SW4024 and Pizzo Ignitors [RE-wrenches]

Bob Maynard, Energy Outfitters bob at energyoutfitters.com
Fri Jan 3 15:34:38 PST 2003


Scott,

I would ask the customer for a little more info on the stove.  Does the oven
igniter actually light a pilot light that stays on during the entire time
the oven control is in the "on" position and is the pilot light visible?  It
could be that the oven is not using the piezo box that controls the top
burners and instead might have its own piezo controller with additional
"safety" features.  The oven might also not use the piezo at all but instead
use a circuit that controls a momentary glow bar(rather than the old
continuos glow bar).  Has he checked voltage and frequency of the generator
at the stove's outlet?  As for the problem on SW power:  It could be the
poor wave form at low load level versus the more sine-like wave form at
higher loads.  I experienced this with my 120vac Asko washer.  With low
loads on the inverter, the washer timer went crazy causing the machine to go
from start of wash to rinse to spin in about 5 minutes.  Ended up to run my
super energy/water saving washer, I had turn on about 250 watts (heavy sigh)
of lights to get a wave form the washer could run on accurately.  Hope some
of this gets you towards an answer.  Sure sounds to me like 2 different
problems going on.  Let me know what you find out.

Regards,
Bob Maynard

Energy Outfitters
800-GO-SOLAR

-----Original Message-----
From: scott [mailto:scott at backwoodssolar.com]
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 2:48 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: SW4024 and Pizzo Ignitors [RE-wrenches]


Any comments on this query? Many thanks.  Scott

Hi,

I have an off-grid house powered by solar, an SW4024, and an Onan 4kw
generator (everything bought from you except the generator).  My oven/stove
is a current model Whirlpool (I think) propane stove with electronic
ignition.  The lighters are pizzo spark ignitors, not glow plug heaters.

I've got a very odd and annoying problem that I can't figure out and was
hoping you might have some ideas.  When running the generator (SW4024 is
charging the batteries and passing the generator power through to the
house), the ignitor for the oven will not operate.  The stove-top burners
work fine.  When the generator is off and I'm running the SW4024 on
batteries, the oven usually works fine, but with certain other appliances
turned on the oven still sometimes doesn't work.  In particular, when we run
our christmas tree lights the oven ignitor won't work.

I originally guessed that the ignitor control was sensitive to the power
factor, and tried using a couple of different value motor run caps.
Interestingly, this made the situation worse.  With the caps on, the oven
would never work.  Presumably if caps make it worse, more inductance might
help, but I'm not sure how to add inductance.  I was going to try an
isolation transformer next, but thought I'd check to see if you have had any
experience with this and had any ideas.



Backwoods Solar Electric Systems www.backwoodssolar.com

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