Heating, Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How does a furnace work?
A: Heat is created by burning gas, oil or propane inside the furnace. Hot gases that are created pass through metal tubing called a heat exchanger and then out of your home through a vent pipe. A blower or fan then moves air in your home’s duct system over the outside of the heat exchanger, which warms the air. The warm air is then circulated through your home.
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Q: How is a furnace different from a boiler?
A: While the heating principle for both is the same, a boiler heats water instead of air. That water is circulated by a pump through a system of baseboards in the home. Some boilers produce steam, which is piped to radiators throughout the home.
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Q: What is a "cracked" furnace?
A: The heat exchanger is the main component of your furnace. If the heat exchanger has a crack or a rust hole, combustion fumes (including carbon monoxide) can contaminate the air in your home. This is a potentially deadly situation and must be addressed immediately. Usually the furnace needs to be replaced. If you suspect there might be a crack in your furnace’s heat exchanger or a carbon monoxide problem with your furnace, turn the system off immediately and call us for service.
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Q: On mild winter days my furnace runs in short blasts and my home alternates between being too hot and too cold. How can I fix this?
A: A two-speed or variable-capacity system is the perfect solution.
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Two-speed furnaces can run on a lower speed up to 90% of the time. This means they operate more quietly and run for longer periods of time than single-speed furnaces. Longer operating periods mean fewer on/off cycles and much smaller temperature swings. Plus, since the two-speed system’s fan runs for longer periods, air "stratification"—warm air rising to the ceiling and cold air settling on the floor— is prevented. You get more consistent, even heat throughout your home. |
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Variable-capacity furnaces provide the ultimate combination of comfort, efficiency and performance. In addition to the benefits of two-speed furnaces, they offer "smart" motors that automatically adjust the volume and speed of air to provide the most efficient heating or cooling for your home, no matter how mild or cold the weather. They offer added electrical efficiency as well: The smart fan motors use less electricity than traditional motors. They operate so efficiently that they actually increase the efficiency rating of your central air conditioning system. |
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Q: Is there anything we can do about the smell of heating oil?
A: As long as your heating system is working properly, you should not smell heating oil in your home. If you smell oil, it means something is WRONG! An oil smell could come from a leak, combustion or burner troubles, heat exchanger failure or exhaust system problems. Give us a call and we’ll come over to correct the problem. If you have a leak, we’ll help you remove the oil and and get the smell out of your home. If you ever smell oil from your vents, call us immediately because that’s an indication of a faulty furnace that could be putting dangerous exhaust gases in your home.
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Q: What is AFUE?
A: It’s an efficiency rating for boilers and furnaces. Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) tells how efficiently a furnace uses fuel (gas or oil). In general, higher-efficiency furnaces mean lower monthly operating costs for heating. The government-mandated minimum AFUE rating for furnaces installed in new homes is 78%. In contrast, many furnaces manufactured before 1992 have AFUE ratings as low as 60%. Modern units offer AFUE ratings in excess of 90%.
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Q: Some rooms in my home don't get enough heat (or cooling). Can this be fixed?
A: Sometimes running your system’s fan continuously (the "on" position instead of "auto" on your thermostat) can help. Also, the addition of a new vent or register will help if the ductwork can accommodate it. Or, for the greatest comfort and flexibility, you can zone your system, which allows your one comfort system to work as though you had several systems (see next question).
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Q: What is zoning?
A: When we install zoning in a home, we put in additional thermostats along with a series of motorized dampers in the duct system, or valves in a water or steam system. Zoning makes one heating or cooling system operate as if it were more than one. It gives you the luxury of setting different rooms at different temperatures without affecting the rest of the house or wasting energy. Nothing on the market today can improve the performance of your existing heating and air conditioning systems— and your home comfort— like zoning.
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If you have questions other than those listed above, send us an email or give us a call at (610) 566-7600.
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