Consider Electronic Ignitions for your Gas Lanterns

We all love gas lights, but nobody likes a blowout… Now, there is a better solution: gas lanterns with electronic ignition systems! 

Our electronic ignition system, “The LampLighter,” will automatically sense and relight your gas lamp upon blowout any time of day. It also senses sunlight, and can turn your lanterns on right at dusk for evening enjoyment.

By adding our LampLighter to your American Gas Lamp Works lanterns, you’ll save time and money and gain even more control over the beauty of your sanctum.

What is an Electronic Ignition for Gas Lanterns?

An electronic ignition system for gas lamps provides automated control to a gas lamp burner, allowing your lanterns to be turned on and off with the flick of a switch or a timer.  

American Gas Lamp Works’ electric Gas Light Igniter, “The LampLighter,” controls the gas flow to the burner, ignites the burner, monitors the flame, and provides a burn timer; the LampLighter also provides continuous burn and night time burn options.

In short, gas lanterns with electronic ignition will stay lit when you want them to stay on, and turn off automatically when you want them off. 

What are the Benefits of an Electronic Lantern Ignition System?

Unlike electric lanterns that can be easily turned on and off with a switch, gas lanterns were traditionally always on, regardless of the time of day or whether or not the owner is home. Also, if a gas lamp was extinguished by wind, it had to be manually relit. 

For homeowners or commercial property owners, these occurrences can be irritating, time consuming, and costly. For example, if you’re a homeowner who travels, or the owner of a restaurant that isn’t open 24 hours a day, constantly running your gas lamps can be unnecessary. It can also be costly.

By using an electronic ignition system for your gas lanterns, you can save money on natural gas costs by only running your lamps when you want to, or when you’re home. On the other hand, if you want your lamps to constantly run and the flame is extinguished by wind, you’ll have to manually relight them. 

But, by adding an electronic ignition system to your gas lamps, these challenges can be easily conquered. Users can switch between different modes (such as a day or night mode), and electronic ignition for gas lamps will also detect when a flame has been extinguished and reignite it automatically.

Electronic ignition systems also allow the user to set a timer that controls how long the flame will be maintained. After the amount of burn time has expired, the gas valve is turned off and the flame is extinguished.

How Does an Electronic Lamp Ignition System Work?

Our Gas Lamp Igniter runs on standard 120v electricity, so you’ll need both electricity AND natural gas run to the installation site. We also recommend it be installed by a licensed electrician. After installation, there are a number of modes the electronic ignition system will employ: 

• Startup

  • When power is first applied, the Gas Lamp Igniter displays the software Version and Revision number using pulses of the Status LED. Afterward, an approximately 15-second startup delay occurs and is indicated by the Status LED fast flash. After the Startup delay, normal operation is entered.

• Fault

  • When a High Voltage or Flame Sensor fault is detected, the Gas Lamp Igniter Status LED will be a constant and continuous Fast Flash. The Gas Valve is closed while a fault is detected.

• Continuous Mode

  • In Continuous Mode, the Gas Lamp Igniter will attempt to ignite and maintain a continuous burn. If a flame is not detected during the Continuous Mode operation, the Gas Lamp Igniter will turn on the gas and spark 10 times (or until a flame is detected). 
  • If a flame has not been detected after 10 spark attempts, the gas is turned off, and the Gas Lamp Igniter will wait 20 seconds before trying again. 
  • During this time, the Status LED will Slow Flash, and this process will repeat indefinitely until a flame is detected. 
  • If the flame is extinguished at any time during the Continuous Burn, the ignition cycle will restart and reignite it.

• Night Mode

  • In Night Mode, the flame is ignited only when ambient light levels are low enough to indicate darkness. During the daytime, the ignition cycle is stopped and the gas valve is closed.

• Burn Timer

  • In night mode, the Burn Timer is used to control how long the flame is maintained after the initial ignition. When the burn time has expired, the gas valve is turned off and the flame is extinguished. The Burn Timer is reset during the day and reignites again at dusk.
  • The Burn Timer can be set for 0-8 hours in 2-hour increments. A zero setting disables the Burn Timer and defaults to ignite at dusk and extinguish at dawn. The Burn Timer setup is entered by pressing the Timer Button while in Night mode.
    • After the initial press of the Timer Button, each successive press adds 2 hours. After 8 hours (4 presses), the next press resets back to 0 hours.  
    • To exit the Burn Timer setup, simply stop pressing buttons. After a short timeout, the Burn Timer setup is automatically exited.
    • The Burn Timer value is determined by counting the brief flashes on the Status LED after entering the Burn Time. Each flash equals 2 hours of time. The Burn Timer value is displayed 3 times, with a short delay between each, before automatically exiting the Burn Timer setup.
      • For example: if your Burn Timer value equals 4 hours, after the first press of the Timer Button, the Status LED will flash 2 times, then be off for a short delay, and then repeat the 2 flashes and delay 2 more times, and then exit the Burn Timer setup.

What are Important Features of the Gas Lantern Igniter?

Some important features of the gas lantern igniter a user should know about are: 

• Flame Sensor

  • Located top side of the Gas Lamp Igniter, this sensor detects the gas flame.

• Status LED

  • Located on the side of the Gas Lamp Igniter, the Status LED indicates the current status of the Gas Lamp Igniter and is also used to indicate the Burn Timer Setting.

• Night LED

  • Located on the side of the Gas Lamp Igniter, this is used to indicate if the Night burn mode or Continuous burn mode is activated. 

• Mode Button

  • Located on the side of the Gas Lamp Igniter and used to switch between Continuous burn or Night burn modes.

• Timer Button

  • Located on the side of the Gas Lamp Igniter and used to change the Burn Timer settings.

Choosing Between Gas Lamps & Electric Alternatives

American Gas Lamp Works provides a variety of illumination technologies, each of which adds its own unique ambiance to an outdoor space. Choosing between gas lamps or their electric counterparts usually comes down to personal preference, how much you want to maintain your lamps, the size of your project, and more. To determine which style is the best for your space and to help you break down the differences, visit our blog.

Rest assured knowing that whichever style of lamp you choose, American Gas Lamp Works has the options and the technology to make your purchase easy, cost-effective, and satisfactory.

For more information on purchasing an American Gas Lamp Works product, or for any questions, please reach out to us.