Hey everyone. I was so excited to start burning again this year now that cold weather is back and things were going great until the other night when the igniter quit on me. Fortunatly the natural gas heater was set to only a couple of degrees lower than the pellet stove so it wasn't too cold for sleeping. I use a thermostat on the pellet stove and it heats the whole house with a couple fans going to move air. My question is, how long should the igniter last? I replaced it last year in the begining of the season and now it already needs to be replaced. Im going to put the 500watt "super" igniter in this time, but just want to know when I'll be back in to replace it AGAIN. (or if there's anything I can do to extend it's life) Thanks, Neal
Whitfield Profile 20 Igniter Life
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smwilliamson
The Stove Guy
Two things...the super igniter is supposed to last longer, though I haven't really seen proof of this. It does get to temp faster though. If you run on the thermostat you will go through an igniter much faster than otherwise. I'm not 100%, but I do not think that the P20 supports a high/low feature on the igniter...therefore, when a desired temp is reached the stove would idle down to low until there is a call for heat again. Right now you are cycling...too many cycles...= new igniter.
You're correct, the stove cools and shuts down when the stat is up to temp then refires when needed. My understanding is that the 500 watt igniter lasting longer is a theory because the stove only puts out 400 watts and it's not firing the igniter to its full potential. Just a theory, but either way its less expensive for me to get the 500 then it is to get the stock 400 so it doesnt matter either way, and I'll just have to live with the cost of the igniter. It's still cheaper than running the stove on low all the time to keep it lit and easier to control the temp in the house with the stat. Thanks for your help. -Neal
jtakeman
Minister of Fire
neal,
A stove with the auto/off and high/low is good feature to have for saving the igniter. I use the auto/off in the shoulders because I feel the stove saves pellets like you. But once the temps start dipping lower in the cold weather I switch to high/low to help extend the ignitor. When the temps get that cold the stove will cycle(less time beween off and on) even more and the difference in fuel probablty isn't all that great anyway. The stove is still pumping out BTU's and it will be at a higher temp so there is less lag time in the warm up(your not wasting time getting the stove warm again). I have been doing this ever since I got the new stove and I haven't burnt any more pellets than before using it. Once we get back to the warmer spring temps I just go back to auto/off
Give it a try it will save the ignitor some abuse and keep you warmer overall.
A stove with the auto/off and high/low is good feature to have for saving the igniter. I use the auto/off in the shoulders because I feel the stove saves pellets like you. But once the temps start dipping lower in the cold weather I switch to high/low to help extend the ignitor. When the temps get that cold the stove will cycle(less time beween off and on) even more and the difference in fuel probablty isn't all that great anyway. The stove is still pumping out BTU's and it will be at a higher temp so there is less lag time in the warm up(your not wasting time getting the stove warm again). I have been doing this ever since I got the new stove and I haven't burnt any more pellets than before using it. Once we get back to the warmer spring temps I just go back to auto/off
Give it a try it will save the ignitor some abuse and keep you warmer overall.
I'd love to burn that way but the profile 20 I have doesn't have that feature. Igniters it is then, lol.
jtakeman
Minister of Fire
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