Norcold 300.3 snapper won't light propane

JohnMD · 06-25-2022, 07:19 AM

Hi all,

I have the Norcold 300.3 refrigerator. We just did two nights earlier this week without hookups and it worked fine on propane. However, I just tried to ignite it this morning and I am hearing no clicking from the piezo igniter. I presume this means that the piezo ignitor has gone bad and needs replacing. Also, I presume this is just a matter of getting a matching igniter, pulling the fridge out far enough to access and putting in the replacement? Does anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks,

John

Shane826 · 06-25-2022, 07:48 AM

The actual igniter is on the front of the fridge, the button you push. Then the voltage runs through essentially a spark plug wire to the burner where it actually sparks. So if you need the igniter you could probably do that with the fridge in place?

JohnMD · 06-25-2022, 08:05 AM

Shane,

Yes, but if I don't hear clicking, does that indicate the piezo igniter needs replacing (on the front of fridge), or would a problem in the burner area result in not hearing the clicking? I was thinking that if the piezo igniter is good, I would hear the clicking, and a problem on the other end of the wire would result in no spark. Am I wrong?

John

Wavery · 06-25-2022, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMD

Shane,

Yes, but if I don't hear clicking, does that indicate the piezo igniter needs replacing (on the front of fridge), or would a problem in the burner area result in not hearing the clicking? I was thinking that if the piezo igniter is good, I would hear the clicking, and a problem on the other end of the wire would result in no spark. Am I wrong?

John

John,

The Norcold fridge in TrailManors has a "One button push- one spark" ignitor. You will not "hear" the ignitor spark.

Don't keep continuously clicking and clicking the ignitor as some tend to do. That will wear out the ignitor over time. There's not going to be an explosion if you wait 5-10 seconds between clicks and continuous clicking won't make it light faster. When there is gas present in the burner, it will ignite (if everything is working right).

The ignitor button on the front of the fridge is spring loaded. You push it down until you here the "Click".... that sends a spark to the ignitor.

JohnMD · 06-25-2022, 09:22 AM

This is helpful information moving forward, as the instructions say to "push in the igniter in rapid succession, for about five seconds." I suspect that I may have worn out the igniter as I hear no "click" when pressing it whereas before I always heard (and felt) a "click." I am still not sure what the necessary repair is. I ordered a new piezo igniter that appears to be a correct replacement.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I won't arrive until later this week. My plan is to replace this and hope it fixes my issue, but I am not sure if there is the possibility that something else may be causing this. We leave for a long trip on July 6, so if there are other parts I should order to have on hand just in case, it would be good to order them now. I think the previous owners usually used electricity only. From what I can see looking in the back, everything around the burner assembly looks to be pretty clean and in good shape.

John

**Bill** · 06-25-2022, 10:18 AM

I'm a little confused. When you push the red piezo button on the front panel, you should feel and hear a loud "WHACK" noise right at the red button itself. This noise would make it impossible to hear the small "snap" of the spark at the burner end of the spark plug cable. So when you say you are "hearing no clicking from the piezo igniter", do you mean that there is no large WHACK? The button has gone wimpy in some way?

If so, then you definitely need to replace that assembly behind the front panel - not the spark gap at the other end of the spark plug wire. This assembly is similar to the snapper on a propane barbecue - most likely not identical, but possibly retrofit-able. Several years ago, I mounted one of these BBQ snappers from a hardware store on the stovetop apron, and used it to light the oven burner. Worked great - but I could not hear the actual spark inside the oven cavity.

Bill

JohnMD · 06-25-2022, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

I'm a little confused. When you push the red piezo button, you should feel and hear a loud "WHACK" noise right at the red button itself. This noise would make it impossible to hear the small "snap" of the spark at the burner end of the spark plug cable. So when you say you are "hearing no clicking from the piezo igniter", do you mean that there is no large WHACK? The button has gone wimpy in some way?

If so, then you definitely need to replace that assembly behind the front panel - not the spark gap at the other end of the spark plug wire. This assembly is similar to the snapper on a propane barbecue, though most like not identical. Several years ago, I mounted one of these BBQ snappers from a hardware store on the stovetop apron, and used it to light the oven burner. Worked great - but I could not hear the actulaal spark inside the oven cavity.

Bill

Bill,

Yes...you are correct, and your response is helpful in confirming that I need to replace the piezo lighter switch at the front. I hear no large "whack" at the piezo lighter end on the front of the refrigerator. Also, in the past, I could feel the clicking when pushing in the red piezo button, which I no longer feel. Something must have broken, or as you state, gone "whimpy" within the piezo lighter assembly. I presume once I move the fridge out a few inches, it will be obvious how to disconnect the old one and connect the new one.

John

**Bill** · 06-25-2022, 10:29 AM

Quote:

I presume once I move the fridge out a few inches, it will be obvious how to disconnect the old one and connect the new one.

Not having replaced it, I can't guarantee. But it should be a simple changeout, since there are no associated parts, wires, or circuit boards other than the plug-in "spark plug" cable.

Bill

**rtcassel** · 06-25-2022, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMD

We leave for a long trip on July 6, so if there are other parts I should order to have on hand just in case, it would be good to order them now. I think the previous owners usually used electricity only. From what I can see looking in the back, everything around the burner assembly looks to be pretty clean and in good shape.

If you can't get the igniter button to work before your trip: It is possible to light the pilot light with a match. I have done it on occasion when I could not get the igniter to light it. As I recall, there is a small metal box around the gas burner at lower right (back). I think it comes off with one screw. I would set the temperature dial to 1, ask my wife hold down the other red button inside, and light the pilot with a match. After making sure that the pilot stays lit, reinstall the box and set the temperature dial. (If someone questions the safety of this, PLEASE chime in.)

Wavery · 06-25-2022, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtcassel

If you can't get the igniter button to work before your trip: It is possible to light the pilot light with a match. I have done it on occasion when I could not get the igniter to light it. As I recall, there is a small metal box around the gas burner at lower right (back). I think it comes off with one screw. I would set the temperature dial to 1, ask my wife hold down the other red button inside, and light the pilot with a match. After making sure that the pilot stays lit, reinstall the box and set the temperature dial. (If someone questions the safety of this, PLEASE chime in.)

Those directions are mostly correct and safe.

You only have to push open this little door with a screwdriver and insert the lighter.