If you have a natural gas furnace, you have an ignition system within it that creates combustion to produce heat since natural gas doesn’t have latent heat. If the ignitor in your furnace isn’t working properly, the furnace won’t be able to heat your home. Many people probably don’t give their furnace or the ignitor much thought until it isn’t working anymore. Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning is here to talk all about furnace ignitor and how you can tell if there is a problem with yours.

Are Furnace Ignitors All the Same? What are the Different Types?

In the past, furnaces were built with a pilot light that stayed lit even when he furnace wasn’t on. In recent years, furnace manufacturers have made the switch from pilot lights to electric ignition systems. The biggest reason for this is efficiency. Here are the two most common types of furnace ignitors.
– Direct Spark Ignitor: If your furnace has this type of ignitor, it used a high voltage spark to light the pilot flame and then heats that natural gas. This will stay lit throughout the heating process and when the furnace shuts off, the light will go out as well as the ignitor and pilot flame are switched off.
– Hot Surface Ignitor: This can be compared to the filament found in a light bulb. There is a small piece of metal that is heated to the point that it ignites the natural gas to generate heat. This is more than likely the type of ignitor you have in your furnace since it is by far the most common type of ignitor that is found in today’s furnaces.

What Causes an Igniter to Fail?

There are a few different things that can cause a furnace ignitor to stop working. Here are some of the most common issues that lead to this.
– Dirty Filter: If your furnace isn’t getting the airflow it needs, there is a possibility that it will overheat. When this happens, there are safety features that are in place to shut off the ignition system.
– Drain Pan: There is usually a small amount of moisture that is involved in the heating process of your home. If the water isn’t able to drain and the drain pan is full, it can cause water damage to your furnace and cause the ignitor to stop working.
– Circuit Breaker: Many components in your furnace are run using electricity. If there is a problem with the circuit breaker, it could cause the furnace ignitor to stop working. This should be one of the first places that you check when you have problems with your heating system.

Furnace & Boiler Heating Maintenance, Repairs, Replacement, Emergency Repairs & More in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Chicopee & Agawam, Massachusetts

If you aren’t getting the warm air you need when you turn on your heat, you need to make sure there isn’t something wrong with your furnace. You can count on Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning to help you get to the bottom of any furnace problems you may have. Call us today!