March 21, 2019

The Heating Process of a Furnace

Most older homes will rely on a furnace for heat in the winter. Furnaces are among the oldest types of heating systems for residential buildings. They were originally heated by wood or coal. However, most modern furnace systems use propane, gas or electricity to create heat in the home. These units are more energy efficient than other heating systems. Do you want to know how furnaces operate? Here is a quick guide on the heating process of a furnace. Forced Air Heating Electric, propane and gas furnaces all use forced air heating to warm your home. The system moves the heat throughout the home with air pressure. The blower fans push the air through a ductwork system in your home. This air then moves out through the vents. The furnace will use the same ductwork as the home’s air conditioning system. There is no need for additional ductwork. Natural Gas Furnace Natural gas furnaces use a pilot light to ignite burners in the combustion chamber. The heat from the burners enters a heat exchanger. From this point, the warm air is transferred and heats the ambient air. The blowers push the air throughout the ductwork system. Furnaces that use propane...

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February 21, 2019

The History of Home Heating

Throughout our time on this planet, human beings have never ceased to overcome obstacles in order to inhabit every part of the world despite the local climate. Thousands of years ago, people bundled up in furs and animal skins to navigate through the ice-cold regions near the Arctic. They’d take shelter where they could, often in caves, and huddle around a fire at night. Learning to make fire was one of the great breakthroughs of human history, but it was thousands of years before our ancestors improved on the technology. In recent centuries, people finally began to develop what we now call a furnace. Humble Beginnings In the time of the Roman Empire, people would burn fuel under a brick and mortar building. The heat would rise to warm the structure. As time went on, the chimney was invented, making a safer alternative. The fire could then be isolated to one area of the building. This minimized the possibility of the flames spreading. The fireplace eventually gave way to the much more efficient Franklin stove, and the population switched from wood to coal late in the 19th century. The furnace was finally devised to more efficiently use this fuel and...

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January 5, 2019

Be on the Alert for Furnace Warning Signs

Sometimes, a furnace breaks down without any warning. Were there really no warnings, though? Often, a homeowner is unaware of common warning signs that a furnace is about to falter. Knowing how to recognize those warning signs may help you know when to place a call to an HVAC service. Clicking and Flicking Sounds A heating system should operate efficiently. When the temperature falls below your desired comfort level, adjust the temperature setting. The furnace should kick on without any problems. When you hear clicking sounds before the furnace fires up, this is not a good sign. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that since the furnace eventually turns on that the clicking and delays mean nothing. They are warning signs. For one, there could be an electrical problem hampering the furnace’s operations. A fuse may be bad, or a wire could be damaged. In some instances, the furnace just needs a good cleaning. No matter the reason, the unit might soon die on you. Get it checked out. The Furnace Doesn’t Perform Efficiently Let’s say that you run the furnace day and night, but the temperature isn’t as comfortable as you would like. Furthermore, your heating bills seem awfully...

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