Help Please: North 1k Gas No Gas or Ignition

[smite]

I was having symptoms of the roaster ignition not turning off while trying to start the gas for the roaster. I would get the safety buzzer constantly running with the probe sparking. Then the fuse blew. I would have a buzzing sound that continuously ran trying to ignite the roaster which eventually blew out the fuse between the power switch for ignition. I managed to get the roaster working by replacing the fuse which worked the few times I used it until this weekend when I tried to get some roasting in.

This morning when I powered up the roaster after connecting up everything as usual I had gas pressure but no spark or buzz at all. So I assumed it was finally time to replace the ignition unit that I had purchased some time ago as planned.

After replacing the black box ignition unit, I now get no gas registering on the meter showing pressure, no buzzer or any spark at all. I have tested the fuse to the ignition and it is fine. I even bypassed the fuse with a pigtail connection just to rule out something simple.

I have full power to everything but after turning on the baking switch get no gas pressure or any spark at all. I am not sure if this is in any way related but I did notice that one of the ice cube relay lights was on. I tried swapping them as there are two identical ones and yet it didn't make any difference and the same side lit up even after swapping them.

Is is possible some sort of solenoid safety mechanism kicked in to prevent a gas leak on the detection that there was no ignition before replacing the ignition box?

Posting here as well in the hopes of getting someone who might be a bit more clued in than I am.... Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Hankua]

Doesn’t all the North 1k’s have a solenoid before the needle valve somewhere? You could remove the solenoid, put it all back together using Rectoseal #5, and some extra parts if necessary from Amazon. Then replace it if it’s bad or re-fit the roaster with a gas grill piezo sparker and forget about the original configuration. My professional roaster does not have any gas safety features, just requires some common sense regarding operation; like turning off the gas on the tank when not in use, leaving the tank outside, and being in the vicinity when its running.

 

[smite]

Thats a great point. I wouldn't mind the idea of simplifying this roaster a bit and removing some of the complexity. There is a solenoid that is controlled by the ignition control unit and the ceramic igniter. So essentially all gas and ignition is powered manually bypassing the electronics altogether.

 

[Hankua]

I’m not an electronics guy, but at the factory where I used to work there are instrument guys who can easily figure out these issues. If you can find a retired factory PLC logic electrician, that would be in the right direction. Otherwise you have to trace the circuit with a meter and find where the fault is. Or replace all the parts involved............

 

[Mountaindwellercoffee]

Call Nick at Mill City, super helpful dude.