How do Residential Furnaces Work?
Ever wondered how your furnace works? You press a button on the thermostat and heat comes out of the vents into your home. That’s the obvious part. In reality, a whole chain of events happens when you press the button on your thermostat. Furnaces are complex, but a basic knowledge of how your furnace works will put you ahead of the game when an Atlanta heating company comes to your home.
Signal
The whole process begins when you press the thermostat button. First, an electric low-voltage signal is sent to your furnace from the thermostat telling it to turn on. A relay inside the furnace then multiplies the signal. A thermostat can be the weak link in your heating system if it isn’t sending the right signals.
Ignition
Next, gasses are released by the relay’s signal to open a valve, which supplies gas for ignition. Ignition of the gas occurs with electronic ignition on a newer furnace or a pilot light if the furnace is older.
Combustion
Inside the combustion chamber, gas ignites and heats the chamber. Combustion can be inefficient if burners are dirty. This can lead to an inefficient yellow flame instead of a clean burning blue one. Burners should be checked by a technician during routine maintenance.
Heat Exchange
The heat exchanger takes the heat from combustion and transfers it from the combustion chamber to the air flowing through the furnace. It transfers heat without letting poisonous carbon monoxide gas through. The harmful gas is sent out a flu pipe that exits at the roof. If an old heat exchanger develops holes in it, then carbon monoxide could end up in your house, making you sick.
Blower to Vents
The blower propels the heated air through the ducts and out vents in every room in your house. Return air vents bring unheated air back to the furnace where the process starts all over again. Air goes through a filter before going back into the furnace. If the filter is clogged, air can’t flow correctly through the furnace, putting strain on the blower and preventing heated air from travelling efficiently.
Get Your Furnace Checked
It’s good to have each of these vital links of furnace operation assessed once a year during a scheduled maintenance check. Making sure that your furnace is running correctly will reduce the chances of it quitting during the coldest part of the year. Even more important, a routine maintenance check will make sure carbon dioxide poisoning does not occur in your home.
You can contact Anytime Heating, Cooling and Plumbing to do a 30-point maintenance check on your furnace to ensure good operation through this winter. Anytime is available for emergency service whenever you need it. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Give Anytime a call today and keep your home safe and warm this winter.
