How Do I Install An All Weather Electronic Ignition System (AWEIS)?

When it comes to your outdoor fire feature, consistency in all types of weather is important.

The All Weather Electronic Ignition System (AWEIS) delivers an unprecedented performance that few can even come close to comparing! Whether you have a fire pit or a concrete fire bowl, your gas feature will continue to display an incredible flame set in even the most inclement weather with the help of an AWEIS.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ALL WEATHER ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM

The AWEIS (click on the picture at right to see a larger view) is considered the "heart" of an outdoor fire feature. It's main responsibilities are controlling the gas flow through the valve, initiating a pilot flame, and then causing the gas to ignite. It can be used to light one or multiple features, or even those hard to access fire bowls that have been positioned atop a tall pedestal, for example. The AWEIS does need to be connected to your home or pool electrical system, and can be easily operated with a switch or remote control.

 

 

SOME GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION

Before we explain how to install an AWEIS, let's cover some general information and safety instructions:

Gas Appliance Warnings

• FOR OUTDOOR USE ONLY.
• FOR USE WITH NATURAL AS OR PROPANE GAS ONLY.
• NO SOLID FUELS ARE TO BE USED WITH YOUR AWEIS.
• Prior to connecting to your fuel source, make sure your AWEIS is compatible with the available gas type (natural gas or propane).
• Appropriate input pressures are required for optimum appliance performance. All gas line sizing requirements need to following the NFPA51 Standard.
• Installation of an AWEIS must conform with your area's local codes. In the absence of local codes, please adhere to and follow the National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1.
• Once installed, the AWEIS must be electrically grounded in accordance with your area's local codes; or in the absence of local codes, it must comply with the National Electric Code, ANSI/NFPA 70.
• Please have your AWEIS installed by a qualified professional who is approved and/or licensed as required by the locality. A manual gas shutoff device must be installed prior to the location of the AWEIS.
• Over or under tightening your gas supply lines may cause leaks! Gas lines should be tight, but not so much that the fittings exceed the threadings.
• Failure to follow these instructions exactly may result in a fire with the potential of property damage, personal injury, or death.
• Never store or use gasoline or other flammable vapors or liquids near or around an AWEIS.
• Improper installation, adjustments, alterations, service, or maintenance can cause personal injury or property damage. Please read all installation, operating, and maintenance instructions thoroughly prior to installing or servicing your AWEIS.

 

Inspection of AWEIS and Components

• NEVER install damaged, incomplete, or substitute components.

 

Check For Gas Leaks

• Be sure to check all fittings and connections.
• Never use an open flame to check for gas leaks.
• Check for leaks with a commercially available, non-corrosive leak check solution.

 

What To Do If You Smell Gas

• Do not try to light the AWEIS.
• Refrain from touching any electrical switches.
• Refrain from using any landline phones on the premises.
• Immediately call a certified gas professional and follow his/her instructions.
• If you cannot reach a certified gas professional, call your local fire department.
• We highly recommend that the installation and any service or maintenance be performed by a qualified gas professional or service agency.

 

Lighting Instructions

• Before operating the AWEIS, make sure the manual gas shutoff valve is open. This allows the gas supply to reach the ignition module.
  • If you smell gas, STOP and follow the gas warnings above.
• Visually inspect your outdoor fire feature to ensure leaves, debris, and other combustible material has not collected inside. These materials could burn and emit embers once your fire feature is turned on.
• Make sure other people close to your fire feature are aware that you will be igniting the AWEIS.
• Turning on the electrical device used to power your fire feature. The ignition sequence is as follows:
  • Electrical power is delivered to the unit.
  • The hot surface igniter (glow plug) becomes hot enough to ignite gas.
  • Once the ignitor reaches the appropriate temperature, the pilot gas valve opens and the pilot flame is lit.
  • Within 10 seconds of power application, the pilot flame should be ignited and visible (if it's nighttime). At this time, the main burner element of the fire feature should also ignite.
  • To turn your fire feature off, shut down the ignition module and/or manual gas shutoff valve.
  • Note: Since the unit is based on thermo-electrical components, cutting electrical power will not extinguish the flames. In case of emergency, shut down the gas valve(s) instead.

 

HOW TO INSTALL YOUR ALL WEATHER ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM (AWEIS) WITH A CONCRETE FIRE BOWL

Warnings:

• Do NOT use the AWEIS if any part has been submersed in water. Immediately call a qualified gas service technician to inspect the appliance and replace any part of the control system that has been under water.
• FIRE RISK / BURN RISK
  • HOT! DO NOT TOUCH! SEVERE BURNS MAY RESULT! CLOTHING IGNITION MAY RESULT!
• The appliance should be inspected before use and at least once per year by a qualified gas technician.
• It is imperative that the control compartment, burners and circulating air passageways of the AWEIS be kept clean. Frequent cleaning may be required as necessary.
• Do not let children handle the AWEIS.
• CAREFULLY SUPERVISE children when they are near an operating AWEIS.
• Alert children and adults to the hazards of high temperatures, electronic devices, and fire features.
• Clothing or other flammable materials should not be hung from, placed on, or positioned near the appliance.
• Operation of outdoor fire features is NOT recommended when wind speeds exceed 25 mph.

