Something we share in common with most other animals in nature is a drive for individual survival and the survival of the species. If your environment happens to include industrial furnaces and/or ovens, employing the proper way to light a burner is key to the safety of yourself and those around you.
Our ability to evaluate our environment and use reason to develop behaviors to help ensure our survival may not be unique, but it is special. Our willingness to act contrary to reason is no less special, though extreme cases ought to be discouraged.
Skydiving is an example of acting contrary to reason, for enjoyment. We’re wired to feel fear at the prospect of falling from a great height. Wearing a parachute, plus a spare, and being with an experienced jumper are all ways to mitigate the risk, though of course the risk remains.
Believe it or not, some factories ask their workers to light the burners in their furnace(s) with a lit, oily rag. This reality serves as an example of a critical lapse in reason, certainly by the companies that expect this of their workers, and of course by the workers themselves.
When dealing with industrial combustion systems, safety is the primary concern, and lighting burners in the manner described above puts people in harm’s way.
All modern burners (made in the last ~30 years) have provisions for direct-spark or pilot ignition. Using one of these methods is the proper way to light a burner, and they are so far superior to the “oily rag” method that we’re always surprised when we encounter it.
Combustion 911 offers a full line of pilot burners, direct-spark ignited burners, ignition transformers, spare electrode rods, ignition cable, and all the associated equipment to meet the need of most industrial furnaces and ovens. Contact us today!