8
Troubleshooting
I installed the Electronic Ignition System, turned it on and nothing happened
When this occurs it is usually due to an electrical wiring / power issue. Check all your electrical connections thoroughly to
ensure all wires at the transformer and inside the fire feature are connected properly. If it appears all wiring is connected
properly, disconnect the wires at the fire feature, attach a Multimeter to the wires to confirm a minimum of 24 volts when
the fire feature is turned on. If you determine that you do not have a minimum of 24 volts at the fire feature conduct the
same test at the transformer to ensure the transformer is in fact producing a minimum of 24 volts. If you do have a
minimum of 24 volts at the fire feature contact us for further assistance.
I installed the Electronic Ignition System, turned it on and I can see the glow plug glowing
orange and I can hear gas flowing but it will not ignite.
There are two possible causes to this problem;
Air in the Gas Line
or not enough
Electrical Current
to the fire feature.
Air in the Gas Line
. If a new gas line was installed and the air was never purged from it prior to installing the Electronic
Ignition System then it may take several times of turning the fire feature on and off before the air is purged from the gas
line. Here is how our system works; after you turn it on the glow plug will come on first followed by the Pilot Gas Valve
opening 4 seconds later. For the next 180 seconds (3 minutes) the glow plug will cycle on and off every 30 seconds while
the Pilot Gas Valve will remain on the entire time. Therefore if you are attempting to purge air from the gas line, turn the
system on and leave it on for approximately 3 minutes. Then turn it off and then back on (no need to wait to turn it back
on). Let the system run for another 3 minutes. Usually when purging air from a new gas line you will need to cycle the
power several times as described above before gas begins to flow. If at any point you smell gas but still don’t have
ignition, attempt to light the Pilot flame with a handheld lighter. If the flame ignites when you light it by hand, go to the
section below, “Electrical Current”.
Electrical Current.
If you have determined that air in the gas line is not the problem then most likely the failure to ignite
is due to the fact the glow plug is not getting hot enough to ignite the gas. The reason a glow plug will not get hot enough
is due to the fact it is not getting enough ‘amps’. Often times when troubleshooting electricians will check the electrical
power and when they see they have a minimum of 24 volts they think everything is fine electrically so there must be a
problem with the Electronic Ignition System. The problem is not due to the volts but rather the amps. The number of amps
reaching the fire feature is heavily dependent on the gauge wire used between the transformer and the fire feature. Our
Install Instructions require no less than 12 gauge wire be run for all fire features. Often times we learn that in many cases
less than 12 gauge wire has been used and herein lies the cause of the problem.
Here is how you check to determine if enough Electrical Current (amps) are getting to the fire feature:
1. CAUTION: Turn off the gas supply prior to the next step.
2. Using a clamp on ammeter, clamp the ammeter around one of the wires providing power to the Electronic
Ignition System.
3. Turn the fire feature on.
4. The amps you should see will range between 1.4 to 1.6 amps initially. Four seconds after being turned on the
amps will jump to approximately 2.0 amps.
If you do not see the amps listed above AND the wire gauge used was less than 12 gauge wire – change the wiring.
Otherwise contact us for further assistance.
I turned the Fire Feature off but I still see small flames emanating from the fire feature.
Turn the fire feature on, let the main fire ring light and then turn it off again – do this several times. Small pieces of debris
from the gas line can get caught in the main or pilot valve thereby preventing it from closing all the way. This will
sometimes happen with a new gas line. By cycling power you can often times dislodge the debris. If cycling power does
not rectify the problem, turn the gas off using the manual gas shutoff and contact us for further assistance.
