Furnace electrode malfunction & replacement options

Appliance: Suburban furnace model NT-16SE.

Problem: During a normal re-lighting event based on the thermostat setting, a pop sound was heard coming from the grille at the front of the furnace and subsequently there was no longer any warm air coming from the appliance.

Troubleshooting: The cooktop burners and the propane options on the water heater and 'fridge are functional and operate on demand. Standard furnace troubleshooting did not show any obvious issues. Vent area was checked for obstructions, none observed. Valve shutoff switch was in the 'operation' position as required. Checked the electrode wire connection for corrosion to try to verify a good current path to the electrode proper. Finally got curious about the electrode itself and removed the two mounting screws and removed the electode assembly. The electrode loop was no longer a continuous loop having apparently burned itself thru on the re-lighting event and caused the pop sound. The gap at the broken point was just wide enough that the spark generator would not function. The loop material is flexible enough to move with finger pressure so I closed the gap to the extent that it was continuous again. Placed the assembly back in position, reconnected the tip wire, set the thermostat to call for heat and within 5 seconds the generator created the spark to ignite the flame in the combustion chamber.

Observation: Sighting thru the view glass the two ends of the broken electrode loop could be seen glowing intensly and would (I believe) not last thru too many more lighting events so electrode assembly replacement seems the proper action. Reviewing the User's Information Manual for the furnace the ele Thctrode assembly and the electrode gasket are displayed on the Replacement Parts List. These items do not appear to be readily available from Suburban directly. I have located an approved local service center but have not contacted them yet to inquire about the replacement parts.

Questions: Do electronic spark generator electrodes wear out on high enough frequency that it would become an on hand spare part to carry around in the tool box? Is this type of intended repair procedure simple enough for the owner to perform and still maintain the furnace integrity for safety concerns? Has anyone else experienced this type of malfuction? (A random search on the forum with 'electrode' in the search field did not yield any information related to my issue.)

Any and all assistance is appreciated.
Thank you,
Scott

I don't think anyone has posted about a similar problem over the past two years.

There is probably a local appliance parts center that will have that part in stock. Most igniters are not proprietary parts and similar parts are used by several brands. If you bring your old part in they can probably match it up. As far as carrying a spare, our home furnace goes through hundreds of ignition cycles every year and we still manage to get around five years out of an igniter. They are very easy to change as there is only one way to install them. No reason why you can't do this yourself. I don't keep an extra on hand for my furnace at home although I probably should as they only go out on a Sunday night when it's cold and everyplace that sells them is closed. As far as keeping one in my trailer..I see no need to. You can also buy them online from one of the many appliance parts sellers. If I remember right they are under $100.00. ..Don

I thought the electrode would be called an ignitor so that's what I looked up. They did call it an electrode--Suburban RV Furnace Heater Electrode-230956- on Ebay for $12.19 plus $2.29 shipping from -Any RV Parts store. It has a loop on one side and has a prong for the spark to jump between on the other side. Don't know if this is the one that fits though. The picture makes the loop end look pretty heavy so I would think that if the electrode wasn't defective that it would take a heavy current or a long ignition to burn through it. I would think that it would just spark enough to light the gas and then it would sit idle until the next ignition if everything was working right. Tom