An improved and high capacity gas igniter for furnaces and burners. The igniter can include an igniter tip that is annular in shape and includes various holes of different sizes and angular projections distributed throughout. The igniter tip may utilize a slip-joint-like mechanism or sleeve that connects inner and outer tubes of a guide tube that allows the inner tube to slide when undergoing thermal expansion. This configuration alleviates stress from building up on the inner tube and igniter tip, preventing damage.

An ignition system for igniting a gas burner of an appliance includes a gas burner, an electric igniter assembly, a pilot light, and a controller. The pilot light is ignitable by the electric igniter assembly. The controller is configured to operate the electric igniter assembly for ignition of the gas burner, detect a power disruption event, ignite the pilot light using the electric igniter assembly in response to detecting the power disruption event, and use the pilot light for ignition of the gas burner during the power disruption event. Methods of operating the ignition system for igniting the gas burner of the appliance are also provided.

A water heater pilot control system includes a supercapacitor; a battery; a controller configured to control ignition of a flame; and voltage control circuitry. The voltage control circuitry includes a first power converter configured to convert a voltage from one or both of the supercapacilor and the battery to a predetermined voltage; a second power converter configured to convert a voltage from a thermoelectric device to the predetermined voltage; and charging circuitry configured to charge the supercapacitor using the predetermined voltage from one or both of the first power converter and the second power converter, wherein one or both of the first power converter and the second power converter are configured to supply the predetermined voltage to the controller.