Why do igniters break?

[Jafo]

So I have had my Avalon Astoria Bay insert for about a year and a little while ago I would find that the igniter stopped working, then would work, then stopped, then altogether just stopped. I had barely put a ton through this unit at that point. I just replaced it today, and it was kinda a pain pulling the insert out, removing parts to access the igniter etc..

The new one works but I still think one year is a bit short of a lifespan. What is it that actually goes bad on the igniter? Is there some special thing I need to do to keep it from dying?

 

[Pellet-King]

Be lucky u have a igniter, only gel for me.....

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Igniters actually ablate (loose) the material that allows them to heat up and glow, the same is true of the wires in your toaster. When heated the material is also quite weak, what kills them is thermal shock caused by repeated heating up and cooling off. They need a good air flow around them in order to provide enough extremely hot air to lite those pellets.

The faster those pellets lite the less the strain on the igniter.

Like most things with a pellet stove it comes down to keeping the ash levels under control.

 

[Doocrew]

Mine failed after the first year and the replacement is now on its second year.

 

[Jafo]

Hmm ok well I am just happy it is working now. With the weather warming up a little (now 25 degrees instead of 5) I hated having to turn the stove off then use the gel to start it again. Not that it was a huge deal, but trying to get the wife to do that, forgetaboutit..

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Hmm ok well I am just happy it is working now. With the weather warming up a little (now 25 degrees instead of 5) I hated having to turn the stove off then use the gel to start it again. Not that it was a huge deal, but trying to get the wife to do that, forgetaboutit..

LOL. Usually when faced with being warm or being cold they come around.

 

[maglite67]

not enough air flow in a dirty stove or build up around ignitior causes it to overheat and break.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Also if you have the stove on a T-Stat that cycles On-Off many times, that will use the ignitor more.