White Rodgers Premium Flame Sensor Intro

Bryan unboxes an Emerson White-Rodgers Premium Flame Sensor and shows how to bend it. This is a universal flame sensor that can be adjusted and used for a wide range of applications.

The Emerson White-Rodgers Premium Flame sensor is versatile and can work in many different appliances. It comes with a wire, a bending sleeve, and a high-temperature rod that can withstand high temperatures. It’s a universal flame sensor that replaces over 100 different parts.

Flame sensors (or rods or rectifiers) conduct a very small DC current to ground through the flame. Some electrical potential is fed from the board, and that potential is then allowed to move from the rod to ground. This process is caused by a size difference between the rod and the burner, changing the alternating current to the direct current. You can only measure that current in series, and you’ll only be able to read it in the microamp scale.

Because the current is so tiny, flame rods need to stay clean. Dirty or damaged rods should be replaced with new rods when possible, as cleaning them can cause them to get scuff marks. If rods consistently get dirty, look at the quality of the flame, do a combustion analysis, and make sure there are no chemicals that might be causing premature fouling.

The Emerson White-Rodgers Premium Flame Sensor comes protected and with its instructions on the top. Try to avoid touching the rod directly or damaging the ceramic. The instructions contain color-coded tables showing how you can modify the flame sensor (whether you need to bend it, cut it, do both, or leave the rod as is).

To bend the rod, you will need to have an edge to brace it against. The instructions show you how to bend the rod to the degree you need. The flame sensor also comes with a screw and a bending sleeve, but it also has a 3/16” terminal in addition to the standard ¼” terminals.

This flame sensor also comes with a 3-year limited warranty and works very well when paired with Emerson White-Rodgers HotRod universal ignitors.

For more information about these flame sensors, please visit emerson.com/white-rodgers or the White-Rodgers mobile app.

Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes, and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/.