Samsung range bake and broil igniter - what's the difference?

[cllewis.1]

Quote

 

I have a Samsung NX58R9311SS gas range (yeah, I know) which is 4.5 years old.  About 2.5 years in I had the bake function start taking a really long time to preheat. With a little research I learned that this can be due to the degradation of the igniter. I was in a pinch so I swapped the broil igniter into the bake position and my preheats got much faster again. I followed up and purchased a replacement broil igniter from Amazon at around $25. Now, preheat has gotten really slow again...so I am thinking it's time for another new igniter.  Here's my question.  The broil igniter is DG94-01441A, and the bake igniter is DG94-01441B.  The "A" version is easily found on lots of parts websites and Amazon and it's cheap from most.  The "B" version seems to only be available on Samsung's parts website and some of the appliance parts websites but it's around $200.  

Can anyone fill me in on the big difference between the A and B, and if there's a cross-reference for the B version that I could use which would be more reasonably priced?  Is the A version ok, or is there something special about the B version that makes it better?  I know from experience that visually they are the same. 

[Econo Appliance]

It appears to me that the plugs are different.  Did you cut and splice wires when you did the broil to bake swap?

[cllewis.1]

Yes - the replacement "a" igniter I got included both the plastic plug and a couple of ceramic wire nuts. I used those wire nuts to splice things together. 

If the only difference is the plug/wire ends then it seems the "A" is a no-brainer to use.

[Econo Appliance]

56 minutes ago, cllewis.1 said:

If the only difference is the plug/wire ends then it seems the "A" is a no-brainer to use.

Cut and splice is not a big deal on these.  Ignitor manufacturer is more important. I recommend you use the original ignitors, they are only $120 each.   The $25 ones on Amazon are so bad, it should be criminal.

[cllewis.1]

Ok, can you point me toward where the $120 ones are? I only see them for around $200. 

[Econo Appliance]

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/product/1rrdxr6kye-0022-401/id-dg94-01441a

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/product/68g3tgahux-0022-401/id-dg94-01441b

[WestTn]

On 12/30/2024 at 8:56 PM, cllewis.1 said:

I have a Samsung NX58R9311SS gas range (yeah, I know) which is 4.5 years old.  About 2.5 years in I had the bake function start taking a really long time to preheat. With a little research I learned that this can be due to the degradation of the igniter. I was in a pinch so I swapped the broil igniter into the bake position and my preheats got much faster again. I followed up and purchased a replacement broil igniter from Amazon at around $25. Now, preheat has gotten really slow again...so I am thinking it's time for another new igniter.  Here's my question.  The broil igniter is DG94-01441A, and the bake igniter is DG94-01441B.  The "A" version is easily found on lots of parts websites and Amazon and it's cheap from most.  The "B" version seems to only be available on Samsung's parts website and some of the appliance parts websites but it's around $200.  

Can anyone fill me in on the big difference between the A and B, and if there's a cross-reference for the B version that I could use which would be more reasonably priced?  Is the A version ok, or is there something special about the B version that makes it better?  I know from experience that visually they are the same. 

Igniters are typically all the same, but make sure to look at the burner also. I've seen so many of samsungs bake burners rusted through in rapid time I always look them over now. 

Burner meaning the pipe the igniter is attached to.

[cllewis.1]

Thank you econo for those links.  If there really is a difference is quality on the part from Sears, it's probably worth it.

WestTn, I will check the burner and see its condition. Last time I had it apart it certainly wasn't rusted yet, but that's been a couple years.

[cllewis.1]

what should the resistance be across the wires on a good igniter?

[cllewis.1]

Here's what my burner looks like.  

 

I checked resistance on my igniter and it's ~160 ohms. I had an old igniter around and tested it, it was around 190 ohms. 

I do note that with the floor of the oven out, where I can observe the burner, when I start the oven it takes a good minute of the igniter glowing before the gas valve opens. Initially, the flame is larger but after 20 seconds or so it seems like the valve closes a bit because the flame reduces in size (also I can hear an audible change in the flow of the gas.) 

Is this normal behavior? Or should the flow of gas be greater, especially on preheat?  Does this suggest my safety switch or gas valve have a problem?

 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

I suspect it's just the ignitor - I don't see much Samsung stuff yet and just replaced a bake oven ignitor in almost the same range as yours that was only about 5 years old and it head faked me - burner lit within 50-60 seconds, (usually if it lights withing 45 seconds you're good).

