Hybrid hob horror

Greenheart

Greenheart

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How many volts come through those on-shore push-button ignition systems, on a gas hob? Ours wouldn't stop clicking this morning. I levered it up to clean the area and the switch thoroughly, and got a very unpleasant shock for my trouble.

Then it sparked spectacularly and I haven't gone back for more action. Was that 12v? It felt a long way from dashboard fans and trailer brake-lights.
 
The dielectric field strength of air is 4 to 30 kV/cm.

So a voltage of less than 4 kV is not enough to cause a spark to jump a 1 cm air gap.
A voltage over 30 kV is plenty to cause a spark to jump a 1 cm air gap.
Within that range, pointy conductors allow a spark to form at lower voltage than smoothly rounded conductors.
Different gases and gas pressures also have an effect on the exact voltage required to produce a spark.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_volts_are_needed_to_cause_electricity_to_jump_1_cm#ixzz1jhdz4X66
Click to expand...

and

The dielectric breakdown strength of dry air, at Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP), between spherical electrodes is approximately 33 kV/cm.[2] This is only as a rough guide, since the actual breakdown voltage is highly dependent upon the electrode shape and size. Strong electric fields (from high voltages applied to small or pointed conductors), often produce violet-colored corona discharges in air, as well as visible sparks. Voltages below about 500–700 volts cannot produce easily visible sparks or glows in air at atmospheric pressure, so by this rule these voltages are "low". However, under conditions of low atmospheric pressure (such as in high-altitude aircraft), or in an environment of noble gas such as argon, neon, etc., sparks will appear at much lower voltages. Five hundred to 700 volts is not a fixed minimum for producing spark breakdown, but it is a rule-of-thumb. For air at STP, the minimum sparkover voltage is around 327 volts, as noted by Friedrich Paschen. [3]
Click to expand...
 
As an aside, have you tried those tennis raquet style insect killers? I swiped a mate with one of those, he went down like a granny on an icy pavement. I haven't laughed so much in years.
 
dancrane said:
How many volts come through those on-shore push-button ignition systems, on a gas hob? Ours wouldn't stop clicking this morning. I levered it up to clean the area and the switch thoroughly, and got a very unpleasant shock for my trouble.

Then it sparked spectacularly and I haven't gone back for more action. Was that 12v? It felt a long way from dashboard fans and trailer brake-lights.
Click to expand...

Also be careful of the piezo electric ones. I found one on a lab once that had been removed from a bit of lab equipment. Pressed the button while holding the business end ****!!!!

Gave it to a colleague saying, "what do you reckon this is?" He did the same :D He was not amused!
 
The way these things work is for the push button to connect the mains to the ignition module, the ignition module sparks continually when powered. If you got a shock off the button it is possible that you got it off the mains. That would be worrying to me! I would disconnect the mains power and investigate more. It probably does just want a very good cleaning.
I can't see how you can get a shock of the HT side of the igniter without touching one of the burner electrodes.
 
Excellent point, Creaky. I've only just noticed that the OP mentions 'on shore', so presumably connected to a 240 volt supply. The battery powered boat ignitions won't do you any harm. The mains side of a 240 volt one certainly could!
 
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