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Furnace won't ignite? Hot surface igniter glowing but no flame? Pilot light won't stay lit? We fix it same day, usually for $150-$300.
Look, igniters fail all the time. It's the #1 furnace repair call we get. Good news: it's ususally a cheap fix, not a new furnace. We stock common igniters on the truck so we can fix it today and get your heat back on.
Your furnace has one of these. Each has different failure modes and repair costs.
Most common (1990s-present)
Silicon carbide element glows orange-hot to ignite gas. Fragile, fails every 3-7 years. This is what fails in 90% of "no heat" calls.
Symptoms: Clicks, igniter glows but no flame
Repair: $150-$300
Less common (some mid-efficiency)
Creates electrical spark like a gas grill. You'll hear rapid clicking. Flame sensor issues are more common than spark module failures.
Symptoms: Clicks but won't light, or lights then shuts off
Repair: $120-$250
Vintage furnaces (pre-1990s)
Small flame burns 24/7. Lots of old Chicago homes still have these. Thermocouple senses pilot flame and allows gas valve to open. Very reliable when working.
Symptoms: Pilot won't stay lit
Repair: $80-$150
If you're reading this, your igniter probably just failed. Here's why it happens and what to expect.
Hot surface igniters heat to 2500°F, then cool back down. Every heating cycle stresses the silicon carbide material. Eventually, it cracks. It's like a light bulb—it's not if it fails, it's when.
Average lifespan: 3-7 years. High-cycle homes (cold winters, oversized furnaces) kill igniters faster.
When people call saying "my furnace won't light," they assume they need a new furnace. 90% of the time, it's a $20 igniter. We swap it in 20 minutes and you're back in business.
It's usually a $200 fix, not a $5,000 furnace.
If your igniter keeps failing every few months, something else is wrong:
Cracked Heat Exchanger
Combustion gases leak into blower compartment, coat igniter in soot. Igniter dies fast. This is a replace-the-furnace situation.
Wrong Gas Pressure
Gas valve set too high stresses igniter. We measure and adjust gas pressure on every igniter replacement.
Voltage Issues
Low voltage (110V instead of 120V) makes igniter work harder. We check voltage at the board.
Different symptoms, different fixes. Here's what we diagnose and repair.
You see the igniter glow orange, but the burners never light. This is almost always a bad gas valve or flame sensor.
Typical fix: Gas valve ($250-$400) or flame sensor cleaning ($0-$120)
Control board sends voltage but igniter stays dark. It's cracked internally. We stock common igniter models on truck.
Typical fix: Igniter replacement ($150-$300)
Burners light for a few seconds, then shut down. Dirty flame sensor can't detect flame and kills the gas valve as a safety measure.
Typical fix: Flame sensor cleaning (free) or replacement ($80-$150)
For older furnaces with standing pilots. Thermocouple detects pilot flame. When it fails, gas valve won't stay open even with pilot lit.
Typical fix: Thermocouple replacement ($80-$150)
Lots of Chicago bungalows still have furnaces from the 80s and 90s with standing pilot lights. If you have one, here's what you need to know:
Standing pilots waste gas ($50-100/year burning 24/7), but they're dead simple. Thermocouple is the only part that fails regularly. We still service them—no judgment.
If your pilot goes out (draft, cleaning, power outage), you can relight it yourself. Hold gas valve to "pilot," press button, light with long lighter. Hold 30 seconds. If it won't stay lit, thermocouple is bad.
Thermocouple: $80-$150 installed. Gas valve: $200-$350. These furnaces are so simple that repairs are usually under $300. Keep running it until it dies.
We carry the most common hot surface igniters on the truck: Carrier, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, Bryant, Payne, York. 9 times out of 10, we can fix it same-day without waiting on parts.
Typical igniter replacement cost:
$150-$300
Includes part, labor, testing
If we need to order a specialty igniter (rare brands, very old furnaces), we'll tell you upfront. Usually 1-2 day wait.
We stock high-failure parts so we can fix your furnace today. No waiting 3 days for a $20 part.
Carrier, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, Bryant common models. Norton, SureLight universal backups.
Generic and brand-specific. Usually just need cleaning, but we have replacements.
Universal 24" and 30" for standing pilot furnaces and boilers.
Hot surface igniters are the most common furnace repair. They're made of silicon carbide and get brittle over time from heating and cooling cycles. They typically last 3-7 years. If yours fails repeatedly in a short time, you may have a cracked heat exchanger or gas pressure issues.
Hot surface igniter replacement typically costs $150-$300 in Chicago. We stock common igniters on the truck, so most repairs are completed the same day. If we need to order a specialty igniter, add 1-2 days.
If your standing pilot won't stay lit, the thermocouple is usually bad. It's a safety device that shuts off gas if the pilot goes out. Thermocouples cost $80-$150 to replace. Sometimes it's just dirty and needs cleaning ($0 if we're already there for service).
Standing pilots burn gas 24/7 to light the main burner (older furnaces, pre-1990s). Hot surface igniters use electricity to heat up and ignite gas on demand (modern furnaces). Hot surface igniters are more efficient but fail more often because they're fragile.
Technically yes if you're handy, but we don't reccomend it. Igniters are fragile (touching them with your fingers transfers oils that cause premature failure). You also need to check gas pressure, flame sensor condition, and verify proper ignition sequence. Most DIY igniter jobs we see end up costing more to fix.
Most ignition repairs are done same-day for $150-$300. We stock common parts on the truck. Call now and we'll get your heat back on.