Gas fired and forced air electric furnaces distribute warm, even heat throughout your home or place of business by heating air and circulating it through ducts.
Furnaces create
heat by burning fuel (gas, oil, or propane). When the fuel burns, it generates
hot gasses which travel through curved metal tubing called a heat
exchanger. As air passes over the heat exchanger, it absorbs heat from
the hot metal surface. The heated air is then circulated through ducts to warm
your home or place of business. Meanwhile, the gasses (combustion air) that are
created by the burning fuel are released outside through a metal or plastic vent
pipe.
A furnace which is cracked or contains holes or small leaks can release
carbon monoxide into your home or place of business. Carbon monoxide is
colorless, odorless, and tasteless and is virtually impossible for the human
senses to detect. In fact, because carbon monoxide is so hard to detect and is
so deadly it has earned the nick-name "The Silent Killer". Most accidental
carbon monoxide poisonings occur from house fires, malfunctioning home-heating
systems and hot-water heaters. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning vary
significantly. The most common acute symptoms include headache, nausea,
vomiting, dizziness and fatigue. Many carbon monoxide victims frequently
attribute these non-specific symptoms to viruses or flu-like illnesses. Severe,
continued cases of carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to coma and death.
To reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning inside your
home or place of business, it is extremely important that your furnace be
serviced annually by a licensed technician. An annual check-up should include a
thorough inspection of the heating unit for cracks, holes, and leaks which can
release carbon monoxide into the air. To reduce the risk of fire, the flame
itself should checked for a proper mixture of air and gas. Likewise the safety
and limit switches should be tested to insure that the fan runs whenever the
heat exchanger is hot and that the unit will shut off should the flame burn
beyond the confines of the box.
A-All Comfort performs
annual heating check-ups.
Electric furnaces use an air handler (fan) to force air across a heat exchanger (or resistor). The resistor is a wire coil which uses electricity to create heat. The heated air is then circulated through ducts to warm your home or place of business.
While electric furnaces are generally cleaner and safer to run than gas powered furnaces, they too can benefit from an annual heating check-up. A thorough inspection of your heating system can insure that it is running as efficiently as possible and is providing maximum comfort for you and your family. The inspection can also detect minor problems which can be treated before they cause serious damage to your heating system.
A heat pump works by moving naturally occurring heat in or out of your home. Even in the cold of winter, free outdoor heat is available to warm your home. In summer, the heat pump reverses the process and pumps warm indoor air into the outdoors, cooling your home like a normal air conditioner. Because a heat pump does not burn fuel, it is safer and cleaner to run than a gas powered furnace..
 |
 Home |
 |