I have a Jetboil. The piezoelectric ignition failed within the first half dozen times I used the stove. Friends have had the same experience. Yet I see here on the forum people using stoves with piezoelectric ignitions.

I also have a Delta Windmill lighter with piezo ignition. It works OK -- up to about 7000' in elevation. Above 7500' or so, it's completely worthless.

QUESTION ONE: If you have a stove with piezo ignition, is that ignition reliable?

QUESTION TWO: If you have a lighter with piezo ignition, what problems if any have you encountered, and has your lighter's ignition worked reliably above 7000'?

As always, your thoughts and insights appreciated.

HJ

I wouldn't call the Piezoelectric ignition particularly reliable but I have yet not had to resort to a lighter, Lucifer stick or firesteel to get the el cheapo Gelert Blaze PZ micro stove to take hold. The trick it seems is to get the stove to fire up is by adjusting the gas regulator to a very low output setting, then a quick few short stabs of the piezo button.

Above 7000 feet you may well need to resort to a firesteel or Lucifer stick. The advantage of the Piezo ignition is it just simply there, attached to the stove. If it doesn't work then you have to start looking in your pockets for the firesteel or non piezo ignition lighter (even a Zippo BLU lighter doesn't cut it to reliably fire up a gas cartridge stove) etc to get the stove to fire up.

Edit ----I have just ran a quick test to see how the el cheapo Gelert Ti stove performs. Piezo ignited first time.

I used a 1 litre Etapower pot this time indoors. Here are the stats;

300ml of water - Just enough for a large mug of Ovaltine.
Water temperature about 14C
No wind
Ambient temperature around 22C
Time to bring to a rolling boil - 1min 20sec
Fuel used = 3-3.5 grams of fuel.

Total projected water to bring to rolling boil for 100gms gas canister = approx 8-9 litres of water in favorable conditions.

I've used my JetBoil every morning and most evenings the last couple of years (nearly 100 nights of camping) and have never had a problem

I just turn the gas up a little, push the button and presto!

Sounds like some quality control issues at JetBoil.

Wow, wanna trade? I've replaced the unit, but the new ignition isn't any better. It too failed after a few weeks and is now as dead as a door nail.

I've read that MSR originally designed their new Reactor stove with a piezo ignition but then removed it because it was unreliable.

Apparently, Jetboil is aware that they have a problem; the new Jetboil is advertised as having an "improved" piezo ignition. I've heard mixed reports as to how good the "improved" ignition on the new Jetboil is, but on the older Jetboil, yours is the first report I've ever heard that indicates that the ignition is reliable.

HJ

I have one on my snow peak stove and it works fine.

The furnace in my 1982 camper has the same, it still works.

It's getting 5 stars on REI. com -- but there is some grumbling about the igniter.

"Presto" is an overstatement. It's often or usually presto but not always. I may have had to push it more than once sometimes to ignite. But not much and not often and have never had to resort to any other means of lighting it. Knock on wood -- lucky so far.

Tomorrow morning I leave for a 9-day camp trip. Will take note of its performance during morning coffee prep.

:-)

My understanding is if the piezo igniter does go out, then you light it just like any stove without the igniter. That's what I was told when I purchased my Snow Peak stove.

Interesting replies from you all. Maybe Jetboil's particular implementation is prone to failure? Seems like people with non-Jetboil piezo's have better luck.

HJ

I've probably owned a half dozen gas grills with piezoelectric ignition over the years and none have worked for more than a year. Frankly, they are more trouble than they are worth to me because they are so undependable, and I have neither the time nor the inclination to troubleshoot them.