The furnace may be the most common heating system used in the country, but that doesn’t mean homeowners are familiar with its operation. Furnaces are a mystery to many (especially in our area, where warmer weather calls for infrequent use). And due to the complexity of these systems, you should only allow a professional to service your gas furnace whenever you need repairs or a replacement.
But if you’re curious, we can help you to understand the basics of your gas furnace. Here, we list some of the essential steps of a furnace’s operation.
- The thermostat on the wall detects low temperatures and sends a signal to the gas furnace.
- The gas valve opens up and sends gas to the burner assembly.
- The pilot flame ignites the gas, but this may not work in the way you’d expect. Today, a standing pilot that’s on all the time is no longer the way furnaces are manufactured. Here are the two most common ignition systems used today.
- Hot surface ignition – Silicon carbide gets very hot as electricity passes through.
- Direct spark intermittent pilot – A high-voltage spark ignites the gas.
- Flue gases vent out of one end of the heat exchanger and to the flue vent to move safely outdoors.
- The fan limit switch activates the blower fan once the air plenum reaches the proper temperature.
- The blower fan pulls in air from your home, which moves into the air plenum and is heated by the heat exchanger.
- As it heats, the air moves back through the supply ducts in order to heat your home.
- Once the air in the home reaches a certain temperature, the thermostat signals the furnace to shut off.
AAction Air Conditioning & Heating Co. Inc. does quality work at a fair price, every time. Call us today to schedule furnace installation or service in Savannah or a surrounding area.