Pellet Fan
Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => FEC/Cookshack => Topic started by: Larry67505 on September 23, 2022, 04:46:11 PM
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I’ve gone through 4 igniters since the first of the year. Does anyone know of an igniter from a different source other than cookshack?
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Sounds like there is a problem other than the igniter. Igniters typically last 3-5 years. Have you called Cookshack to inquire into what else should be checked.
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Other than 4 bad igniters - highly unlikely, I feel something else is causing the problem. Other than physically damaging the igniter, there is a chance it isn't being switched off or, it is being powered when it
shouldn't be. If physical damage isn't he cause, check for power to the igniter using a 120 volt voltmeter. There should be power only @ start-up. Not sure what that time is on a Cookshack. Other pits igniter
on times run from ~ 3 min up to ~ 8.
Some controllers also have an auto restart feature that energizes the igniter under certain conditions. IE: low pit temps signifying a dying fire. :2cents:
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John, do you think it could be any of these issues - bad cord, bad outlet, bad extension cord, bad ground fault, etc.
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John, do you think it could be any of these issues - bad cord, bad outlet, bad extension cord, bad ground fault, etc.
Lew: Could be if there was an interruption in the power supply. A fraction of a second is all it takes. The controller, if so programmed would go into restart mode energizing the igniter. This would have to be a
frequent occurrence to harm the igniter. It would be hard to not notice the power interruption, I would think.
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Thanks, John. I know nothing about electrical which is why I rely on people more knowledgeable about it like you and others on here.
I do agree there is something go on other than a bad batch of ignitors from Cookshack.
Can't wait to hear what the original poster informs us ultimately is the solution so that others can learn from him.
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Is the rod supposed to sit in a triangle of ceramic insulation rods? If not centered, they could be shorting to chassis. Or is that possible? Also, if you over tighten the bolt that holds the rod in place, it can damage it also. (Disclaimer: I am not whiz at electronics, so may be all wet!). John, you probably can correct me on this.
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It could POSSIBLY be related to a bad temp sensor. I know the ignite circuit checks the temp before it begins an ignition cycle (that's why you can do a relite after a flame out by placing a wet paper towel on the sensor) and looks for a cold state. I do not know what turns off the cycle. If its temp then that's a candidate. Cookshack should know.
Mine went out after 6 years. I have a new one but honestly I never hooked it up because it's so much faster to glow 4 pellets red with a torch and then hit the start. You will be roaring in no time and I enjoy the faster start-up time.
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t's so much faster to glow 4 pellets red with a torch and then hit the start. You will be roaring in no time and I enjoy the faster start-up time.
That's my method with a palmful of pellets, even with a working igniter.
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Just to clarify. Everything has been replaced , control board, temp sensor, combustion fan, auger motor, all within the last year. Chookshack tells me it’s not their products that are faulty. In earlier control boards the igniter came on and stayed on until the temp passed 140. They tell me on the new control board it stays on for 5 minutes. The wiring has all been checked by a competent electronics person. Cookshack is decent in communication but I can’t keep buying igniters. I know many years ago green mountain got a batch of bad igniters that caused them a bunch of grief..
I’m just wanting to try a different brand of igniter. Not badmouthing anyone or anything.
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Just to clarify. Everything has been replaced , control board, temp sensor, combustion fan, auger motor, all within the last year. Chookshack tells me it’s not their products that are faulty. In earlier control boards the igniter came on and stayed on until the temp passed 140. They tell me on the new control board it stays on for 5 minutes. The wiring has all been checked by a competent electronics person. Cookshack is decent in communication but I can’t keep buying igniters. I know many years ago green mountain got a batch of bad igniters that caused them a bunch of grief..
I’m just wanting to try a different brand of igniter. Not badmouthing anyone or anything.
Cookskack parts info seems sparse. I finally found the igniter. It's a P/N PA045. It's proprietorial therefore more likely than not, manufactured by one supplier. If the design is marginal or the manufacturing process withers, igniter life is lessened.
If I am correct, the igniter is retained in the firepot by the use of a set screw, not by the holes in the flange. If that's the case, it's possible over tightening of the set screw could harm the igniter..
