×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

(OP)

I work for a manufacturer of direct & indirect gas-fired HVAC equipment.  One of our competitors has started using "premium nitride hot surface igniters" instead of direct spark or pilot ignition systems.

I'm researching them - reading through the literature, and may buy a few to test.

Can anyone give opinions on reliability, ease of use, pitfalls, etc.?

Thanks for your help.

RE: Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

Geof,

As an end-user I can report no problems with a couple pieces of equipment, about two years experience.

As a subject of a couple group discussions in my engineering circle, the reputation is good.  Trade-off with spark style is 1) no high-voltage stuff that tends to deteriorate with time and 2) since it stays hot for longer periods, it should be kinda self-cleaning.

I, too, would be interested in hearing from a wider segment of the trade...

Best to ya,

Old Dave

RE: Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

As a service eng/field tech I haven't ever seen hot surface ignition used on a direct fired make-up air unit (if that's what is being addressed). Old HSI's were silicon carbide, very brittle after many cycles, and prone to failure. I wouldn't think an HSI would be as reliable in a humid airstream.  

RE: Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

Our experience with silicon nitride is good.  Failure out of the box is very rare and the parts are tough enough to survive in a service truck.

Stay away from silicon carbide.  They are very delicate.

RE: Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

I second the comment on silicon carbide. I have had a silicon carbide H.S. ignitor in my furnace for the last 13 years. I have had to replace it three times and they are very deilcate.

RE: Hot Surface Igniters - Anyone familiar with them?

I have a newer RUUD heater with spark type igniter. My mother has a hot surface silicon nitride unit on an older RUUD. Her igniter failed. It cracked. It is so delicate that I broke it when I touched it. I was told you should not touch it because body oil will impair its performance. I think the spark type is better, less troublesome.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources