Every gas furnace needs a way to ignite the fuel, and for much of modern times, the only machine available was a standing pilot. It is a constant flame that kindles the gas like a match. The most recent advancement in the gas furnace is the hot surface ignitor.
It is an electrical heating element that requires some time to warm up and glow red hot before performing its function. However, sometimes due to excess wear and tear, the spark ignitor in a furnace can become dirty and requires assistance from professionals for furnace repair in Reading, PA.
Spark Ignitor Cleaning Tips in A Furnace
When you open the electric device panel on most heating systems, the burners are right in front of you. Each of the four heaters has one end open, and the other reaches past a building wall and into the engine bay.
The ignitor gets installed on the wall near the first burner, nearest to the gas valve. A hot surface ignitor has a white ceramic base that may yellow with age and a long steel bar that reaches into the path of the first heater.
A spark ignition coil is similar in appearance, but instead of a single metal rod, it has two bars that form the electrodes that generate the spark. Mentioned hereunder are some ways to clean a spark ignitor on a furnace –
Compressed Air To Clean The Igniter
A hot surface ignitor like a stove aspect will continue working even if it is dirty, but a grease-caked stove element will not get as hot. The same would be accurate for a hot surface ignitor, so if the heater is buggy to ignite at startup, it may remain coated in carbon deposits, which you can remove by blowing the ignitor probe with pressurized gas.
Pressurized air cans come with long straw-like sprayers, and if you point the dispenser directly at the ignitor, the blast of air may do the trick. If your heating system has a spark ignitor and isn’t working accurately, it may get coated in soot, and a blast of pressurized air may be all that’s needed to clean it.
Washing A Warm Surface Ignitor Physically
On a hot surface ignitor, the probe can get physically cleaned. Make sure to switch off the main switch or the insulator from the electrical box that controls the furnace to cut off the power to the heater. Pull the cables from the ignitor, unscrew the screw keeping it in place, and delicately lift the ignitor out.
It’s fragile, so be careful. Rub the ignitor probe delicately with fine metal wool or emery fabric, taking care not to scratch it. Substitute the ignitor, attach the connectors, and turn on the electricity when you’re comfortable that you’ve eliminated as many gases as possible.
If you think you cannot clean the spark ignitor on your own, you can always take expert assistance. We at Admore Comfort can help you save money on your maintenance and HVAC repair in Reading, PA. To book our expert services, call us at 570-754-8000.