Kitchen Gas Appliances - Oven Hot Surface Ignition Problem

I have an old (1970s) Caloric wall oven stove (model: RWP216 serial number: 4214232). We have been in the house for 8 years now, and I have had to replace the igniter on this stove 5 times already. It seems to die after 6 - 9 months of regular use. Most recently, I put a new one in again, and now the stove won't light after a month.

Its a natural gas stove, and when you turn the stove on you can see the glowing of the igniter, but the gas is not released and it will not light. I can not imagine that the igniter needs this much replacing, so I am wondering if there is something else wrong. The wires where you connect the igniter up, are not looking the best, but whenever I put a new igniter in, it fires up great.

I'd love to take this stove and toss it, but we are going to do a kitchen remodel in a year, and I hate to buy something new, and it not go with the new kitchen environment.

Help!

Hello Trinity. Welcome to my Gas Appliances forum and our Do-It-Yourself Web Site.

The burnouts with the ignitor does seem to be too frequent, if the ignitor does totally burnout. Glowing weakly but functioning, createsanother type of condition.

If total glow ignitor failure happens, there could be too much A/C current available to it. Check and or simply replace the fuse. There should be one located beneath the ovens lower cover, or elsewhere.

Be aware this is a special type of fuse. Suggest you buy an orginal OEM replacement fuse only. Same with the ignitor and gas valve. No name brand parts may look like OEM and be less expensive but are not equal in quality to the OEM part.

Another possiblity is the gas valve. If that was not replaced during one of the prior 5 ignitor replacements, it could be the cause of the problem.

Be sure the ignitor placement is correct. The bracket assembly has to be parallel to the burner, either on top or on the side. The reason for the correct placement is correct contact with the burners flames.

Check for loose wires and or wire connections. Replace frayed and or wires with damaged insulation coverings. There could be minor grounding if the insulation is defective.

You may actually stumble onto another cause while in the checking and or replacing the wires. This has happened to the best of service persons....:)

Suggestions:
Read the manufacturers online web site for product information, problem possibilities, causes and solving methods, part locations, disassembly, reassembly methods, repair proceedures, and instructions, pictorials and schematics, which may be available online.

An excellent source for orginal replacement parts is your local retail appliance parts store. Appliance parts dealers test parts and carry replacement parts for all appliances. Parts dealers are listed in the phone book under appliances.

Retail parts dealers can also help determine what the possible problem may be. Bring the make, model and serial numbers and stop in at the store. The info will help to determine the possible problem causes.

Read the prior topics within this forum, on this subject and the replies offered.

If you need further assistance, use the REPLY button. By doing so, the additional information you add or questions you may have, will remain within this posting. Using this method also moves the topic back up to the top of the list automatically.

Regards & Good Luck
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Thanks for the ideas. I figured I'd see if I could find the owner's manual somewhere online to get an idea where the fuse is (since I couldn't find it with my eye and a flashlight), and other stuff.

But nowhere online can I find a Caloric manual for this vintage 1970s RWP216 wall oven. I know that Amana bought out Caloric, but they have no reference materials dating back that far.

I double checked the positioning of the ignitor against the burner, and it is as close as it can get and as parallel as it can get to the burner. The parts place was nice enough to give me a replacement since this one lasted just 30 days, so instead of hunting around I might just connect the new one, and see if it was the igniter again.

Question is, if it lights up with the igniter do I just chalk it up to a bad igniter, or is there something else in the oven that is causing the igniters to fail. And where can I find a schematic and owners manual for a 23+ year old oven?

Hello: Trinity

A fuse is located or could be located anywhere. Behind the front glass control panel or under the lower plate in the broiler compartment.

Ususally they are close to the burners gas valve. A method of locating it would be to follow the electrical cord into the oven.

Online most likely will not have pics etc. for this model and year.

Check the wire conections and locate that fuse. Check the polarity of the plug into the wall outlet. If it's reversed, at the wall outlet or the male plug end of the cord, may cause the problem. Grounding could also be part or all of the problem.

Yes. If the new ignitior works well, chalk it up to a defective but new ignitor. Time to move on to your next Honey Do project and or task.....:D

quick update:

at 8:00 last night I turned off the breaker to the oven (cause my hands aren't small enough to reach the plug. I hate 1970s construction codes)

Replaced the igniter
Turned back on the fuse
Turned on the over
Igniter turned a bright yellow
Heard the gas start flowing
And to the cheering crowd, the oven lit, and by 8:45 my daughter was eating hot cookies.

Hopefully this will be the last igniter I have to replace in this oven. Got to get that architect to finish those kitchen remodel plans and get this thing going.

Thanks for the help.