What’s an Ignitor?

There are many different parts on your furnace that make it heat your home. Furnaces of today have two different kind of electric igniters. The new furnaces have a hot surface igniter and an intermittent igniter. For the hot surface igniter to work, a metal probe heats up when the thermostat tells it to. The igniter heats up and glows when it reaches temperature which causes the gas valve to open. The gas hits the hot igniter which causes it to ignite and light the burner. If you have a furnace that has a hot surface igniter and you are having issues keeping it lit it might be cracked. They tend to crack because the metal heats and cools constantly which causes it to expand and contract. When you have a cracked hot surface igniter your furnace will not start properly. The other igniter your furnace may have is the intermittent igniter. Gas flows through a pilot line when the thermostat turns it on. An electronic device will spark the gas to light the pilot. When your flame sensor finds a viable flame, the gas valve opens and lights the burners. Intermittent igniters can run into a few problems such as incorrect positioning of the gas pipe, flame sensor issues, and electrical supply issues can all cause the furnace to not light properly. The new electric igniters are better than the old time standing pilot furnaces for two reasons. One is the fact that you save energy because there isn’t a constant flow of gas running like the standing pilot furnaces have. The second and more important one is safety due to the fact that the gas is not constantly running. If you are having any issues with getting your furnace to light and stay lit, call Bartlett Heating and Air today!