Furnaces have been around for a couple of thousand years, making them one of the original home heating systems. Today’s furnaces are certainly different than the ones from earlier times, but their longevity is a mark of why they are one of the most commonly-used heating systems around. Furnaces can use oil, propane or natural gas to generate heat, but natural gas is by far the most popular fuel choice. So how does your gas furnace heat your home, and why can it be a good choice? Let’s take a look.
Generating Heat
The heating process your furnace starts when your home’s thermostat cues your furnace’s ignition process to start. The pilot light is lit (with a standing pilot, the pilot will already be lit), and once the pilot light is determined to be viable by either the thermocouple or flame sensor, the gas valve is opened to allow the gas to flow into the burner. The burner is lit by the pilot and heats a component known as the heat exchanger. Once the air around the outside of the heat exchanger reaches the right temperature, a sensor on your furnace’s fan known as a limit switch turns on the blower. At the same time, toxic combustion byproducts inside the heat exchanger are vented out the flue. The blower pushes the warm air generated by the burner and heat exchanger into your ductwork where it disperses to your living spaces.
Benefits of a Gas Heater
- Clean-burning fuel – natural gas is the cleanest-burning of all the fossil fuels; this makes it more environmentally friendly and reduces the amount of ash and soot in your furnace’s cabinet.
- Gets hot quickly – natural gas heats up quickly and gets quite hot – about 130 degrees. This helps your home to heat quickly.
- Convenient – your gas furnace is connected directly to the main gas line from your street, so you have a continuous fuel flow; you can also connect other gas appliances like dryers and water heaters.
- Energy efficient – gas furnaces can be very energy efficient, with a number of models rating at 90% AFUE or higher.
Gas furnaces should always be professionally installed by trained experts, so if you’re looking for a new gas furnace in Anaheim, call the people you can count on at JC Mechanical, Inc. to schedule an appointment today.