Replaced Oven Igniter Melted Wire Nut

Oven/Range/Cooktop Repair
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1

My oven was taking several attempts to preheat and was providing inconsistent heat once it did finally light. I did a good amount of research on the topic and felt confident that it was the igniter going bad and that I had the skills to replace it.

I bought a GE WB2X9998 flat igniter that came with 2 wire nuts and an instruction sheet. I cut off the power to the oven and followed the appropriate steps; after I put everything back together and restored the power I turned on the oven several times and each time it lit within the first minute of the 10-minute preheat cycle. Success…for a little while!

My wife started the oven for dinner; again the gas lit up within the first minute of preheating. We did notice a funny smell and thought it must be from a recent self-cleaning or from the new part. After the 10-minute preheat cycle and about 10 minutes into cooking, the fuse housing the microwave and oven tripped. I flipped the breaker and they both came back on but the oven was no longer heating. After it cooled down, I removed the igniter to find one melted wire nut (obviously not porcelain though the instruction sheet referred to it as such); it had apparently come in contact with the back of the oven.

I cut the wires back, used porcelain wire nuts that I purchased at the local appliance parts store, and reinstalled the igniter and it wouldn’t even glow. I bought a brand new igniter thinking the other one must have gotten ruined; I installed it with the porcelain wire nuts and it would not glow either.

Is there anything else I can safely do or is it time to call the repairman?

Thanks for your help…
Ed

2

If anyone is in this situation, the microcomputer had to be replaced. The cost was considerable compared with the initial problem of needing a new bake igniter; I suppose next time I’ll know to use true ceramic wire nuts and not the black plastic nuts that the GE Genuine Replacement Part (WB2X9998) came with from my local appliance parts store.

For what it’s worth, the oven repairman said he had never seen that particular igniter come with plastic wire nuts and he’s changed hundreds of them-----he even brought in a new one off his truck to show me that they always come with the ceramic ones. Just my luck, I guess. :rolleyes:

Hope this information helps someone.