 

LP Gas Installation Considerations:

Due to the fact that LP (propane) gas is different from natural gas there are slight differences in the installation procedures as follows:

• Propane is a much more potent fuel compared to natural gas. For this reason, an air mixer must be installed in the burner element inlet to dissipate the gas. The orifice inside the air mixer is sized accordingly for the burner element. When ordering your AWEIS, be sure to indicate the size and burner element type that you will be using with your fire feature.
• Unlike natural gas, LP gas is heavier than air. Because of this, any unburned LP gas will settle in the bottom of the fire feature. Lack of appropriate drainage or venting in a fire feature promotes a collection of LP gas at the bottom and WILL cause a very hazardous situation. For this reason, your fire feature MUST have either a drain line that ends in open air or venting at the bottom of the feature installed to allow unburned LP gas to escape. This configuration will eliminate the event a potentially dangerous outcome.
• We HIGHLY recommend using as little media as possible ON TOP of the burner element in a LP gas fire feature. The less media there is on top of the burner element, the less obstructions there are. Excessive media will prevent LP gas from being ignited at the top of the fire feature. When you reducing the depth of your fire media, you have reduced the chance of unburned LP gas traveling to the bottom of the fire feature and becoming trapped, as mentioned above.

 

Gas Requirements:

PLEASE NOTE: a small amount of air will exist in the fuel supply lines. When first lighting your AWEIS, it will take a few seconds for air to purge from lines. Subsequent lighting of the AWEIS will not require such purging.

• Minimum Gas Inlet Pressure: 0.25 psi
• Maximum Gas Inlet Pressure: 2.0 psi

 

Drain Holes:

You need either one drain hole (1/2" in diameter) or multiple drain holes (each 1/4" in diameter). Without proper drainage, the bowl could fill up with water and damage the remote control module.

 

Electrical Requirements:
One dedicated 24 volt/75 VA transformer is required to power one AWEIS. We supply you with a 24 volt transformer and it is recommended that it is configured into your set-up in a remote location, away from the fire feature. It must be placed in an approved, weatherproof electrical junction box and installed in accordance with local codes. It is highly recommended that you have one dedicated wire run (2 wires) from each transformer to each fire feature.

Daisy-chaining of the wire can be accomplished if you use a minimum of 12 gauge wire to prevent voltage drop. When daisy-chaining the wire from the transformers to the first fire feature and to the remaining features, you must first wire the transformers in parallel with one another and to the wire leading to the fire features.

There are numerous electrical devices that can be used power your fire feature on and off. Wall switches and remote control devices that are used should be UL listed and approved for turning high voltage (110 volt electrical power) on and off. High voltage electrical power should be connected to the supplied 24 volt AC transformer by a qualified electrical installer only.

• Wire Length < 100' : 14 ga
• Wire Length > 100' : 12 ga

 

TROUBLSHOOTING

My pilot flames either won't light or fails to ignite consistently.

Problems with pilot flame ignition are most often caused by a low current situation. The hot surface igniter used in the AWEIS pilot burner requires a minimum of 1.2 amps at 24 volts to reach full operating temperature so that it can ignite the gas.

When the AWEIS is first turned on, the initial amp draw should be a minimum of 1.2 amps for the first 4 seconds. It will then increase to approximately 1.6 amps once the pilot valve is opened by the AWEIS. After ignition occurs, the hot surface igniter is turned off and the main gas valve is turned on. Amp readings after the main valve is turned on are approximately 0.8 to 1.0 amps.

 

What causes a low current situation?

This occurrence can be the result of one of two things:

• WIRE TOO THIN The most common problem is using a wire gauge (thickness) that is less than the minimum that is recommended.
  • If the wire connecting the AWEIS and a 24 volt transformer is less than 100 feet long, the recommended wire gauge to be used is a minimum of 14.
  • Lengths equal to or greater than 100 feet should be used in conjunction with a 12 gauge wire. Any time multiple AWEIS units are daisy chained - regardless of the length of the wire run - a 12 gauge wire is recommended.
    • NO MORE than three (3) AWEIS should be daisy chained together! The most common problem is using a wire gauge less than the minimum recommended.
• NOT ENOUGH TRANSFORMERS This is the second most common problem. One transformer is included with each that is AWEIS shipped. Please keep in mind that one transformer can ONLY power one AWEIS. When attempting to power more than one AWEIS with one transformer, pilot flame ignition will not occur.

 

My AWEIS turns off after a few minutes of operation.

This problem is caused by improper pilot burner positioning. In most cases, the pilot burner is positioned too high in relation to the fire ring. Remember: the top of the pilot burner cage should be no more than 1" above the fire ring.

 

My AWEIS turns off after an extended period of operation (greater than 15 minutes).

Generally, the AWEIS won't turn back on upon power cycling until 10 minutes later. Inside the AWEIS is a circuit board controller. It has a self-resetting thermal fuse which protects the system from overheating. If the AWEIS gets too hot, the thermal fuse will open and thus shut down the AWEIS. Once the fuse cools to a certain temperature (average time 10 minutes), it will reset itself and allow the AWEIS to be turned on again. 

This situation occurs most frequently with fire features that use propane gas. For propane applications, a brass air mixer is added to the outlet of the AWEIS. The orifice inside the air mixer is sized to accommodate propane pressures between 7" to 10" WC (or 1/4 to 1/3 psi). When used with higher gas pressure, propane will be expelled out the 6 air holes in the mixer, causing a small fire directly above the valve box of the AWEIS. This small fire heats the valve box, which in turn causes the thermal fuse to open. In order to eliminate this problem, you can reduce the propane gas pressure by adjusting the second stage regulator until the pressure falls within proper WC range.

This problem can also be caused when extra large lava rock (greater than 4 inches in diameter) are used in the fire feature. Extra large lava rocks, due to their size, can absorb heat faster than they can radiates it. This is because it the core of each rock is incapable of release heat. Therefore, extra large pieces will get much hotter than smaller ones. Therefore, we recommend using lava rock no bigger than 4" in diameter.