How to clean furnace ignitor

Try Cleaning the Ignitor With Compressed Air

If your furnace has a spark ignitor and it’s working haphazardly, it too could be covered with soot, and a blast of compressed air may be enough to clean it. Compressed air can also clean a blocked pilot tube that is causing the pilot flame to burn weakly or not at all.

Use the toothbrush and a paste of baking soda and water or a 50/50 vinegar solution to clean the surface of the igniter. Avoid cleaners with bleach, ammonia or any other chemical that could produce noxious fumes. If you have to chip material off it, use a plastic toothpick or kitchen knife.

It is not necessary to clean a hot surface igniter as it blow off any dust. However contrary to silicon carbide ceramic hot surface ignitor which are very brittle and shouldn’t be touched, silicon nitride hot surface ignitor are very robust and can be cleaned manually iff really necessary.

No matter which type of ignitor is in your furnace, this chain of events lights your heater so that it blows hot air. Don’t worry—an ignitor that goes bad is common for most furnaces. Fortunately, you can replace the ignitor without replacing the full furnace. Most ignitors last about seven years.

High Voltage

An 80-volt HSI should have about 80 volts applied to it. Applying 120 volts to that HSI will cause it break, and sometimes almost immediately. Having too low of voltage may not let the igniter burn hot enough.

Most furnaces fail to operate when the gas furnace ignitor is broken. A gas furnace ignitor is what lights the gas, which is necessary for heat supply. Problems with a gas furnace ignitor can be fixed using simple techniques. However, if the ignitor does not work at all, it will have to be replaced.

Ignitor Replacement Cost

An ignitor replacement costs $150 to $250 unless it happens in the middle of the night. After hours or emergency service fees can raise that to $300 to $500. This part fails more than any other. Regular maintenance keeps it clean and working longer.

Average Cost of Furnace Ignitor Replacement

Homeowners typically pay between $120 to $225 to have the ignitor replaced on their furnace. If the unit is still under warranty, you’ll only pay for labor which runs around 2 hours total and cost around $150.

Most likely, your furnace is making a clicking noise and not providing heat because your furnace’s spark igniter is trying to ignite your pilot light or burners but is failing to do so. In other words, there’s an ignition system malfunction that needs to be fixed. Otherwise, your furnace won’t start.

Furnace Age

The average lifespan of a furnace is 15-20 years; after that the system will start to fail more often. If your furnace is 10 years old or less, repairs should be effective. If it has reached 12 years or more, it’s time to consider replacement.

The average cost of a new furnace ranges from $1,795 to $6,290 with most homeowners paying around $3,817. Furnace prices may vary depending on factors like brand, cost of installation, and size of your home. Your new or replacement furnace cost will also differ based on the type of furnace you choose.

Furnace Replacement Costs

Installing or replacing a furnace costs $5,500 with a typical range between $2,629 and $6,359 including materials, equipment and labor. Replacing a gas furnace runs from $3,800 to $10,000 or more for high efficiency models in complex installations.

Your furnace needs to be checked at least once every year to ensure that it is in proper functioning condition. In fact, furnace manufacturers themselves recommend annual inspections as well as maintenance by a technician. In most cases, furnace checks and maintenance are done before the onset of winter.

According to most manufacturers and heating professionals, as well as This Old House, the average furnace will need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years, as long as the system is properly maintained.

If you don’t keep your furnace clean, you’re letting harmful debris get distributed around your house. This can cause a variety of health problems. An unclean furnace decreases indoor air quality in general, and poor indoor air quality can harm you even if you don’t have allergies or other health problems.

To get the most from your furnace, you should get it cleaned and maintained at least once a year. In Utah furnaces run for thousands of hours every year. If you have central air conditioning your furnace runs all year long to circulate the air whether you’re heating or cooling.

EPA does not recommend that the air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only as needed. EPA does, however, recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.