I have a grill (actually brother's) that has 6 burners, and an ignitor for each one. The spark generator is the kind that contains a springloaded AA battery with a pushbutton. It is in an all plastic housing, with 6 terminals on the back--one for each burner ignitor. This means only one wire to each ignitor. The spark generator isn't physically grounded to the grill's frame, metalwork, nor is there an external wire (only 6 terminals). You just push the button down, which depresses the spring and the battery's + end is connected to the internal circuitry of the generator.


I understand the path from the spark generator to the ignitor itself, but how can there a potential to any kind of ground to complete the high voltage circuit?
It seems similar to a sparkplug from a car, connected to the distributor's plug wire, but the metal part of the spark plug insulated from the neg side of the coil.
??

Half are + half are -. V travels to + electrode, jumps to grill chassis, jumps from grill to - electrode completing circuit.

The internal circuitry is neat. It's usually an oscillator circuit that charges a rapid discharge cap. I built one once for a spud gun with a 555 timer. I love that little chip.

Ahh--they're paired. 1&2--3&4--5&6 I gotcha!!
Thanks.

The one on my grill had (it's gone now) a grounding tab on the threaded portion around the button.

Waste spark!