The XR80 Gas Furnace uses an adaptive Hot Surface Ignition (HSI) system. Newer Trane gas furnaces light with electronic ignition rather than a standing pilot light. Standing pilots wasted a lot of gas, ignitors have replaced the old pilot lights in favor of safety. If you want to find your Trane XR80 furnace ignitor, look in the same place where you’d typically look for a pilot light.
What is Furnace Ignitor and How it Work
Furnace ignitor is a small part with a tremendous job. The ignitor lights the burner, which sparks the combustion process. It’s what converts your gas into heat.
The integrated system controls the main burners upon demand for heat from the room thermostat. The furnace control board provides electricity to the ignitor, which will heat up.
The gas valve is opened when the ignitor starts glowing bright with the heat. The heat of the ignitor ignites the gas. After the flame sensor discerns heat, the furnace control turns the power off to the ignitor.
A Bad Furnace Ignitor Symptoms
A furnace ignitor generally has a short lifespan. It’s because the components get very hot then cool down repeatedly. If your furnace won’t ignite or won’t turn on at all, it’s giving you a sign that there is a problem with the ignitor.
Diagnosing a faulty Trane XR80 ignitor is really quite simple. Here are some common symptoms of a bad furnace ignitor:
- Furnace won’t run
- Furnace blows cold air
- Furnace short cycling – your furnace turns on and off repeatedly.
Trane XR80 Ignitor Replacement
If you’ve read through the signs and they point to a bad furnace ignitor, you’ll need to take the next steps; replacing the ignitor. Changing the hot surface ignitor on a Trane XR80 gas furnace is a task that can easily be performed.
- To begin the ignitor replacement, you should turn the power to the furnace off.
- Next, remove the front cover of the furnace and locate the burners. The hot surface ignitor will be located next to the burners.
- Disconnect the wires that go to the ignitor. Unplug the plastic plug from the wiring harness.
- Remove the old ignitor.
- Reinstall the new ignitor in reverse order. Do not touch the black element of the new ignitor, as this will shorten the life of the part.
Replacing the Trane XR80 furnace ignitor is a simple DIY job, but the component is very brittle and can break easily. You may choose to replace it yourself or contact a professional technician.
If you’re not comfortable replacing the Trane furnace ignitor yourself, find a qualified HVAC technician to do the job.
A Trane XR80 furnace ignitor is a cheap part. The price range from $15 to $90. The important point is to be sure you get the proper replacement.
In some cases, the original Trane XR80 ignitor may no longer be available or stocked, and an upgraded part may be specified. This may require extensive modifications to the Trane XR80 ignitor replacement to work properly.
Suppose you have a Trane XR80 ignitor problems; I recommend keeping a spare ignitor. They are much cheaper than a service call and prevent a day and night without heat.