Complaint was erratic or low temp - amps where right at 3.1-3.2 area usually see less then 2.8 amps if it's an ignitor problem.

Started to test oven temp because it seemed the ignitor was OK, again burner lit within 50-60 seconds and heard burner light then after about a minute I didn't hear the burner anymore but could still the ignitor glowing and 3.1 amps on the meter, (didn't have the oven bottom panel out yet because it had a screw that didn't want to come out so couldn't see the flame).

Pulled bottom panel out again and worked on the stuck screw in the flame spreader and finally got it out.

Did another test and could see exactly what you describe - ignitor glows, 50-60 seconds burner lights and can slightly hear the woosh of the gas.  After about 1 minute or so the flame just starts shrinking down to just a small flame - not enough BTU to raise oven temp and you couldn't even hear the flow of gas that you normally hear on a correctly firing burner.

Replaced the igntor and it worked perfectly.

Edited Thursday at 03:03 PM by Budget Appliance Repair

[cllewis.1]

Willie, thanks for this.  Do you find there's a difference between the $20-30 igniters I see on Amazon versus the $120-200 igniters I see on Sears Parts Direct or Samsung's parts website?

[cllewis.1]

Here's the update.  I went by the local AAPCO appliance parts shop. They stock the official GE WB2X9998 universal igniter.  I figured I would give it a shot at around $50 instead of the $20-30 Amazon item.  

Got it home and tested resistance. 55 ohms. Installed it. The old igniter I pulled out was showing 155 ohms. With the new igniter in place, the gas valve opens at 25 seconds from pressing start. And the burner continues running at "full blast" - none of this initial lighting with a higher flame and then dropping back to a weaker flame after 20-30 seconds.  

We'll see what happens, but I am hopeful that this newer, higher-priced "official" GE igniter will last longer than the cheapo ones.

Incidentally, the broil igniter measures 99 ohms.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

New ignitors will read a different OHM reading after they have been heated the first time, (Generally 100-200 Ohm range when cold will be seen but I've never gone by Ohms to tell if bad/good).

That GE ignitor should be fine - I only use the RobertShaw 41-216 that has the double mounting tabs and has the most popular GE plug already attached and just cut plug off and use ceramic wire nuts to swap the original plug for all others that don't use the GE plug.

[cllewis.1]

Good to know on that. Next time I need to replace an igniter I will look at the Robertshaw as an alternative. 

[Econo Appliance]

23 hours ago, cllewis.1 said:

Here's the update.  I went by the local AAPCO appliance parts shop. They stock the official GE WB2X9998 universal igniter.  I figured I would give it a shot at around $50 instead of the $20-30 Amazon item.  

Got it home and tested resistance. 55 ohms. Installed it. The old igniter I pulled out was showing 155 ohms. With the new igniter in place, the gas valve opens at 25 seconds from pressing start. And the burner continues running at "full blast" - none of this initial lighting with a higher flame and then dropping back to a weaker flame after 20-30 seconds.  

We'll see what happens, but I am hopeful that this newer, higher-priced "official" GE igniter will last longer than the cheapo ones.

You're all set.  The GE igniter you bought is very good quality.  The timing you described sounds like a new good working igniter.

[darren412]

On 1/3/2025 at 9:04 AM, cllewis.1 said:

Next time I need to replace an igniter

The Robertshaw  41-216 is a good igniter as Budget had mentioned. I use Nothing but the GE  UNIVFLT   igniter.   When I first started appliance repair, I was always using the Frigidaire igniters because they were an OEM branded igniter and they were the cheapest at my local vendor. Then I started running into issues with a few of them and I was starting to feel that the FG igniters were inferior. Some techs live by them here and say their all the same but honestly in my opinion. I felt the FG ignitors were not the same. I started using the Robertshaw ones ,when you could find them and had great success with them and had no issues.  Then I came across the WB2X9998 igniters and they were slightly less expensive. So I started using them for a while and had no issues with them. Eventually I ran into the GE  UNIVFLT igniter and that was $4.32 cents cheaper . So I have been using the GE  UNIVFLT which costs me $20.39 a pc. now and never went back. This is my only go to universal igniter that I use today and I never run into issues with these.