My Vernon AE igniter stays hot

[rpfxst]

My Mt Vernon AE insert has an igniter problem. It’s actually an igniter control problem. The igniter stays red hot at all times. Occasionally I will get the min fire pot temp fault and it’s red hot even then while the fault is displayed on the wall board. The heater works I just know the igniter should shut off after the start cycle is complete. This probably explains why I’ve gone through so many igniters. Has anyone fixed this problem?

 

[Mt Bob]

Have heard of it before, especially on Harmans. The repair was always a new control board.

 

[rpfxst]

Have heard of it before, especially on Harmans. The repair was always a new control board.

I hope you’re wrong because I really don’t want to purchase that thing! However, I was thinking the problem would be somewhere on that circuit board. I’ve had to replace the fuse and make 1 other repair to the board. It ran fine without problems for about 5 or 6 winters after the repair. The blown fuse was because of a great deal I got on some Amazon igniters. The igniter now stays red hot when the thermostat says “READY” and is at the selected temperature. I see all these folks talking about how their igniter doesn’t work. I’m just wanting to give mine a break.

 

[Mt Bob]

You may want to try unplugging all the connections on the control board several times, to clean them. Unplug stove first!

 

[rpfxst]

Unplugging and replugging = no help.

Any other ideas?

 

[jzm2cc]

There is a relay on circuit board that controls igniter. Pretty confident that the contacts are fused and causing full on igniter operation. Sometimes when igniter experiences a high current even the relay contacts weld together. It's a replaceable part. Looks like a rectangular box shape, can be purchased online from electrical dealers and of course its soldered in place.

Another reason to run fuses inline with igniter leads on these AE's due to expensive control boards.

 

[rpfxst]

There is a relay on circuit board that controls igniter. Pretty confident that the contacts are fused and causing full on igniter operation. Sometimes when igniter experiences a high current even the relay contacts weld together. It's a replaceable part. Looks like a rectangular box shape, can be purchased online from electrical dealers and of course its soldered in place.

Another reason to run fuses inline with igniter leads on these AE's due to expensive control boards.

Thank you. I’ll check that next

 

[maraakate]

There is a relay on circuit board that controls igniter. Pretty confident that the contacts are fused and causing full on igniter operation. Sometimes when igniter experiences a high current even the relay contacts weld together. It's a replaceable part. Looks like a rectangular box shape, can be purchased online from electrical dealers and of course its soldered in place.

Another reason to run fuses inline with igniter leads on these AE's due to expensive control boards.

I'm all for running extra inline fuses, but what values should I use? How do you determine this? I know you deduce that 120V ~300w (or 380w for corn ignitor). Using an amperage calculator and assuming power factor of 1 (how do you determine power factor btw?) then it appears a 300w ignitor for these units it draws ~2.5A. So do you use a 3A (or 5A) fuse? Slow blow or fast blow?

 

[Mt Bob]

Fast blow would be preferable, but anything could save a control board. You could try 5a. I would use the search box above and find some of the older threads about this.

 

[maraakate]

Fast blow would be preferable, but anything could save a control board. You could try 5a. I would use the search box above and find some of the older threads about this.

Thanks, yeah didnt think to look.