Your furnace is more than just a machine that produces heat to warm up your home. It contains a variety of components to make it work. Let us closely examine what each of them does.
The Heart of the Heat: The Burner
The burner is the most important component of a gas furnace because this is what is needed to produce heat. When your thermostat sends a signal to your furnace for it to start running, gas will enter the burner. After this happens, an igniter will turn on the flame. Depending on how old your furnace is, you may either have a pilot light or a surface igniter. Once the fire starts, the heat will accumulate. However, this does not mean that it will automatically circulate throughout your home.
The Heat Exchanger Does the Heavy Lifting
Another part that is just as important as the burner is the heat exchanger. This metal chamber is responsible for heating the flame. This component will warm slowly and evenly while the burner does its work. Air blows across the heat exchanger, and it never encounters gas or flame.
It is critical that the air always remains separate from the flame or gas because, should the heat exchanger break in any way, dangerous gases will be released into your home. This puts you and your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Blower Pushes Warm Air Through the House
The blower motor is one of the hardest-working components in your furnace since it is responsible for circulating heat throughout your home. Once the air gets hot enough, this motor will kick on and move the heated air through the ducts. If your furnace still runs once the flame stops, your blower is using every drop of heat so that it does not go to waste.
The Filter Keeps the Air – and the Furnace – Clean
Before the heat moves through the house, the air first passes through a filter so that it can be purified. The filter keeps particles from circulating through your home, which ensures the air remains cleaner. This is particularly important for those who have asthma or allergies.
The filter also keeps debris out of your system, which is critical for ensuring its longevity. When your system becomes too clogged with debris, it must work harder. This can lead to eventual system failure.
The Control Board Is the Brain Behind It All
Just as computers have motherboards, so do furnaces. These control boards are responsible for managing all functions. If this part fails, then the entire system ceases to work. The control boards in newer systems are designed to shut everything down if a safety hazard is present.
To ensure that your furnace and all its components are in tip-top shape, you must schedule maintenance at the end of each summer. This enables you to prepare your home to be comfortable for the colder months ahead. If you have not yet scheduled maintenance on your furnace in Abilene, TX, now is the time to get in touch with the team at Olympus Electric & Air.