How to find the right Furnace Replacement Ignitors AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Furnace Replacement Ignitors
- Material and voltage
- Match silicon carbide versus silicon nitride and 120V versus 80V. Don't put a 80V ignitor on a 120V board. The wrong voltage burns out the ignitor quickly, or the ignitor never reaches ignition temperature.
- Shape and mount
- Match the OEM part number, or a universal kit that lists your furnace and includes the correct bracket and plug. The ignitor's tip has to sit where the burner flame reaches it.
- Verify the failure
- Check for a visible crack, an open circuit on an ohmmeter, or no glow when the board sends power. A dirty flame sensor is often blamed on the ignitor, since the furnace lights and then shuts off.
- Handling
- Don't touch the ignitor element with bare fingers, and don't let it bump anything during install. Skin oils and impacts crack ceramic ignitors.
Brands that matter
- White-Rodgers: OEM and universal hot surface ignitors.
- Robertshaw: Long-standing ignitor maker with a broad cross-reference.
- Supco: Universal ignitor kits with adapters.
What to avoid
- Generic ignitors with no voltage or cross-reference listed
- Replacing the ignitor when the flame sensor just needs cleaning
Questions
Ignitor or flame sensor?
If the ignitor glows and the burners light but shut off within seconds, clean the flame sensor. If there's no glow, check the ignitor.