A furnace is a unit that we use for high-temperature heating or cooling of a room or space. It uses electricity, fuel combustion or through induction heat. It can be beneficial, especially in the winter seasons, when you wouldn’t like to be in a cold room. Also, it gives you an alternative to space heaters. Moreover, a furnace provides powerful and quick heating at a relatively low cost.
Types of Furnace
- Gas Furnace
- Oil Furnace
- Electric Furnace
- Modulating Furnace
The most common type is the gas-powered central air system. It heats air in one area and then circulates it around the room through the ductwork and vents
How do they work?
Change your thermostat setting to what you want your home temperature to be, which would be sent to the furnace. The furnace would only start when it receives this signal from the thermostat
- The control board will then ensure that the system’s safety is operational. It would also monitor it throughout the heating process
- The gas would then ignite the furnace. The ductwork would start delivering hot air in your home after a few seconds.
- Once the thermostat detects that your home temperature has reached your desired limit, the furnace would shut down
- If the thermostat also detects that your home temperature drops below your desired range, then the furnace would ignite again
Like with every other household equipment furnace can go wrong. Once you observe that your furnace is not working efficiently, contact a local furnace repairs service.
What can go wrong with your Furnace?
When a furnace starts malfunctioning, it may be caused by any of its three major components. The three major components are cold/ heat source, Distribution system or the Thermostat
The following can happen when it goes wrong.
- The furnace can go bad and start blowing cold air
- Not kicking on
- Making loud noises
Once you observe this, quickly switch off the furnace and your thermostats and contact your local repairer.
You shouldn’t allow your furnace to break down completely before calling a local repairer. You should know that efficient furnace operation is a function of regular maintenance. It is very important to maintain your furnace regularly. The reason is that it can mean disaster if it gets bad during the cold night. There is no worse feeling than experiencing cold during the middle of the night. This can cause serious health challenges, as well. Maintenance is intended to ensure that your furnace is running well at all times. Failure to maintain your furnace can lead to a huge financial and health burden.
What are the signs that your furnace needs maintenance or repair?
- The most obvious sign that your furnace needs to be checked is a leak. Once you experience a lick, then you should call your local furnace repairer.
- When your finance starts making a strange noise, then it needs to be checked
- When you turn up your thermostat, and no heat comes out from the vent.
- When it starts producing poor air quality, it’s also time to contact your local repairer quickly. Poor air quality can lead to asthma and other breathing issues
Causes
Sometimes the furnace or air conditioner won’t run, if this happens, then it’s most likely from the source. They may have lost power due to fuel not reaching the unit. If the furnace uses gas or oil, then they may not be igniting.
Sometimes your furnace air conditioner may turn on without supplying warm or cold air to the room. If this happens, then, the fault is likely from the distribution system.
Dirty Filter or clogged air filters can also cause a reduction of airflow and make the air difficult to circulate. Electric Ignition or pilot control problems which makes a room not getting heated up. A faulty thermostat can also cause your devices to turn on or off randomly
Dangers of a Leak (Carbon Monoxide)
Carbon monoxide leak in the furnace can be very dangerous. Observe your furnace at all times, once you notice that the pilot light on the system keeps going out or begins to flicker then you know it is caused by a leak. If the flame also turns yellow instead of blue, then it is also caused by a carbon monoxide leak. Do not hesitate to contact your local repairer as carbon monoxide leak can be very dangerous.
Cracks can also cause carbon monoxide leaks. Carbon monoxide is odorless and is very difficult to notice, that is why you need to observe your furnace to ensure safety. Once you observe a leak evacuate your home immediately and contact a local repairer. Carbon monoxides can cause dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness, shortness in breath and extreme cases, death. So, a local repairer can perform a thorough inspection of your furnace and correct every faulty component
Conclusion
It is better to be safe than sorry. Every home needs to be warm during winter, and the best way to do that is to repair your furnace when it goes bad.
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