Gas hob ignition stopped working

[JoeJoe]

We have had one of these for many years

Have never had an issue. Worked fine as late as yesterday.

Tried to use it today - ignition is dead. Operated by pressing the knobs downwards. Nothing - not a sign of life.

Checked the socket - still powered and all looks fine. Opened the hob's plug - all look fine and the 3A fuse also OK according to my multi-meter (replaced it just in case). Still nothing.

There appears to be a triangle (possibly) removable access hatch in the corner, held by a screw. Otherwise I cannot see anything that can be done in situ.

Any ideas/thoughts as to what to try next please?

[alan_m]

Companies selling spare parts for that hob list an ignition module.

Maybe worth checking to see if the connectors to that module are tight.

[Tim Lamb]

Long time since we had a gas hob but carbon can build up near the arc points shorting the circuit.

>

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

The ignitors usually work independently, so one failing to ignite will not prevent the others from working. If all are failing, then more likely it will be the entire unit which has become faulty.

[JoeJoe]

Sorry, forgot to mention that all 4 ignitions are dead.

Looks like the time has come to look for a replacement... ;-(

[Chris Hogg]

Box of matches is cheaper! Or if you're really feeling like splashing out, a piezo spark igniter like this

. Had one for years - never gave problems - worked every time.

[JoeJoe]

Very tempting...

[Gopalan Sampath]

Before you declare it dead, I would suggest take an old toothbrush preferably soft and clean gently the surrounding area where the ignition spark appears, you may need to remove the pot support s around the burner for this. Normally there would be a small post with a white ceramic ring around. The soot or cooking debris might have covered the post head where the spark appears .

[lacksey]

Not going to work given that none of the ignitors work.

[Clive Arthur]

On our old cooker, pushing any knob fired all igniters. The implication is that there was a common control circuit, though I imagine there'd be separate outputs/windings for each sparker.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

JoeJoe laid this down on his screen :

One related problem I came across with our hob, was not the failing to ignite, but one burner failing to remain lit once the knob was released. In other words the thermocouple was failing to hold the burner valve open, once it had heated up.

Each burner has flame failure detection, in the form of a thermocouple located in the flame. Heat from the flame on the thermocouple causes it to generate a tiny voltage, but enough to hold a solenoid gas valve for each burner open. The connection between thermocouple and solenoid, looks like a thin copper pipe, with a threaded nipple at the solenoid end.

Simply loosening and retightening a few times the nipple fixed what proved to be a poor connection. They don't need to be very tight, they are only brass and easily damaged, just enough to work reliably.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Clive Arthur was thinking very hard :

Same with our hob and yes, common control, all ignitors fired by any button, but each HV output is separate - a HV short on one, will not prevent the others working.

[JoeJoe]

I have a feeling that ours behaves in a similar way.