Forced air furnaces are the equipment, which we use to heat the homes. They are available in a number of varieties and run on natural gas, propane, or fuel oil. The furnaces work in the following ways.
Air Flow
The furnace includes a blower or fan that takes cold air from the atmosphere with the help of a cold air return vent. The air is then heated and is blown out from the top or bottom of the furnace and is sent onto the supply trunk. This trunk sends the hot air to smaller pipes and the air is distributed all over the home.
Heating Mechanism
The furnace needs fuel to heat the air. Forced air furnaces do not fire the air directly as the carbon monoxide is produced which is a deadly gas and has no smell and cannot be detected unless you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. The furnaces have a heat exchange, which is made up of metal. The metal makes the heat exchange extremely hot and the air is pushed from the atmosphere to the heat exchange. The air is heated up but it does not take any carbon monoxide. The exhaust is shot out through the chimney or PVC pipe.
Controls
The thermostat detects the temperature of the room and if below what you have set the furnace will start to heat air. There are many sensors inside the furnace, which helps the furnace to work safely. The flame sensor checks whether the fuel is burning or not and works as long as the burners are ignited. If there is no fire, the sensor stops working automatically.
Benefits of Air Furnace
There are many benefits of a forced air furnace:
Indoor air quality
The air quality of the room is better in comparison to other heating systems. Forced air furnaces filter the air and the humidification system as well as air cleaners purify the air. This helps to improve air quality inside the room and repair and replacement is also reduced due to the presence of air dehumidifier and cleaner in the furnace.
Energy efficiency
Some models of furnaces use natural gas as a fuel, which is affordable. New technologies that are being installed in the furnaces are also improving the efficiency of the furnaces.
Fast Comfort
Furnaces heat up a room or a house much faster than other heating systems like electric and hydronic systems. The user is comforted easily due to this fast approach.
Affordability
The initial cost of the furnace is high but the maintenance, replacement, and repair cost is much low in comparison to other heating equipment. The furnaces have a long life and are very reliable. The average life of a forced air furnace can be expected from 15 to 30 years. Gas furnaces are cheap and have low maintenance cost in comparison to oil ones.
