A question for those of you who have had an igniter go bad.. Did it quit all at once or do they die slowly? The reason I'm asking is because it seems to take some time for my stove to fire up. Thanks.
Igniter
- Thread starter Ed P
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
subsailor
Minister of Fire
Is your burn pot clean when you try to start it? If so, your stove will feed and feed for quite a while then pause. It should be lit before it starts to feed again. I timed my P-61 recently and it took 4.5 minutes to ignition. You can help it by putting a handful or 2 of pellets in the burn pot, especially after cleaning.
2011 GT/CS
Member
subsailor
Minister of Fire
Bioburner
Moderator
Going back to the moto, clean stove is a happy stove. How long have you had the stove and how good have you cleaned it. First starts of fall bring up a lot of "should have cleaned it better last spring"
I bought the stove this summer. It is stamped 2005. The guy I bought it off of said he bought it new and used it one winter and it sat in his basement for a year and a half. It was pretty clean when I got it but after reading this forum I tore it completely apart, cleaned it and gave it a new paint job. I just took the access plate off the bottom of the burn pot to check it and it looks fine in there. The stove works fine. I was just wondering if they die slowly I would probably get a new one as a spare to keep on the side. On another note... do you think it was manufactured in 2005 and sat a few years before it was sold?? Thanks!
subsailor
Minister of Fire
Maybe??? But Harman couldn't produce enough stove in I believe 2008, so I doubt it sat any longer than that. Did he say when he bought it new?
No, he didn't. I guess it really doesn't matter. The stove was in excellent condition except for a few spots of surface rust.
I had the original ignitor in my 10-CPM go "half bad".....it only got hot on 1/2 of it's length. It still started the stove, but it took a LONG time (10 min.). So, yes, they do give up slowly sometimes.
the igniters don't tend to die slowly on the Harmans. They work, get covered with ash, and then burn themselves out when they can't dissipate the heat they produce. I strongly recommend cleaning the actual igniter with a smallish paintbrush occasionally (not just the loose ash in the cavity). I know peeps with the same ingniter for 10 years...I know peeps who buy a new one every year. The ones who do "preventative" cleaning last long time...those who clean it after it doesn't light tend to be buying them.
DuelburnJake
Burning Hunk
I don't know about Harmans but on my Winslow PS40 mine died a slow death. It started taking longer and longer to ignite. When I tested it it was only getting red half way down the ignitor, while the whole element gets red on my new one. I try to keep my stove meticulously clean and my ignitor tube is easily accessible with the burn pot out and from the back.
Harmans tend to die all at once.....if its slower, taking longer, its usually a cleaning issue.....Ive never seen one where there was an intermittent igniter, or one weakening, but have seen plenty failed!
Thanks for all the responses. It does what it is supposed to do..... light a fire, so I guess when it stops doing that I'll buy a new one. Thanks everyone!
Bioburner
Moderator
Once you get into the heavy of the burning season a manual start is good for weeks anyway as our Harmans don't need much maintenance.
This is a great question. Just replaced mine for the first time on my house Quad that went into service in Dec 2005. Yes, a sloooowwww death and yes, I cleaned the ash out of the holder where the igniter lived regularly. I would take almost 10 minutes from a cold stove to flame in the pot. Now, barely 2 minutes? Will time it as that is a good data point to have going forward.
Not sure which board you have but if it has dip switches you can adjust the initial charge. If all that sounds "greek" to you, do not mess with it.
Eric
Eric
hockeyfan
Member
I had an issue with my P61A where the ignitor wasn't in the cradle that supports it correctly, and it took longer than usual for the stove to light. Adjusting the ignitor in the cradle fixed the problem.
Usually what I have heard and experienced is that the ignitor is an 'all or nothing' device. However, with the experience above, it may be working fine but not getting the heating element in the right place for proper ignition. So (1) if your stove is clean and (2) the actual ignitor checks out as functional, make sure it is seated correctly.
It doesn't sound greek but... I don't think my board has them (unless they are on the back of the board)
They are on the outside of the board but have a sticker blocking them from view. Do not mess with them if you do not know what they do.
Eric
hey, no one EVER admits to messing with them, buy if I show up and have to reset them and then the stove seems to work ok, I am still gonna charge you for a service call
Bioburner
Moderator
![[Hearth.com] Igniter](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/113/113584-801f69d7faf68013bc82d71c693465c6.jpg?hash=Te3Xu-s6NM "[Hearth.com] Igniter")
- Status
Similar threads
