Igniter reliability at high altitude in a 2018 Micro Minnie

[KGs2108DS]

Hello: headed out for lengthy boondocking. Rig is 8 years old. Running off battery, propane, and generator. Do I need to be concerned about igniters due to age of rig? Does altitude ~10k’ affect igniter operation. Knew a couple last fall who had to leave back to civilization due to faulty furnace igniter. Thank you!

 

[Eagle5]

Yes, at 10,000 feet the flame may not ignite or might be too fuel rich. The igniters themselves should be OK, but still, anything above 5,000 feet altitude is iffy.
Eagle5

 

[KGs2108DS]

Hum...I rarely camp below 5k'. So, at higher altitudes what are my options for insuring fridge/furnace/hot water heater operations? Over the years thus far, I've had no problems at between 9k'-10k' camping. Would starting the generator and running on 110VAC be helpful if the igniter is not lighting the furnace on battery power? Thank you!

 

[Morich]

I don't thinkof this as an igniter question as the spark will not be changed by altitude. what can become a problem is the propane gas flow may be far different. The igniter is probably going to spark fine but if the gas air mix is too far out of range it may not light.
If concerned about the igniter, it might be good to take a loo0ok at the spark before the trip. I have never had an igniter problem but am told the points where it sparks can get corroded or soot form to keep the spark from being as good as it might.
Looking at the furnace as possibly the main concern, there is likely a "sleeve" of metal held on the tube where the propane flows. That may have a small screw hoding the adjustment? If you get down low, that sleeve can be moved forward or back to change the air and then if you go too high for a good flame it can be moved the other way. I'm not a mountain fan, so never had to adjust but I would suggest taking a look at that before going as being prepped works better when you are not frozen.
What you want to see is not highly critical but does change the propane use a bit if we get the best air/fuel mix. You want to see a steady bright blue flame for the main part of the fire and then expect a bit of organge color at the tip. After you get what you fel is the best combo for low and possibly it works for high also, I tend to like to mark that point with maybe alead pencil mark? But there is no firm setting as the gas flow out of the propane tank changes with a big change in altitude!

 

[jak secret]

Hello: headed out for lengthy boondocking. Rig is 8 years old. Running off battery, propane, and generator. Do I need to be concerned about igniters due to age of rig? Does altitude ~10k’ affect igniter operation. Knew a couple last fall who had to leave back to civilization due to faulty furnace igniter. Thank you!

Went camping with a rig from the 90s last weekend, camped at 9800 feet. No issues lighting the fridge,.furnace, water heater. If they work well at lower altitudes they will work well at 10,000 ft.

 

[Morich]

This may be a case where we can hear about some bad event that happens and if we are not sure of what happened we may worry too much about ithappening to us!
For most of this equipment, there should not be a major worry about the igniter failing to light thngs. It CAN happen if the igniter fails, but that is true of most things we use, so not anything unusual. The difference may be how simple the igniter! It is much lie the "sparker" that we use on grills at home, except often using elctronics to get the spark.
If it fails, it is not likely to be the fuel air mix but something like the board that supplies the power fro the spark! A bit like the coil in our older cars that had spark plugs?
Point is that the sparker for lighting is no more likely to fail at high altitude than anywhere else but the air/fuel mix may make it burn with a bit more soot and less value for the gas we use!
The spark itself is more whether we can get an arc between two points and if that happens, is the air/fuel mix so far out that it won't burn? Odds are good that it will but it may smoke more and get less heat out of the fuel we use. Never been one to bother me at any time but then there are lots of things I have not done and one is going way high in really cold weather!

 

[RayIN]

The igniter is also the flame sensor, the spark gap for which is ¼", just clean/polish the electrodes and set the spark gap if necessary.
Continued use in high altitudes can require the air/fuel ratio to be opened wider, as Morich stated, but occasional use should work fine as is, it will just operate dirtier.

 

[klook]

We are talkin about 2 different systems here. W heaters have an adjustable sleeve on the older units but since have gone to no adjustment. Furnaces have no adjustment for flame. They also used to have adjustment back in the day. Here's what Google has to say.

Modern propane appliances adjust for altitude primarily through manual derating or factory-installed high-altitude kits, as most standard regulators do not automatically compensate for thinner air. Because lower atmospheric pressure creates a "rich" fuel-air mixture that causes incomplete combustion, yellow flames, and carbon monoxide risks, appliances must be modified to reduce gas flow or increase air intake.

Key adjustment methods include:

• Orifice/Jet Replacement: The most common fix involves swapping the standard sea-level orifices for smaller ones (often via a manufacturer-specific altitude conversion kit) to restrict propane flow to match the reduced oxygen availability.
• Regulator Adjustment: Some RV-style regulators (e.g., Winntec) have an adjustment screw that allows users to lower the system pressure (measured in inches of water column) to prevent flame lift-off and improve stability at high elevations.
• Air Shutter Calibration: Appliances like water heaters and furnaces often feature adjustable air shutters that can be opened wider to allow more combustion air into the burner, correcting the fuel-to-air ratio.
• Electronic Derating: Modern high-efficiency furnaces may use modulating controls that measure inducer blower pressure to automatically reduce input rates if insufficient combustion air is detected, ensuring safe operation without manual intervention.

Appliances operating above 4,500 feet typically require these adjustments, with heat output often derated by approximately 4% for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain to maintain safety and efficiency.

 

[Morich]

Totally agree that the first step in any repair is figuring out what they have built for me to repair!