Gas burning furnaces
Gas or fuel burning furnaces all work on the same basic principle. The fuel is burned inside an enclosed metal container (generally referred to as a fire box or heat exchanger). The exhaust gases (including carbon monoxide) are vented to the exterior of the building. The burning of the fuel warms the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger, now hot, radiates the heat into the air in the living area. This heated air is circulated by gravity or pumped through the living area with a fan.
Gravity furnaces
These will usually be found in older homes. They include floor and wall furnaces and some ducted furnaces that are generally in a basement. The term gravity referrers to the fact that the furnace has no blower to move the heated air around the room. They rely on the fact that heated (less dense) air rises and the cooler (more dense) air falls to circulate the heat. This is not a very efficient way to heat a house and generally will be used as a room heater.
FAU's (forced air units)
This is the most common type of furnace. A forced air unit does exactly what it's name implies. It forces air (using a blower) over the hot heat exchanger. This now warmed air is directed (usually through air ducts) into the living area. If you have a FAU that is over 15 years old and are considering replacing it you have a lot of options. In the state of California you can't get a FAU that is less than 80% efficient for your home (not legally anyway). This is good and will lower your gas bills during the heating season but there are some things to watch out for. First these newer FAU's have what is called a draft inducer. This pulls the burning gas through the heat exchanger to make better and more efficient use of the fuel spent. What this means is that the exhaust gasses (vented to the outside) are cooler leaving the furnace and they can cause condensation to form on the inside of single wall or transite vent pipes. If you do not replace the vent pipe with double wall vent pipe this condensation can (and probably will) drain down into the draft inducer motor and destroy it. This common error made by the installer can void a warranty from the manufacturer.
Hydronic heat
This type of heating unit can be used with forced air or radiant heating systems. Hydronic referrers to water. The water is heated by a boiler or solar power or both. In a forced air application the heated water is passed through a coil (much like a automobile radiator) and a blower pushes (or pulls) the cool air across the coil. At the coil the air picks up the heat energy and the now warm air is directed to the living area. In radiant systems the heated water is run through pipes in the floor (or walls) and the floor gets warm and the heat radiates into the living area. A well designed and maintained system of this type can be efficient to operate. Homeowners who I have met who own this type of system (when working) just love the heat at their feet. Unfortunately quite often this type of system can be prone to leaks if not designed, installed, and maintained by experts.
Heat pumps
Everything you ever needed to know about heat pumps can be found on the heat pump page.... Well enough for the average homeowner.
Electric furnaces
Not the best way to heat your home. Expensive to operate. They can make your electric meter spin like a top. They work like those old bathroom electric coil heaters except that they are enclosed in a box with a blower forcing the cold air across them heating the air for the living area. Nuff said about that.
Heating
Cooling
Heat Pumps
Maintenance
HERS RATING
Electrostatic Filters
Thermostats
Hiring A Contractor
Carbon Monoxide
About D&H Climate Control
Dedication
Back Home
Cooling
Heat Pumps
Maintenance
HERS RATING
Electrostatic Filters
Thermostats
Hiring A Contractor
Carbon Monoxide
About D&H Climate Control
Dedication
Back Home