Do you know how your home furnace works?
The piece of equipment that provides the greatest amount of comfort in your home is one many people know little about, so let’s learn about your home furnace.
Entering into your warm and cozy home in the midst of a winter storm is one of life’s greatest feelings and can only be made possible with the use of your home furnace. So why is this piece of equipment often overlooked and forgotten? Many homeowners don’t realize the important role it plays in their household until it breaks down. Let’s take a look inside the piece of equipment at the core of your home’s comfort and see how it works and what you can do to ensure that your home furnace stays in tip-top shape.
What makes up a home furnace?
When looking for a new home furnace there are quite a few types to choose from, there are single-stage furnaces, two-stage furnaces, modulating furnaces, oil & gas furnaces, but despite their differences, their inner components are relatively the same. The inside of your home furnace contains a heat exchanger, heat pump, air filter, burners, blower, and flue. Looking at all of its inner components you can see that a lot of work goes into creating the perfectly comfortable environment for your home. But what do all of these individual components do? Let’s find out.
Heat exchanger: The heat exchanger is where heat is added to the cool air. This heated air is blown straight into your home’s air ducts and is distributed throughout the home. It is one of the most important parts of the furnace system.
Heat pump: The heat pump is what makes your home furnace system energy efficient and saves you money on your monthly utility bills. In the summer season, the heat pump gets rid of the heat in the air of your home and redirects it outdoors. In the winter time, it does the opposite by compacting the heat of the outside air and adding that heat into the air inside your home. A heat pump can reduce your monthly heating bill by as much as 30%.
Air filter: This home furnace component is the reason why the air in your home stays clean and free of pollutants and allergens.
Burners: The burners are a set of tubes where gas is burned. This is done with the use of a sensor and a gas valve which controls the flames and regulates whether the gas should be on or off.
Blower: The blower is in charge of redirecting cool air from the return ducts into the heat exchanger where it is heated. The heated air is then redirected again into the ducts.
Flue: The furnace’s flue is what removes any toxic remains, such as carbon monoxide, that are created during combustion.
How your home furnace does its job
The furnace’s process starts outside of your home where the cool air enters the system through the venting. The air first goes through the air filter to get rid of any airborne debris, pollutants, and allergens. The filtered air is redirected by the blower fans into the burner where it is heated and distributed throughout your home through the ductwork. Then the process starts all over until the air in your home reaches the desired temperature that was set on your thermostat.
Home furnace maintenance
If not maintained properly, the lifetime of your furnace can be decreased substantially, which is why it’s important to take great care of this essential piece of equipment. You can maintain your home furnace by:
- Cleaning the air filter. Air filters often get clogged up with debris from the outside air, so cleaning them is a very necessary process. Furnace air filters should be changed regularly to keep your furnace working efficiently
- If you are noticing problems with your home’s heating check to see if the burners are working correctly
- Lubricate all of the furnace’s moving parts to allow them to operate smoothly
- Take great notice of any corrosion on your furnace unit. Corrosion on your furnace is not a good sign and may lead to future furnace problems.
If you are having any problems with your furnace which are outside of your knowledge and can’t be fixed by simple maintenance, calling a professional HVAC contractor is the next step. Professional HVAC contractors are trained to be able to find the source of any furnace problem and provide you with the best solution.
If you are currently experiencing furnace problems and are looking for a home furnace replacement or have any questions about your other HVAC needs, don’t hesitate to contact DeMark Home Ontario to find the answers. We provide quick and efficient furnace service and replacement performed by our highly experienced and trained technicians. We offer furnace rent to own, financing, and purchasing programs to give our customers a home heating solution which fits their budget and their needs. If you want to learn more, give us a call at 647-847-2998 or fill out our online request form and we will be happy to assist you with your request.
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