Are any of the aftermarket Harman igniters worth messing with or do I bite the bullet and go OEM?

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SciGuy

Feeling the Heat
Hearth Supporter
Aug 17, 2007
405
Constableville, NY
After 4 additional years on my probably at least 10 year old P-43, I've come to realize that in all likelihood the igniter has already reached or excited it's normal longevity and I really ought to have a spare on hand. I see several inexpensive after market units are out there which seem to have mixed reviews. Have any of you had good luck with any of these cheapies or should I just bite the bullet and go for an OEM unit? Sometimes saving a buck isn't worth the associated headaches.

Thanks for any informed replies.

Hugh
 
Aftermarket, as most all Harman stoves the igniter is easy to replace.
There was a bad run of Harman ones, but that was years ago.
So, aftermarket, but from a major supplier-ESES, Mountainview, Woodsmans, Stoves and spas, etc.
 
There was just a post on FB I think where a guy got 2 on Amazon and they popped the fuse on the board immediatly. For as long as the OEM last I would stick with OEM. Dont make sense to have a Harman stove and put PelPro quality parts on it. :) We sell the OEM for $137.00 Probably cheaper online. I think they were about $110 last year. I run in auto in the basement and it probably goes thru 10 plus ignition cycles daily and is several years old now. Probably equates out to maybe $20/yr? I like OEM, I am a fix it properly and forget it kinda guy.
 
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Rick, thanks for your thoughts on this. I've had exceptional longevity from the original so far and I'm sure it's doing more than 10 cycles per day in the shoulder seasons. I always wonder if the exact same part may exist out there in the wild without the $$$$ Harman markup.

Hugh
 
I got an after market ignitor for my Enviro stove. It was a little longer than the OEM so a bit tricky to install but so far so good. NOW! It cost me I think about $35 instead of $110. The one I replaced was the original and about 12 years old so the question is will I need to buy 3 aftermarket ignitors to get me through the next 12 years. Time will tell... but it does work.
 
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Installed a Made in USA Pellethead igniter on our Accentra this year and it works fine. I dare say it starts faster than the factory unit.
 
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Smiley67 said:
Installed a Made in USA Pellethead igniter on our Accentra this year and it works fine. I dare say it starts faster than the factory unit.
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Thanks for the input Smiley. That's a good data point. I'm still waffling. If we could look into the future and see it lasting 6+ years I'd be even more swayed.

Hugh
 
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SciGuy said:
Thanks for the input Smiley. That's a good data point. I'm still waffling. If we could look into the future and see it lasting 6+ years I'd be even more swayed.

Hugh
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I just replaced a 7 year old Pellethead ignitor in my Accentra, and went with another Pellethead as I think they work very well.
 
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Border1225 said:
I just replaced a 7 year old Pellethead ignitor in my Accentra, and went with another Pellethead as I think they work very well.
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Well that's an excellent data point! That's certainly a decent life span for an igniter.
 
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