When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Youll not only benefit from having an electronic ignition system, youll have a furnace with superior energy efficiency and a long life ahead of it. Listen for the sound of the spark or watch for the hot surface ignitor to glow. At this point, the gas valve closes, and the main burner (or burners) shuts down, and the furnace enters an off-cycle until room temperatures drop below the thermostat setting, at which point the heating cycle resumes. The only major downside of electronic ignition systems is durability and reliability. This type of electronic ignition uses a small flame to ignite the burners just like a conventional pilot light. The maintenance call was excellent. Another big issue is that pilot lights can be blown out from time-to-time due to a nearby draft, dirt buildup, a malfunctioning thermocouple and more. How Does a Heat Pump Work in Winter and Why is it a Good Type of System for the Coachella Valley. But in both cases, the ignition only needs to turn on and use power for a short time . We are very happy with the service we have received from Hydes! Or you can purchase a spare thermocouple here. Watching Television - 400 BTU/h (any sedentary activity), Cleaning the house - 700 BTU/h (moderate activity), Mowing the Grass w/push mower - 1800 BTU/h (heavy activity), Running a marathon - 2400 BTU/h (extreme activity). Electronic ignition only utilizes energy when the furnace, boiler, or water heater calls for heat. Tags: Fresno, Gas Furnaces The reason is because of the "electronic" part of electronic fuel injection. Once the pilot is lit, and the main burner senses the pilot flame (using a flame sensing rod), the main burner ignites. Call Ostrom today at (540) 253-1559 - we can help! Call Purls Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning when you need service for your home heating system. This commission helps us pay for the overhead of running this website. While the standing pilot gas ignition systems are prone to problems with proper maintenance, the standing pilot gas ignition systems are reliable for many years. Recommend to everyone. by High Performance HVAC | Buyers Advice | 57 comments. Cleaning is mandatory. The term electronic ignition refers to ignition systems that rely on an electrical switch to initiate heating. If everything goes well this time, the furnace enters a heating cycle. Ensure to take the best care of your ignitor to prolong its life. The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. The valve in the gas valve closes preventing any gas from being delivered to the main burners. Pilot lights on old furnaces can be lit every time they go out. Amador was very professional and did a great job. As a result, the electronic ignition system doesnt need to stay on continuously. Most modern electronic ignition systems use direct ignition to the main burner. The voltage will get to the distributor with distributor points adjusted according to the ignition timing and the revolving rotator. We recognize our services are often emergency in nature, and we remain fully committed to fulfilling the needs of our community. Shut off the furnace entirely. Can you convert a standing pilot ignition system to electronic ignition? Hot surface ignition systems use a thermocouple to detect the presence and evaluate the health of the pilot flame. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. How does electronic ignition work? As you wait, look for the reset button, typically close to the dial you just set to Off., Once the waiting time is over, you should turn the knob to Pilot. Ideally, the gas has dispersed. There are still furnaces in use today that have standing pilot lights, but theyre becoming rarer each year. Electronic furnace ignition systems come with a few important advantages over traditional pilot ignition systems. Furnaces that run on natural gas or propane have an electronic igniter that continuously burns and ignites only when the furnace's controls send fuel to the burners. Simple enough and plenty of spare parts available when needed. With no safe method of proving a flame, it is possible to allow large volumes of gas into the area around the furnace. Find the burner door. Yes, you can convert those systems. Similarly, what year did GM start using electronic ignition? Safe and reliable ignition for a gas furnace, water heater, or boiler system which uses gas. This spark is generated by an electrode that is installed close to the burners. He suggested and installed a "start kit" to help us extend the life of our older AC unit. Condensing furnaces always use hot surface ignition (HSI). How do you figure out what kind of succulent you have? Using the supply tanks pressure gauge, you can quickly check out the gas level. The furnaces gas reservoir might not be complete. The standing pilot gas ignition system is reliable and time-tested with few problems. Completed service quickly and efficiently. Electronic ignition gas ignition systems use a flame sensor that measures microamps to prove the flame. Condensing furnacesuse twoheat exchangers, where conventional furnaces use only one. Alex kept in touch with me prior to our appointment, showed up on time, was courteous and got the job completed efficiently. They were recommended by a neighbor. The electronic ignition system in a gas furnace is a modern development that provides more reliable performance than astanding pilot system, offering energy savings through better furnace efficiency. Excellent service. The electrical problem was taken care of quickly and efficiently. If you cannot find the circuit switch for the furnace, you can turn off the primary circuit. Newer gas furnaces produced after 2010 have begun using electronic ignition systems over conventional pilot lights. The heating cycle in step #4 typically runs for about 15 minutes (it could be more or less) until the home is in the thermostat setting. Call Today: (908) 707-1776. : Once the hot ignition system is red hot, the pilot gas valve opens, letting