I am attempting to turn on the home central gas heater for the first time this year. It is controlled by a honeywell self ignition model number sv9541. I follow the instructions on the front panel and nothing happens. I turn off the thermostat inside the house and unplug the unit as advised. I then slide a black switch from off to on, plug back in the unit and turn the indoor thermostat on heat with no results. Any suggestions?

yes, make sure you order the correct part, youll need the model number and serial number. the ignitor has 2 wires wrapped with white fibers, usually 2 screws to remove it, and theres only one way to plug it back in. NOTE: Ignition failure does not always mean the ignitor needs replaced. make sure your ignitor doesnt turn on and glow when you start the heater. if it does, youll want to clean out the gas orifices.

Is there gas cause most of the time it won't ignite cause there is no gas. What you can do is light it your self and if it lights that is good and if it stays light than there is has sometime you have to light it your self

1) Call manufacturer with model number and serial number appearing on label on side of water heater.
http://waterheatertimer.org/Water-heater-manufacturers.html

2) Copy following link to troubleshoot by type of gas control valve:
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-troubleshoot-gas-water-heater.html#intellivent
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-replace-thermocouple.html

3) Product manuals today recommend yearly service, and yearly cleaning of combustion parts, and to keep air intake clean.
If air intake becomes clogged, or combustion parts get dirty, it can slow the exit of combustion gasses, and this will soot the burner, and clog burner ports, which means slow lazy yellow flame and incomplete burning of released gas. So unburned gas is present in combustion chamber and up the flueway. The ignition of unburned gas can cause explosion of various intensity ... and the 'boom' sound you heard.

The explosion certainly overheated combustion chamber and tripped FVIR system.

4) Since each manufacturer has different FV system (flammable vapor ignition retardation system), and each manufacturer has continued to make changes over time in FV systems, the solution for tripped FV will vary by brand and age and model of water heater.
For example the intellivent gas control can be reset in some models, while other models require replacement of parts ranging from gas control valve to FV sensor to glass vial, and include possibly full replacement of water heater.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

Time to call qualified service technician. And watch what that person does to learn about your water heater.
I assume you have Honeywell Icon gas valve. Honeywell makes different several model numbers.

Here is 'typical' Honeywell Icon gas valve service manual for Bradford White, that may or may not apply to your water heater. It shows testing for Icon and disassembly instructions, and error codes.
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Bradford-white-service-manual-44943-D.pdf

Gas water heaters today require yearly service that includes cleaning burner parts and combustion chamber, checking vent and air intake, electrical connections, testing gas valve, checking gas pressure, bleeding air out of gas line, etc. These are things you can learn to do by reading service manual, and making sure you have a spare water heater around to connect real quick if experiment goes wrong.
If Icon gas valve is problem, that control is modular and can be replaced without draining tank.
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html#troubleshoot

try checking the gas pressure might be to high or low thats what i would check first

the first problem is you need a milli-volt t-stat and your central has a 24volt t-stat if you connect the 2 it will fry the controlls in the wall heater the second problem is t-stat location if the wall heater is near the central heats t-stat it will shut off the central to soon . maybe relocate wall unit to coldest room ?

go to
http://www51.honeywell.com/honeywell/
and enter your model number on the right side near the top.
Hank

there should be a cross reference replacement part for this check with local hvac shops

you would have to study the wirring diagram etc but any gas heater control should work, you just have to know how to hook it up as the ignition etc is all incorporated in the control

gas valve could be clogged it has a screen in the side of the inlet, check this first if not it could be the gas valve itself,, make sure the gas valve is turned on also, sometimes people turn them off and for get the handle should be in line with the pipe not across the pipe