal contact with the frame below..problem solved. In addition, I found I had several burners where the spark wouldn't go at all. Removed the knobs. Stuck a pencil in to trip the switch lever to activate the spark. However, the plastic cam wouldn't trip the switch. I put some foam tape on the cam. Now the cam tripped the switch. Problem solved. Tape and sandpaper is the only cost.
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thanks for trying. Re your first comment the spark always initiates when a burner is turned to high, however, often once the flame starts the ignitor continues to spark. if the burner is turned off at any time the spark will cease as well.
the ignitors never run or spark when the burners are off...thank God for that!
I do not understand what is meant by "a contact not opening". what would be the solution for that, i.e. what coule be done to make sure the contact is opening once the flame starts? I may have since stumbled onto a solution by pushing the electrodes down as far as they can go (the electrodes can be pulled up or pushed down a little ways).
Can the burner be removed from the top to take a look by loosening the brass nut where the gas comes up from?
Thanks again for trying. looking at the prices of new cooktops I hope this one does not need to be replaced any time soon,
JaneTrades
I have GE Gas cooktop with 5 stove, my problem is very similar to Jane. The ignitors making clicking noise after the flame has started, turning the knob from low to high or high to low sometimes stop the noise. Another way that I found out was to use a screw driver by touching or moving the internal wire under the knob would stop the clicking noise too. The cooktop is about 5 years old. Is the problem fixable or I need to look for a new cooktop?
Norm
It looks like someone has dealt with this and it may apply to your cooktops as well:
Guess I'll just post the link:http://www.fixya.com/support/r9980195-ga...
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