Enviro Maxx Ignitor problem

[oldman]

The ignitor dosen't seem to light . I can light the stove with a propane torch and everything runs ok on manual .

Can a person check the ignitor by hooking 110 volts direct to the ignitor when it is out of the furnace . I have A 110 hookup with small tabs that will go into the ignitor leads , or is a lower voltage fed to the ignitor . I would like to check it to make sure it is dead before i order a new one at a $ 98.00 price tag Or does anybody know of a cheaper place to buy one .

Thanks for any help , Bill

 

[DexterDay]

Mr takeman is the resident Enviro guru. So I would take his word before mine.

All pellet stoves (No Enviro's though) I have seen with an ignitor use 110/120v. So doing so should worl with yours. Be VERY careful. Remove from stkve (Cold and unplugged) and hook up outside of stove. Making sure the leads have spades or are sealed off so they can not contact one another..

Again, I have never done so with an Enviro, so I would see what another says.

 

[stoveguy13]

you can hook it up to with direct power and see if it gets hot

 

[PJPellet]

Better yet if you have a volt/ohm meter you could check the resistance, that way you wouldn't need to play with any voltage. If you don't have a volt/ohm meter there are a plethora available, some for cheap some more expensive. A good investment anyway. Maybe someone will chime in with the resistance of a good ignitor.

 

[UncleAnthony]

Yep, good to try a volt/ohm meter . Reading thru ignitors on this site, a good reading may be 35ohm-50ohm.
I'm just guessing, but would ignitors mostly read open if not working ? Maybe somewhere from 1meg ohm to open ?

Anyway, I have the Enviromaxx vf170 (vistaflame). The schematics seem to indicate 110v hookup.
Be careful !

 

[oldman]

Thanks to All ,
I fastened it to the outside of the stove and hooked 110 to it . It stayed cold as the winter here , so I guess it's dead .
Now if I can only find one cheper then 98 bucks .

Thanks , Bill

 

[magentaman]

$98.00 is not so bad.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Using the diameter, length, and wattage see if you can find an equivalent at Grainger.

 

[heat seeker]

If you know the size and specs, try Grainger.com.

 

[MountainSean]

Enviro loves to put those igniters into metal tubes or put large flanges on them, or both. You might be able to pull the actual igniter out of it's mounting plate and tube but you will need to be very careful or else you will end up needing to spend that $98.00 again.

 

[oldman]

Enviro loves to put those igniters into metal tubes or put large flanges on them, or both. You might be able to pull the actual igniter out of it's mounting plate and tube but you will need to be very careful or else you will end up needing to spend that $98.00 again.

Yes I was wondering about that , if a person could pull it out . In order to order one from Granger.com a person would have to pull it out and replace it with the alternate one . My concern is if I try and pull it out before I order to see if it can be done , I may bugger it up and and not be able to put it in . Then I may not be able to use the furnace until i receive a replacement .
I think I will just bite the bullet and order the 98 dollar one . then I can play with the old one and be ready for the next time it fails .
It sure didn't last long as I bought the furnace in 2008 . I did have it running on auto all of the time though .

Take Care Bill

 

[MountainSean]

I know we have received a few complaints from people about their igniters not lasting a real long time. I just spoke with someone this week who has one go out on him once a year. I have found that thermostat mode will really chew through igniters in most stoves and the best thing is to use a hi/low setting if it is available on your stove and if not get a thermostat with an adjustable swing temp and give it a good swing for how hi over and under the temp it goes before kicking your stove on.

 

[heat seeker]

I replaced my mechanical thermostat with a digital one. The mechanical had a swing of 3 or 4 degrees, which would allow the stove to go out, then need to relight. If I didn't use the shutoff option, the stove would idle so long it would get crudded up. The digital 'stat cycles more often and keeps the temp even in the house, and the stove stays cleaner. YMMV.

 

[MountainSean]

Sometimes you can't win for losing. Hopefully this next one lasts you longer.

 

[oldman]

Yes I hope it will .