Converting a piezo gas igniter to 12v electronic ignition

[Tim Downie]

Our caravan fridge has a piezo igniter that is a bit temperamental. Is it
possible to just replace the sparking unit with a generic 12v electronic
igniter (if such a thing exists)? Electrolux kits seem to be on the
expensive side.

I'm not fussed about flame sensing or anything fancy as the fridge already
has a thermocouple and I'm happy to turn the igniter on and off manually
once I see the flame is alight.

Tim

 

[Chris Hogg]

Our caravan fridge has a piezo igniter that is a bit temperamental. Is it
possible to just replace the sparking unit with a generic 12v electronic
igniter (if such a thing exists)? Electrolux kits seem to be on the
expensive side.

I'm not fussed about flame sensing or anything fancy as the fridge already
has a thermocouple and I'm happy to turn the igniter on and off manually
once I see the flame is alight.

Tim

IME piezo igniters are very sensitive to damp/humidity. I have a
couple of hand-held ones and they give a perfectly good spark when
stored in the house, but keep them out in a shed where I have a
gas-fired pottery kiln and where they're needed, and they're useless.
Fortunately the kiln also has a built-in battery operated spark
igniter, runs off a single D-cell. Something like this might do you:
http://tinyurl.com/m6gznsn

 

[Tim+]

IME piezo igniters are very sensitive to damp/humidity. I have a
couple of hand-held ones and they give a perfectly good spark when
stored in the house, but keep them out in a shed where I have a
gas-fired pottery kiln and where they're needed, and they're useless.
Fortunately the kiln also has a built-in battery operated spark
igniter, runs off a single D-cell. Something like this might do you:
http://tinyurl.com/m6gznsn

Unfortunately the flame is behind a window; visible but not accessible.

Tim

 

[Tim+]

This sort of thing?

<http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PayandPac...Q_Utensils_Accessories_LE&hash=item35bd4b6f45>

Now that looks handy (and cheap!). Can't actually see what kind of battery
it uses but I guess consumption won't be great in a campervan.

Many thanks.

Tim

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim Downie was thinking very hard :

Our caravan fridge has a piezo igniter that is a bit temperamental. Is it
possible to just replace the sparking unit with a generic 12v electronic
igniter (if such a thing exists)? Electrolux kits seem to be on the expensive
side.

I'm not fussed about flame sensing or anything fancy as the fridge already
has a thermocouple and I'm happy to turn the igniter on and off manually once
I see the flame is alight.

Tim

Perfectly do-able, just divert the HT wire from the piezo unit, to the
new igniter. You can buy 12v, 240v and battery versions needing just a
push button switch.

 

[Caecilius]

Remember these gas-lighters?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-EVER-READY-GAS-LIGHTER-ADVERTISING-SIGN-/310692370428

That brings back memories!

I recall these used a platinum wire, which was heated by the chunky
battery. The battery heated the wire enough to start catalytic
oxidation of hydrogen, which raised the temperature enough to light
the gas.

But it only worked with gas containing hydrogen like town gas, and
wouldn't work with natural gas (methane), so they wern't used after
the conversion to natural gas in the late 60s.

 

[Tim Watts]

SIGN-/310692370428

That brings back memories!

I recall these used a platinum wire, which was heated by the chunky
battery. The battery heated the wire enough to start catalytic
oxidation of hydrogen, which raised the temperature enough to light
the gas.

But it only worked with gas containing hydrogen like town gas, and
wouldn't work with natural gas (methane), so they wern't used after
the conversion to natural gas in the late 60s.

We had a later one:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1...thuser=0&biw=1434&bih=781&tbm=isch&tbnid=1GQ-
rCuxAPXAjM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EVER-READY-NATURAL-COOKER-
CAMPING-COOKER-GAS-LIGHTER-
BOXED-/330913440489&docid=JX5NRPGHs3krxM&itg=1&imgurl=http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxM...nh=192&tbnw=142&start=23&ndsp=32&tx=37&ty=109

Don't think the wire was anything special - it glowed red hot.

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

Reading this on the web? See:
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Usenet

 

[Tim+]

We had a later one:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1...thuser=0&biw=1434&bih=781&tbm=isch&tbnid=1GQ-
rCuxAPXAjM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EVER-READY-NATURAL-COOKER-
CAMPING-COOKER-GAS-LIGHTER-
BOXED-/330913440489&docid=JX5NRPGHs3krxM&itg=1&imgurl=http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxM...nh=192&tbnw=142&start=23&ndsp=32&tx=37&ty=109

Don't think the wire was anything special - it glowed red hot.

Given that you can stub a cigarette out in petrol I'm kinda surprised that
a simple glowing wire is enough to ignite natural gas.

Tim

 

[John Williamson]

Given that you can stub a cigarette out in petrol I'm kinda surprised that
a simple glowing wire is enough to ignite natural gas.

It was either platinum or platinum coated, so there was a catalytic
action. Others have commented that they didn't work on natural as,
though, as it ignited the hydrogen content of the old town gas, which
then ignited the rest.

 

[Brian Gaff]

Is there some fundamental efficiency reason why caravan fridges operate on
gas and not electicity?

Brian

 

[John Williamson]

Is there some fundamental efficiency reason why caravan fridges operate on
gas and not electicity?

Not an efficiency reason, no, as they are actually less energy efficient
and effective than a compressor type.

They use gas because it's available, while there is no guarantee of an
electrical supply in a caravan, and they are also silent in operation.
Most of them will work either on gas or 12 volt power, and some have an
option of 240 volt operation as well.

 

[charles]

Is there some fundamental efficiency reason why caravan fridges operate
on gas and not electicity?

Probably because you can store a lot more energy in gas cylinder than you
can in a similar sized battery. It's also much easier to replace a spent
gas cylinder than a battery.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Brian Gaff explained on 10/08/2013 :

Is there some fundamental efficiency reason why caravan fridges operate on
gas and not electicity?

Brian

They usually designed to work on three sources - gas, 240v and 12v, but
only the 12v whilst being towed due to the current consumed.

 

[Tim]

This sort of thing?



<http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PayandPac...Q_Utensils_Accessories_LE&hash=item35bd4b6f45>

Ordered on the 9th from Hong Kong and arrived today. No instructions but pretty self-explanatory once I'd figured out how to put the battery in!

Anyway it's installed now and works like a charm. Being much quieter than the old piezo igniter, you can now hear the gas ignition which makes life a lot easier.

Many thanks for the heads up.

Tim