Lighting the stove?

[Byron Kinnaman]

The cook surface in my trailer requires a match or lighter to light it. My Fold_N-Go Colman campstove requires the push of a button to activate the piezoelectric lighter, my gas Bar-B-Grill uses a piezoelectric lighter. I did a limited web search for a piezoelectric lighter retro-fit for my Suburban cook top. I didn't find any. I imagine I could add the same lighter that's used in bar-b-q grills. Anybody know anything, like why this shouldn't be done? Is there a made for Suburban lighter?

Thanks

[Chester Taje]

The cook surface in my trailer requires a match or lighter to light it. My Fold_N-Go Colman campstove requires the push of a button to activate the piezoelectric lighter, my gas Bar-B-Grill uses a piezoelectric lighter. I did a limited web search for a piezoelectric lighter retro-fit for my Suburban cook top. I didn't find any. I imagine I could add the same lighter that's used in bar-b-q grills. Anybody know anything, like why this shouldn't be done? Is there a made for Suburban lighter?
Thanks

No but it sounds like a good idea.

[Brian B-P]

I have the same issue. Gas stoves are certainly available with various sparking devices to light them. The best setup, in my opinion, would be a battery-powered igniter which sparks until the flame starts; this is a safety feature, since it would ensure the fastest light (less time running propane into the interior) and could re-light a burner which goes out. It's neither rocket science, nor foreign to RVs: that's what Direct Spark Ignition furnaces and water heaters have.

I use a barbecue lighter, but find the whole process annoying: you push a couple of balky safety releases, then pull a trigger to make a piezo-driven spark to light the butane which might be coming out and might start burning, to then use the butane flame to light the propane. That spark could do it directly, and skip the whole butane part. By the way, butane is "heavier" than propane, and thus refuses to effectively vapourize at the temperatures when you really want to light the stove and furnace.

I found an insanely overpriced barbecue lighter which has a battery and auto-ignites, but it still fires up the unnecessary butane.

I tried an add-on piezo igniter for a campstove (from Mountain Equipment Co-Op), but aside from needing a handle (it is intended to be permanently mounted in a specific single-burner stove), it's spark isn't quite "hot" enough to reliably light the Boler's stove.

My plan was to find a battery-powered lighter intended for installation in a barbecue, and modify it with a handle for hand-held use.

In the meantime, I continue to curse at butane lighters.

[Dennis U]

I also use a barbecue lighter with a piezo spark. Long ago mine ran out of butaine, but the ignitor still functions, and lights my water heater and stove.

[Darwin Maring]

I think Morgan has the best solution however should U want to invest lots of time and effort, you can purchase a piezo device where they sell BBQ grill parts and retrofit.

Or: Where they sell camp stoves they also have a device similar to what Morgan showed that has a flint in the end of it and when you squeeze the handle it rotates the wheel and sparks fly.

Note: Morgan's lighter has a piezo spark in the end of it and will more than likely ignite the stove.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I think Morgan has the best solution however should U want to invest lots of time and effort, you can purchase a piezo device where they sell BBQ grill parts and retrofit.
Or: Where they sell camp stoves they also have a device similar to what Morgan showed that has a flint in the end of it and when you squeeze the handle it rotates the wheel and sparks fly.
Note: Morgan's lighter has a piezo spark in the end of it and will more than likely ignite the stove.

I may try liberating one from the stockroom at work. I'm not sure I'd like using that to start a stove, though, I've always preferred a real match.

Bobbie

[pjanits]

I wonder how a Propane torch lighter would work?

I usually just use book matches when I can't find the stupid barbecue lighter.

[Brian B-P]

I wonder how a Propane torch lighter would work?

Not very well, in my testing.

I assume we're talking about the ones with a wire handle which you squeeze to drag a flint across a rough surface, inside a "cap".

Since the flint is inside a large cap, it can't be placed right in with the burner (unless you remove the grill), so it isn't very close and I found it didn't work well.

Those flint-on-the-end things like Morgan showed seem promising... I had not seen them, but now I know what to look for.

I would still prefer a repeating series of electric sparks...

[Dave Mac]

I'd start with one of these either new or off an old Bar-b-Que.



http://www.bar-b-que.com/store/item.asp?IT...EPARTMENT_ID=59

[Brian B-P]

A more direct answer to this question:

I imagine I could add the same lighter that's used in bar-b-q grills. Anybody know anything, like why this shouldn't be done?

A single-burner campstove obviously need only one igniter, and a BBQ is normally lit from one point (thus one igniter) even if it has multiple burners (each one lights from the next). As implied in my previous post (and Herb's) a built-in lighter would presumably need one sparking device for each burner: maybe that's four piezo igniters, or one with the output to spark at four places, but it's a design challenge either way.

I don't know of any reason why it shouldn't be done, only why it might be difficult or expensive.

[Bob H]

A inexpensive solution may be to attach one of these near the burner of your stove...



Used to light gas lanterns, I'm sure it can be fitted near a stove burner. Needs no batterys and provides a flint spark.
Here's a link...Coleman Spark Igniter

Good Luck,
ConwayBob

[Patrick M.]

If you want electric starting, I found this $20 gadget, and it or something similar could be taken apart and adapted as an in-stove starter, me thinks. BBQ makers probably have add-on electric ones but I haven't found them if they're out there.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...equestid=100210

[Darwin Maring]

Our BBQ has 5 burners and an electric spark device that has a couple of AA batteries inside and when U press the button, it sparks on all 5 burners at the same time so there R devices out there that U could adapt to the cook top, You just have to look for them.. I will look to see if there is a name on the device and post it here If I can find one.

[Brian B-P]

If you want electric starting, I found this $20 gadget...

That's exactly what I have been looking for, for my stove, furnace, water heater, and BBQ. Thanks!
I received a Cabela's catalog last week, and immediately went through it looking for new and interesting stuff like this, and still had not seen one.

This is a Camco product, and their web page for the GM12 Continuous Ignition Multi-Sparker loads to sellers (Camco does not sell directly), which may be useful for someone without a local Cabela's (there are none here), or not wanting to order from them. Now I have an Alberta supplier list! (They're a welding supply store...)

I would be happy with it even in it's normal hand-held form, but I realize Bryon is looking for a built-in. If anyone adapts this to built-in, please share the method and results with us.

[Byron Kinnaman]

It appears that nobody here has attempted to install some sort of igniter system. I sent an email to Suburban asking about it. Interestingly enough they offer an igniter for their drop in stove, but not for drop in surface tops, either the 3 burner or 2 burner. They indicated the reason that an igniter wasn't offered was because it hasn't been asked for. Furthermore, if one of RV manufacturers asked for it they indicated they would probably offer it as a option.

In the mean time I have a piezoelectric igniter coming from eBay. Once I have it in my hands I'll see if there's some easy way to install on at least one burner.

The Bar-B-Que (BIC) lighter works just fine for me. Anne, well that's a different story, she seems to struggle a bit with it.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Here's a source of piezo repair parts, so all one needs is a hole:

http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/gasgr.../body_ign1.html