As a homeowner in Metro East Illinois, knowing how your furnace works and how vital it is in keeping you comfortable throughout the winter. But as a homeowner, the technology might get foggy when trying to explain to your HVAC tech what the problem may be. So, we’re here to help with Furnace 101.
What is a Furnace?
A furnace is an appliance that heats air using natural gas, propane, oil, or electricity. The air is then circulated throughout your home using either a forced air system (consisting of ducts and registers) or a hot water system (known as radiant heating). The main types of furnaces include:
- Forced Air Furnaces – these use air to transfer heat through metal ducts.
- Steam/Hot Water Boilers – these units use heated water and steam to transfer heat throughout your home via radiators or baseboard convectors.
How Does It Work?
At the heart of a furnace is its burner assembly, which consists of two chambers connected by two tubes. The first chamber holds the fuel source (natural gas, propane, oil, etc.).The second chamber has an ignition source like a spark plug or hot surface ignitor. When the thermostat senses it’s getting cold outside, it signals to start the furnace up.
The combustion process begins as oxygen from outside enters through an exhaust vent into both chambers and mixes with the fuel source. This creates combustible gas, which is ignited by the ignition source inside, causing combustion gases to enter into an exchanger pipe where they heat up fast. Heat energy is transferred and released as these gases pass through this exchanger pipe, keeping your home nice and warm during winter!
Why Is It Important?
Furnaces provide significant benefits beyond just keeping us warm during colder months. They offer cost savings due to their high-efficiency ratings compared with other traditional heating systems like baseboard or space heater installations; they provide cleaner air because most modern furnaces contain filtration systems designed to trap airborne allergens before they have a chance to circulate inside our homes; as well as giving even temperatures throughout your home.
If something goes wrong, then you need not worry! With routine maintenance checks every few months coupled with annual tune-ups, new models can last years and years, giving you confidence that should anything happen, it can be fixed quickly and professionally at any time! That’s why residents of Hamel are lucky enough to have Ernst Heating & Cooling at their disposal – offering emergency services – ensuring no one ever gets left out in the cold! So call us today for reliable furnace repair service and never get caught off guard again!