Installing The Sinsui Piezo Igniter Potato Gun Ignition Kit 17kV
1. When you get the ignition kit the wires won't be attached to the piezo igniter so get them and put them on the connectors like so. The connector on the end of the piezo is round and the one on the side is flat so be sure to match them up correctly.
2. Take the short piece of PVC pipe and thread the wired piezo
through it.
3. Drill two holes in the PVC pipe of your combustion chamber.
The drill bit should be 5.5mm and the holes 35mm apart.
4. Put the washers on the electrode screws and mount the pipe clip on the combustion chamber. The screws will create their own thread as they go into the PVC. Screw them in only half way for now.
5. Insert the wired piezo so it sits roughly half way in the pipe clip. The slot in the piezo pipe should be closest to the combustion chamber.
6. Fold the wires back to the electrode screws and cut off the excess. Remove about 10mm of insulation then twist the strands of each wire so they stay together.
7. Put the wire under the washer (on the left hand side of the screw) and hold it there while you tighten the screw.
8. This is what the installed ignition looks like. The electrodes on the inside should be 3 to 5mm apart at the tips. Adjust the distance by bending the brass rods, they are springy but will bend into position easily enough.
Now you can test it. When pressing the button you should get a nice blue spark. If not adjust the gap slightly in or out until you do. For the strongest spark it's best to have the biggest distance you can that the spark will still reliably jump across. (Photo coming soon)
Shock Hazard
Please note that the piezo is an electrical device that creates 17,000 volts to create the spark. That means if you are touching both electrode screws when the button is pressed then you will get a shock. It won't kill you but might give your little brother a fright when you forget to mention 'don't touch the screws'.
If you don't want to get a shock put some tape over the screw heads. We've found that duct tape works quite well, it sticks better than insulation tape because it's wider. Get the clear stuff and it looks better.
Maintenance And Notes
After a bit of use your spark might get less reliable. It won't be the piezo at fault but more likely dirt and oxidation on the electrodes. Clean the tips with some fine sandpaper, at least P120.
Keep the piezo igniter dry at all times. If water gets in there the spark will jump internally. If it happens to get wet then rinse it thoroughly with distilled water and dry it properly on the window sill for a day. It should work again.
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