Igniter life

[Panthera]

Greetings, I recently plunged into the pellet world and purchased a PelPro PP60 for the basement. It works well. I am considering modifying the controls so instead of continuously running in low, it would run in high when a thermostat requests it, and go into a shutdown cycle when the thermostat opens. It will work, I already tested the functionality. The drawback, as I see it, is currently the igniter is used once a day after clean out. If I change the functionality, the igniter will be used quite a bit more. Based on other's experience, what kind of life can I expect from the igniters? Should I order a replacement to have on hand?

 

[Jhawknseattle]

I'm kind of curious myself. In a pinch, could you start a flame with a torch?

 

[alternativeheat]

I can't speak for Pelpro but my Harman igniter is in the midst of it's 5th season and during shoulder season the igniter gets a real workout and will again if the weather ever breaks into the 30's. That said though this time of year it gets shut down once every two weeks, so that counters the wear and tear I suppose.

I don't know how Pelpro igniters hold up but a spare is always a good idea anyway.

 

[railfanron]

I also have a 5 year old Harman that runs in room temp auto mode on a programmable thermostat 90% of the time. I'm still on the original igniter. The neighbor down the road has a Hudson River Westpoint that blew through the original igniter in 6 months. We put in a replacement and it has lasted 4 1/2 years so far running without a thermostat so only igniting a couple of times a day at most. I believe igniter longevity may be stove specific.
Ron

 

[zhaas]

My moms pelpro is still on its original igniter, and its 12 years old. Its not run on a thermostat, but that is a good lifespan IMO. You could pickup a spare off amazon or ebay for around $30, I wouldnt depend solely on a $30 igniter, but it would make a good backup. I just installed one on my pelpro, just out of curiosity, but kept the original that has seen 2 seasons of use in Wyoming on a thermostat, and was still working fine, I just was wanting to see how long one of the cheapies will last, and its nice to have a spare, but could certainly be lit with a torch if needed.

heres a link to the one I got, not sure if it will fit yours, so just make sure you find the right one if you want to try it.
(broken link removed to https://www.ebay.com/itm/IGNITER-HOT-ROD-UPGRADE-FOR-LOUISIANA-GRILLS-300W-BETTER-THAN-OEM-EXACT-FIT/202032305509?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649)

 

[Monica in France]

I read somewhere that they should work for 5000-10000 cycles.
But even at 1000 lights : that's a long time.
I've been waiting for mine to fail for 3 seasons now.
BUT if you have a spare in stock the fitted one will last longer. Murphy is adamant on this point.

 

[Panthera]

Yes, I purchased a spare, just in case. As a service technician for industrial machines, I know all about that fellow Murphy! Getting flats when you have no spare, etc.

 

[TonyVideo]

Yes a spare is a necessity as you know it will go out at the least convenient time. -10 and the car won't start. You could always try it and see how long it lasts and then make the determination long term. You could also try it in on a medium setting on those not so cold days to allow it to run longer.

 

[that7pin]

Yes a spare is a necessity as you know it will go out at the least convenient time. -10 and the car won't start. You could always try it and see how long it lasts and then make the determination long term. You could also try it in on a medium setting on those not so cold days to allow it to run longer.

l have a Lennox Winslow PS 40 stove for 10 years and still have the original igniter. I guess it could be just a matter of luck.