Goodman Furnace Ignitor Problems

Back in the day, furnaces used a pilot light for heating the air coming into your house. Today’s models come with a furnace igniter instead of an open flame, and your furnace needs to blow hot air. The ignitor is fundamental for the furnace and can cause various problems when not running correctly.

Nine times out of ten, you’ve noticed the “click” coming from the furnace before the air begins to blow. Once the thermostat makes the furnace go, the ignitor will generate a spark that lights the heater’s gas. Not all ignitors will need a spark, and these models heat up, touching the gas’s surfaces for heating the air coming from the furnace.

No matter the kind of ignitor your furnace comes with, some steps are followed to light the heater and blow the hot air.

What are the most common signs for Goodman furnace ignitor gone bad?

In all fairness, any ignitor will have to be replaced sooner or later.for the customers, replacing the ignitor isn’t very complicated nor expensive, and you should expect to replace it after seven years of use or so.

Here are the most common five signs telling you that the ignitor isn’t working correctly and you should address the problem:

The furnace gives cold air.

Unless you specifically requested cold air from the furnace (why would you), your furnace should never blow cold air. Don’t haste into assuming that it’s something wrong with the ignitor; make sure to check if your unit is set to auto and heat.

When your ignitor is no longer good, it won’t light the burner anymore, which also makes the combustion impossible. Needless to say, you won’t have heat if there is no combustion happening.

The furnace stops from operating

If your Goodman furnace doesn’t run at all, you should see if the ignitor isn’t the cause. If so, your furnace turns down entirely; it’s a safety feature, so the furnace won’t run if there is an ignition issue.

When you notice that your furnace doesn’t turn on or ignite, replacing the ignitor could be the most straightforward solution. However, always check other aspects of your furnace as other issues could make the furnace not run.

A no-glow ignitor

Some new models will light with electronic ignition and not a pilot light. It was a safety that caused the transitioning from old pilot lights to ignitors. If you don’t know where the ignitor is located, you should search for the pilot light.

The ignitor is supposed to glow if the furnace starts running, as it has to get very hot for lighting the gas/air mixture in the combustion. If you’re not sure about the situation, you may simply check under the unit to observe if there’s a glow or not. When there’s no glow, your ignitor could have gone wrong.

It has a short cycle.

It’s not the most obvious sign, and you have to pay attention to your furnace if it happens. The furnace could turn on and off several times, which causes a “short-cycling.” It’s also a safety feature that helps the furnace identify a safety issue.

An ignitor that is almost happening but cannot keep the charge for enough time for heating the furnace air is a problem. Don’t forget that furnaces also come with a safety feature that makes the system wait 60 seconds before running again.

A faulty ignitor could generate the short-cycling, and only the HVAC technician will solve the problem.

It trips the breaker several times.

You should always see if the furnace breaker is also on. When the furnace trips several times the breaker right after blowing air, the faulty ignitor is the reason.

Tripping the breaker several times is damaging to the furnace and the electrical system in your home. Even if the ignitor is a straightforward fix, you shouldn’t let your unit trip the breaker more than a couple of times. The breaker should always set to “off” position when you’re trying to solve a problem on the unit.

What’s the proper method to control the ignitor?

If you feel you have the knowledge and experience to work on the furnace, you’ll find it effortless to fix the ignitor.

What steps should you take?

• Always unplug the furnace from the wall, so there is no power to it while you’re trying to identify and replace the ignitor.
• Continue with turning off the gas valve. There should be no gas flowing into the furnace while you’re fixing the problem.
• The furnace should be at room temperature before you try to open any panels. Furnaces get hot, and you may burn yourself while addressing a problem. Safety is vital when working on the furnace, even if it’s only replacing a faulty ignitor.

How do you identify the ignitor?

Correctly identifying the ignitor is fundamental; you don’t want to work on the furnace’s faulty components. Once you remove the unit’s burner panel door, you should seek a tiny device located between the electrical wires and the furnace, close to the gas input.

Most ignitors come with a white ceramic base on the surface and a flat metal surface coming out. Two metal prongs producing the spark are typical for the spark ignitors.

What are the possible problems with the furnace ignitor?

The problems on the ignitor are various, so here are the most common issues:

Worn out

Ignitors won’t take use forever, and you should expect to replace it with a new one at some point. It may only be the moment to get another ignitor.

Bad limiter switch

The limiter switch will shut off your furnace when the temperature gets too high. If this switch is faulty, it will falsely read the temperature, shutting off the unit too soon.

The wrong igniter

You will always have to use the proper ignitor for working. Even if the wrong model can work for some time, it’s only a matter of time until you will have to replace it with the proper model.

Overpowered

Sometimes, the breaker box blows every time the furnace begins to run, and the ignitor cannot take a power surge.

Unless you have the knowledge and tools for identifying the problem, it’s challenging to figure out what’s wrong with the ignitor. Sometimes, the damage is evident, so you will have the replace it, no questions asked. Melted, chipped, cracked, wrapped, or exposed wires are the most obvious signs that you should get a replacement right away.

You may check the manual and find out which model to buy and how to install it. However, it’s wiser to call the professional as you can also damage the furnace while trying to replace the ignitor.

When it’s time for a Goodman furnace ignitor replacement?

Some aspects will affect the durability of the ignitor, so keep reading to find out the details:

Lifespan

Goodman furnace ignitors are the less durable components of the gas furnace systems. Most of the ignitors will take the use for 4 to 7 years. The good news is that you don’t need to replace the whole furnace in 7 years as some of its more critical elements (heat exchanger, for instance) can last for more than 15 years.

Length of utilization

Older models would last for less time as they had to remain on for a longer time while lighting the furnace. Therefore, the ignitors would have more wear and tear, requiring replacement sooner.

New furnaces come with more effective ignition systems that will turn off the ignitor right after it lights the unit, expanding the durability.

Regular maintenance

How well you take care of the furnace will also impact the durability of the ignitor. It’s essential to replace the filter every 90 days and call the technician for servicing the furnace at least once a year. If you don’t give the proper furnace maintenance, the ignitor will last for less time, and your furnace may also break down.

Is it difficult to replace it?

Carefully handle the ignitor as it’s very delicate. You take out the screw, remove the part, and undo the clip. You simply put the new piece the same way the old ignitor came out, but with extra attention.

Also, it’s wise always to buy two so that you have a spare around the house at any given moment. The models may go out every five-six years, so it can be tricky to find the same model in the future.

It goes without saying that you must always install the right replacement. The ignitor isn’t a piece you find in stores, so you may need to contact a local Goodman furnace wholesaler for replacement. Take the old ignitor with the electrical connector and the mounting bracket when buying to make the difference for installation.