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Hot
surface ignitor education
The hot surface ignitor is a electrical component that is wildly used in most newer
manufactured gas furnaces, like Bryant, Trane, Carrier, Rheem, and lennox just
to name a few. Every time your furnace comes on the hot surface igniter is
electrically energized with 120 volts and glows red hot for about thirty
seconds igniting the gas burners at your furnace, similar to the way your
kitchen counter top toaster works, when you push the lever down the element in
the toaster turns red hot to toast your bread. Because your furnace may cycle on
and off, up to four to six times per hour during the winter season, the hot
surface igniter gets used a lot. Like the equivalent of you using your toaster
25,920 times in a six month period. Because it gets used so much the hot
surface igniter is the only component of the gas furnace that needs to be
replaced routinely, about every four to six
years on average. There are two types of hot surface igniters that are used in
gas furnaces, the first one is a hot surface igniter made from material called
silicon carbide, and this is the older style ignitor that should be handled
with care because it is very fragile. The second newer type hot surface igniter
is made from material called silicon nitride; this is a more durable material
and is not as fragile as the silicon carbide, the more durable silicon nitride
igniter will last longer, giving it sometimes twice the life span of it's less
superior hot surface silicon carbide ignitor. If your furnace has the old
silicon carbide ignitor and you have a technician replacing it, you may want to
ask about upgrading to a newer hot surface silicon nitride ignitor that may
last longer.
Because we know an ignitor is known to fail periodical, every four to
six years. It would be a good idea to have an extra one on hand. So
that on the coldest day of the year, if that ignitor was to fail. You
could make that replacement in just a few minutes and save yourself an
expensive service call. filtersfurnaceparts.com
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