Minneapolis has a way to go before winter is over. With the last few months of winter left, your furnace is important to your home. When problems with your furnace start happening, it can be difficult to pinpoint the issue, especially if you don’t know how the furnace heats your home. There are only some simple steps that your furnace has to go through to get warm air throughout your home.
Thermostat
Warming your home all starts with your thermostat. Your thermostat detects the temperature of your home and compares it to the setting you have put in. When the temperature goes below what you have programmed, the thermostat signals the furnace to heat your home.
Igniting Flame
Depending on your type of furnace, the ignition process is slightly different. However, the end result is still the same. In a natural gas furnace, the gas is ignited over several burners to heat up the air. These furnaces use a pilot light that is turned on by the thermostat when the gas needs to be ignited. In an electric furnace, electricity is sent through coils to heat up the air around it. The number of coils used depends on what the thermostat is set at. Either way your furnace works, the heat from the ignition is funneled to the heat exchanger.
Heat Transfer
Air circulated in your home or pulled from outside is pulled in through the air filter into the heat exchanger. Heating the air in your home starts at the heat exchanger, the most important part of your furnace. No matter the type of furnace you have, the heat exchanger is where the heat from the flame or coils is made to heat your home. The heat, either by electricity or flame, is in pipes throughout the heat exchanger so when air is released from the filter, it is warmed from these pipes. Because this part is essential to heating your home, it is very important to keep this part of your furnace well cared for by changing the filter when needed.
Heat Distribution
When the thermostat turns on, so do the blower fans that move air through and out of your furnace. It is these fans that keep the air moving and circulating in your home. From there, the air ducts connected throughout your home distribute the air as evenly as possible. Air vents release the air into specific rooms to heat your home.
Cold Air Pushed Down
The common saying that hot air rises is the last step to heating your home. As warm air is released into your home through the air ducts and vents, it rises. In an opposite effect, the colder air is pushed down to where your furnace is. That is why your furnace is in the basement of your home. The cold air is then pulled back into the furnace through the cold air return duct on your furnace. This cycle repeatedly heats the cold air in your home to release it as warm air.
Even though this process seems relatively simple, there are many delicate parts that can be damaged. If your furnace is having issues, give us a call to find the right solution for you. We are taking measures to keep your family safe during the pandemic.
