myownfanclub
New Member
First time poster here. 
I have an Armstrong Magic-Pak unit that doesn't ignite the flame each time.
It gets a correct call for heat and the blinking code is correct. It goes through the correct cycle: fan for about 20 seconds, gas valves open and then spark from an electrode ignitor. It's the sparking kind, not the glowing.
I can see visually a spark between the two electrodes but for some reason it just don't ignite.
If I take a lighter, I can light the gas and it works fine, so it's not as though there's no gas coming out of the nozzles. (I'm a handy homeowner so forgive me if I don't know all the right terms).
I can turn the thermostat down and back up and try again. Sometimes it works the next try, sometimes it takes a few tries. The unit is behind a refrigerator so I've had instances where I've tried and tried, then finally moved the fridge, sent the call for heat from my phone (it's a Nest thermostat), and opened the door to ignite it with a lighter and then it ignites itself. If you're thinking it's because the access door is open, then sometimes it lights when it's open and sometimes it just won't.
Here is what I have done:
cleaned the ignitor
cleaned the six horn-looking things that moves the gas (burners?)
ordered and tried a new igniter (back and forth a few times). The original seems better quality with copper instead of steel.
Lessened electrode gap on both igniters.
Tried blocking wind from outside to keep it from dissipating the gas in the chamber
cleaned the horn looking things that the gas moves into
Ran a new dedicated ground wire from the grounding screw to a piece of conduit ( the conduit is grounded)
The ground from that same screw goes into the circuit board so I added a direct ground.
Took the Nest off and tried previous LUX thermostat - same issues
Last Thanksgiving when I had someone out after all those things didn't work, he basically did them again. It worked a little but then went back to intermittent. He fried his meter checking the spark voltage.
It's four wires from the unit to the Nest but the fifth is for cooling, as you know
I need ideas and answers if any of you have any.
I thought about adding a piece of galvanized steel above the electrode to pool the gas (like a BBQ grill has)
Is there too much draft? Not enough?
Lastly, I saw a sticker today that it's a unit for 240v, but if you have 208V then there's some wiring change needed on the transformer. Is that significant for my problem?
Like I said, when I light it with a lighter, it works fine.
I have an Armstrong Magic-Pak unit that doesn't ignite the flame each time.
It gets a correct call for heat and the blinking code is correct. It goes through the correct cycle: fan for about 20 seconds, gas valves open and then spark from an electrode ignitor. It's the sparking kind, not the glowing.
I can see visually a spark between the two electrodes but for some reason it just don't ignite.
If I take a lighter, I can light the gas and it works fine, so it's not as though there's no gas coming out of the nozzles. (I'm a handy homeowner so forgive me if I don't know all the right terms).
I can turn the thermostat down and back up and try again. Sometimes it works the next try, sometimes it takes a few tries. The unit is behind a refrigerator so I've had instances where I've tried and tried, then finally moved the fridge, sent the call for heat from my phone (it's a Nest thermostat), and opened the door to ignite it with a lighter and then it ignites itself. If you're thinking it's because the access door is open, then sometimes it lights when it's open and sometimes it just won't.
Here is what I have done:
cleaned the ignitor
cleaned the six horn-looking things that moves the gas (burners?)
ordered and tried a new igniter (back and forth a few times). The original seems better quality with copper instead of steel.
Lessened electrode gap on both igniters.
Tried blocking wind from outside to keep it from dissipating the gas in the chamber
cleaned the horn looking things that the gas moves into
Ran a new dedicated ground wire from the grounding screw to a piece of conduit ( the conduit is grounded)
The ground from that same screw goes into the circuit board so I added a direct ground.
Took the Nest off and tried previous LUX thermostat - same issues
Last Thanksgiving when I had someone out after all those things didn't work, he basically did them again. It worked a little but then went back to intermittent. He fried his meter checking the spark voltage.
It's four wires from the unit to the Nest but the fifth is for cooling, as you know
I need ideas and answers if any of you have any.
I thought about adding a piece of galvanized steel above the electrode to pool the gas (like a BBQ grill has)
Is there too much draft? Not enough?
Lastly, I saw a sticker today that it's a unit for 240v, but if you have 208V then there's some wiring change needed on the transformer. Is that significant for my problem?
Like I said, when I light it with a lighter, it works fine.
