My water heater ignition wire's insulation melted off below the insulating base of the electrode, so now the spark gaps across to a nearby metal bracket instead of gapping across the electrode. I need to reinsulate the wire, but electrical tape does not have high enough heat resistance. I thought of using clear silicone caulk to fill in the space between the wire and the bracket but after googling I'm finding strong opinions both for and against this approach. I could also use a dremel to hollow out the metal bracket in the vicinity of the fray, but would rather not. I suppose I could also fashion some kind of base plate to the bracket so that I can fill the space with glass beads. What would you do?
Electrical – How to reinsulate a water heater ignition wire
electricalwater-heater
Best Answer
If you're handy with a soldering iron, I would suggest at a minimum that you replace the wire with a new piece with the appropriate thermal rating.
Ideally, replace the whole igniter module.
As noted in the comments, you may want to determine the cause of the melting so you can fix it so it doesn't happen again.