5 Furnace Facts

Your furnace is a main component of your home. If it stops working when it’s cold, you instantly realize how important it is. Not only does it keep you warm, but it also helps other necessities in your house work better, like your water system. Even though it’s probably located out of sight, being more familiar with certain aspects of a furnace may help you to take better care of it.

1. Furnaces Are Made of Three Different Sections
All furnaces contain the three following sections:

– A heater exchanger
– A burner

Your furnace has to have a heating source. If it uses fuel, the burner is in a contained area where there’s an open flame. If your furnace is electric, then it will have a heating element. Components of both types will need occasional adjustments or replacement.

The heat exchanger is a separation between the burning fuel and the breathable air being heated and sent into your home. The furnace’s blower pushes the heated air through the ductwork and into the rooms of your residence.

The trained furnace technicians at IT Landes in Harleysville, PA, understand how these three sections work and are interrelated. They also know how to diagnose and fix the problem you’re experiencing.

2. Don’t Store Items Around Your Furnace
The potential of a fire is greater around your furnace than in other areas of your home. Flammable items stored around your heater can add to that potential. Also, in case of an emergency, you’ll need quick access to your heater to shut it down.

3. Lifespan of a Furnace
The average lifespan of furnaces today ranges from 15 to 20 years. If your unit is reaching that age, you may want to start researching and shopping for a new one.

4. High-Efficiency Furnaces Absorb the Heat Located in Exhaust Gases
Regular furnaces allow a lot of heat produced to exit out the exhaust pipe. High-efficiency units circulate the exhaust through an additional heat exchanger to allow the air to absorb heat from the exhaust. It absorbs so much heat that plastic exhaust pipes are used, and condensation is created from the exhaust.

5. It’s Important to Have a Preventative Maintenance Program
Like all equipment, your furnace needs maintenance. Proper maintenance helps it to run at top efficiency and to not break down when you need it most. Also, preventative maintenance is cheaper than a major repair due to a lack of maintenance.

The licensed and insured professionals at IT Landes are trained to install and service all of the leading and most technologically advanced furnaces. We provide these services in the communities of Harleysville, Souderton, Telford, Lansdale, and Skippack. Give us a call today to keep your furnace working optimally this winter or to help you choose and install a replacement. We also provide AC repair, installation, and maintenance as well as plumbing services.