out compressed gas at high pressure, which instantly combusts upon coming in contact with the red-hot ignitor piece. water heater soon. Switching out the filter is easy and can significantly improve how well your gas furnace . Although pilot lights are still present in homes with older systems, most newly installed furnacesuse an electronic ignition instead. Nearly every HVAC Tech and plumber carries thermocouples. If the gas furnace doesnt light, you should call the professionals for service. Instead of running at all times, however, your furnace will produce a spark to light its pilot when necessary and turn it off when it's not. My observations seem to bear this out. Ask a friend or call a certified HVAC technician for assistance. The lifetime extension offsets the cost of gas through the summer. They are reliable and effective to safely light the main burners of a gas furnace, boilers, or water heaters. Where customer service seems to be a thing of the past, you guys are still going Strong!!! Where is the pilot light on furnace? Find the paperwork for your particular furnace to locate the reset button or switch. This makes electronic ignition systems safer in general than older standing pilot lights. He inspected our new heat pumps and replaced the filters. Customer service and integrity is high in our list of values and Hyde's has our stamp of approval! Along with superior construction and innovations such as variable-speed fans, one of the biggest changes with the modern furnace is the disappearance of the old standing pilot light that ignited the burners. | Privacy Policy| Accessibility Statement| Sitemap. Hydes is the best! Let go of the pressure on the pilot and check out if the pilot is burning. You can then turn the power source back on and restart the furnace. The first patent on the gas furnace was in 1919, and by the 1940s, gas furnaces started to become popular as central heating options, replacing coal-burning furnaces because of their power, improved safety, and convenienceno more need to take delivery of coal and shovel it into the furnace, the natural gas comes right to the home. Instead, it waits until the thermostat asks for the same. His home repair articles for The Spruce span more than 10 years. It may have tripped the circuit breaker. Miguel was on time and courteous! But now I need to find another new standing pilot 50 gallon replacement. Honest and efficient. We recognize that our services are of a special and often emergency nature, and we remain fully committed to fulfilling the needs of our community even as potential demand for our services may increase with more families either choosing to or being required to remain home for extended periods of time. If you have a newer furnace (or one with an AFUE rating above 80), it most likely has an electronic ignition system. When heat is applied to a thermocouple or thermopile they produce a very small amount of electrical current. Hot surface igniter: This device is made of metal. Will need to replace standing pilot 50 gal. CA How To Install Furnace Vent Pipe Through Roof. Deactivate the igniter. Electronic Ignitions vs. Greg was great. Maurice was excellent. Danny was very nice and professional and knowledgeable. An electric spark causes the pilot light to come on only when theres a demand for heating. Our technician Christopher was very pleasant and was efficient in performing the annual maintenance. He is a wonderful technician.He is very personable. Unlike other kinds of ignition systems (standard ignition is one), the electronic ignition system is less complex and easier to understand. These systems have been proven reliable and safe over time. Yes, absolutely correct, that would work for hot water but not a forced-air furnace. Many heartfelt thanks to the people I talked with on the phone late this afternoon who were concerned enough to send Pat over to check on our frozen pipes and dripping shower. Premature failure due to improper handling (oil from skin got onto element), Voltage in the furnace electrical circuit is too high (over 125 VAC). This is a small electronic device that receives an electrical current whenever your thermostat calls for heat. The primary winding is thicker than the second one and both windings have insulation. The first kind is known as a hot surface ignition. If you have any questions about an electronic ignition furnace, or if youd like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Indio, CA, furnace installation and repair contractor. Most furnaces try up to three times, after which the furnace enters lockout mode unto you reset it. Equipping all technicians with masks, gloves, and disinfectants. On time did work as promised friendly workers. Ruud vs. Goodman: Which Air Conditioner is Better? Is.a really nice guy and. Prompt and friendly. Troubleshooting an Intermittent Pilot (IP), Troubleshooting a Hot Surface Ignitor (HSI), A Visual Guide to a High-Efficiency Condensing Furnaces, How to Replace a Water Heater Thermocouple or Flame Sensor, 8 Common Problems With Conventional Gas Furnaces, How to Light the Standing Pilot Light on a Gas Furnace. I have read that a standing pilot adds just enough heat to lower humidity and reduce corrosion during idle periods. Thus the pilot light burning to heat the thermocouple or thermopile. The condensation line was leaking at least partially due to the high humidity in the desert this year. HVAC System Problems Caused By a Dirty Air Filter. Mine has been out for 5 days so far. Chris was very thorough in making sure our issue was fixed. Select your ignitor by looking at the one you have, and comparing it to the photos of ignitors here; select the one most similar. This system uses a pilot flame, but the flame lights only when theres a call for heat from the thermostat. Related: Whats a Sealed Combustion Furnace? That reduces corrosion and can add years to the life of a furnace. Every thing runs on NG. It is this spark that ignites the burners and starts the system. 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