Introduction

According to Mark Roemer Oakland, almost every home has a furnace, and as the winter season approaches it’s good to know a few basic things about this appliance. That way you can fix it when it doesn’t work properly or at least would know what to tell the handyman when he arrives. Let’s check out the ins and outs of a furnace:

The Details

  1. What is a furnace? – A furnace is a gas-powered central air system that heats the air in one part of the house and distributes warm air to the rest of your home through ducts. Your furnace may run on a different fuel source, maybe propane, electricity, or heating oil. However, the core principle remains the same. Your furnace has several parts including the control system, heat exchanger, blower, ventilation system, and more.

  1. What are the different components of a furnace? – Your furnace has several parts that make a complex heating system. It includes:

  • Thermostat
  • Burners
  • Control Board
  • Igniter
  • Flame detector
  • Burners
  • Heat exchanger
  • Gas Valve
  • Plenums
  • Transformer
  • Air Filter

  1. Heating cycle of a furnace – Here’s how these components work together to keep your home warm and comfortable with a heating cycle:

  • The gas enters your furnace from a storage tank or via the local gas supply network and is lit up by the burner
  • Cold air enters the furnace from your home and gets warmed up by the flames of the burning gas inside the heat exchanger
  • Any toxic gas and fumes produced in the heat exchanger is exhausted out of the furnace via a vent that leads to the exhaust pipe outside the home
  • The clean warm air inside the heat exchanger is then directed to various parts of your home via a blower fan. However, warm air doesn’t flow to every room. Only to those where the thermostat detects very low temperatures or temperatures set by the user
  • The warm air then increases the internal temperature of your home while cold air is pushed to the furnace via return ducts
  • Once the internal temperature reaches the user set level on the thermostat, the gas valve is switched off to prevent further flow of warm air.

 

  1. Why do I need a furnace – If you have individual heaters inside your home, boilers, or other such appliances, then you don’t need a furnace. However, most American homes use a furnace to centrally heat their home during the winter months. It’s very important, especially in cold climates where temperatures can drop to freezing levels and the insulation layers behind the wall aren’t enough. Make sure that you have a furnace with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of over 90 percent so that you get the most out of your money.

Conclusion

Mark Roemer Oakland suggests that you operate a furnace with caution and with all safety precautions to minimize any risks of fire or other accidents. It’s also important to maintain it in good condition so that you can heat your home efficiently during the cold months.