You may want to contact DIRECT IGNITER about finding a match. I have no affiliation nor have I ever contacted them. If they can help, they will the physical dimensions, any numbers on the igniter as well as
the wattage.
There may be a way of replacing the burn pot with a more reliable & available igniter..Most burn pots are bottom fed. That would require closing off the hole. Next would be matching the air entry holes for equivalent volume.
If I were to go that route, modifications would be made to the new parts only. That way the door is open to revert back to the original configuration.
Please keep us posted Larry
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Is the rod supposed to sit in a triangle of ceramic insulation rods? If not centered, they could be shorting to chassis. Or is that possible? Also, if you over tighten the bolt that holds the rod in place, it can damage it also. (Disclaimer: I am not whiz at electronics, so may be all wet!). John, you probably can correct me on this.
There are only two pits that I know of that iso mount the igniter by using ceramic rod insulators. One is Memphis. The purpose of iso mounting is to prevent the GFCI from tripping when the igniter develops a
minor short to ground condition which can be caused by dampness. It usually burns off once things heat up.
The PG500 igniter is directly inserted into the burn pot and held via a set screw. Yes Okie, over
tightening could damage the igniter especially if the igniter design doesn't provide a solid section for the set screw to contact.
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Back to the start.. "I have gone through 4 igniters......" What was the failure ?
A/ Open circuit, no electrical connectivity, power to the igniter - fails to heat. That would be deemed burnt out.
B/ Trips GFCI Indicating an other type of problem. If this is the case there may be something else in the CFCI circuit that is either partially or fully contributing to the problem. Usually this occurs @ start-up.
If this the case, try supplying the pit using a non GFCI power supply noting there is no GFCI protection.
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My PG1000 is pushing 11 years old. It recently started tripping the GFCI. Conventional wisdom suggests that moisture got into/around the igniter and plugging into a non GFCI outlet should allow the igniter to heat up without tripping the GFCI. After that, any moisture that was present should dry out and you should be good to go.
In my case, I could heat to 500 degrees for several minutes, shut down and try again after no moisture could have survived in the pot and still end up with the GFCI tripping next time.
Since I have no problem with the igniter w/o GFCI, I am thinking that the igniter has deteriorated to a point where it still works, but it has just enough funky resistance building within the igniter or cable up to where the GFCI thinks it’s time to shut down.
I just received a new igniter from CS. Next, I need to clean enough surfaces to be able to see how I might remove the pot and igniter. Surprised that CS doesn’t have a video to cover the replacement process.
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Welcome to the forum.
Good luck with replacing the igniter.
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My PG1000 is pushing 11 years old. It recently started tripping the GFCI. Conventional wisdom suggests that moisture got into/around the igniter and plugging into a non GFCI outlet should allow the igniter to heat up without tripping the GFCI. After that, any moisture that was present should dry out and you should be good to go.
In my case, I could heat to 500 degrees for several minutes, shut down and try again after no moisture could have survived in the pot and still end up with the GFCI tripping next time.
Since I have no problem with the igniter w/o GFCI, I am thinking that the igniter has deteriorated to a point where it still works, but it has just enough funky resistance building within the igniter or cable up to where the GFCI thinks it’s time to shut down.
Another Welcome to the Form, from Canada.
This FEC 100 Igniter Video may help with your igniter swap. It's all I could find. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4RyuRtI2jY
As far as the original igniter goes, there must be a permanent path to ground that isn't dampness bleeding a small amount of electricity, enough to trip the GFCI yet not enough to blow a fuse or cause the pit to go hot. I agree. It's time for a replacement.
I just received a new igniter from CS. Next, I need to clean enough surfaces to be able to see how I might remove the pot and igniter. Surprised that CS doesn’t have a video to cover the replacement process.
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I had to replace mine a couple of years ago, and while I can’t remember the exact procedure it was fairly straightforward, the one thing I do remember was having to remove the pellet chute to get the fire pot out.
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Well, the igniter came and I replaced the old one. Had to use a larger screw into the burn pot as the threaded hole was kinda tired after 11 years.
No particular hangups in threading the new wire through to the harness. Best part of the swap is no more GFCI trips.👍
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Glad that solved the problem.