Have you ever wondered how a furnace works? Well, it’s really cool . . . well, hot. Unless it’s not working, then that’s not cool. Even though furnaces and air conditioners can be a little intimidating. The more you understand about how a furnace works, the better-prepared you’ll be when it comes to making repair or replacement decisions. Now, for ease of explanation, we’ve broken your furnace down into two main parts:
Even though there’s more to how a furnace works than the basics we’re going to go over today, this should give you enough information to answer the question, how does my furnace work?
Now, this is a high-efficiency unit, you can tell because it’s got PVC piping for the combustion and the exhaust. If this was not a high-efficiency furnace, you would notice a metal vent going out of the top and you might notice louvered doors because that’s how it brings the combustion air in. Either way, if yours is high-efficiency or not, the information we will tell you about how a furnace works will apply to either one. In the living space, you’ll find:
There are a lot of things that have to happen in a very specific order in order for your furnace to work. I’m going to try and strike a balance between not enough information and too much information. Hopefully, it’s just right. Now, back to how a furnace works! It all starts when the temperature in a room drops below the thermostat setting. The thermostat sends a signal to the circuit board calling for heat. The inducer motor turns on and draws combustion air into the furnace. This helps to make sure the gas is burning efficiently. Next, an ignitor will either glow or spark to ignite the gas that starts flowing. This gas ignites into flames while the hot air and obnoxious gases are drawn into the heat exchanger. To make sure that the gas ignites, there’s a flame sensor that’s placed right into the path where the flame should be. If a flame is detected, the heating process continues while all of the hot air is being drawn into the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger gets very hot and as the air blows across it, it heats up and is blown out through the house. Before we get to that, we need to talk about where the fumes, gases, and carbon monoxide goes. The heat exchanger tubes have openings on either end. The flames superheat the air that enters into one end, then all of the dangerous gases exit out the other end which is connected to an exhaust which vents outside of the house. Back to the air that’s blowing across the heat exchanger. This is the real secret of how a furnace really works. With help from the blower fan, the cool air in the home is drawn through the return vents, through the filter, and across the heat exchanger. Then, the newly warmed air is blown through the ducting and out the supply vents all-around your home. The air cools off and is drawn back through the return vents and the process repeats itself until the room is warm enough and the thermostat sends a signal to stop. And that’s how a furnace works! These 13 things are designed to work together and if even one of them stops working, you can experience a variety of problems, most of which result in your furnace blowing cold air (which is not what you want in the middle of winter) Copyright © 2018 by Any Hour Services Oct 30th 2019 All Posts
Recent government-mandated efficiency standards require new gas furnaces to include a draft inducer motor. When the furnace receives a signal to begin heating, the draft inducer motor begins spinning. Doing so removes dangerous gases produced during the previous heating cycle, such as carbon monoxide. The gases flow out of your home through external vents or a chimney. 30 to 60 seconds after the furnace inducer motor kicks in, the burners ignite. The inducer motor continues spinning to provide the burners with a steady flow of oxygen. The draft created by the motor also prevents soot from clogging the furnace’s burners. By providing cleaner air to the burners and preventing blockages, the draft inducer dramatically improves the heating system’s efficiency. In essence, the draft inducer motor is nothing more than blower motor, fan, and electrical box. Although it’s a fairly simple component, inducer motors have one of the highest failure rates of any part within a furnace. A failing inducer motor often creates bothersome noises and reduces the efficiency of the furnace. If it gives out completely, your furnace will be unable to provide heat altogether. So let’s discuss some of the signs of a bad inducer motor. Signs of a Bad Inducer MotorTapping noises are one of the most common signs of a bad inducer motor. These noises may be the result of dirt or soot collecting around the fan shaft. They might also come from the bearing in the motor clicking together. Vibrating noises are another sign of a bad inducer motor. If the motor’s wheel becomes unbalanced, it will vibrate as it spins, often colliding with adjacent components. Because the inducer motor helps your furnace run safely, the furnace will usually shut off if the motor won’t turn on. However, a bad inducer motor isn’t the only reason a furnace would shut off. A blocked gas vent flue or faulty pressure switch can have the same effect. Fixing the ProblemMost draft inducer blower designs are nearly impossible to rebuild when the motor (or another component) fails. As a result, most fixes require a replacement motor. However, units manufactured by Carrier and Bryant often serve as the exception that proves this rule. Most of the inducer motors made by these companies can be repaired rather than replaced. But diagnosing the exact cause of any HVAC system shutdowns is not always as simple as it initially seems. Sometimes minor issues show symptoms that are nearly identical to problems that would require costly part replacement. Because of how difficult it can be to diagnose furnace problems, it’s best to leave it to professionals. Heatmasters can help with everything from repairs to furnace maintenance in Chicago and the surrounding areas. Our highly-trained technicians are dedicated to your safety as well as your comfort. And no one is more reliable. Give us a call today at 773-777-5700 to schedule an appointment
A draft inducer motor and pressure switch work together to make sure toxic gasses are vented from a furnace. When a furnace turns on, one of the first components to start is the inducer motor. The inducer motor is a small fan that pulls air from the combustion chamber and vents it out of a home. Since the flames in a furnace are toxic carbon monoxide, they must be vented outside. When the inducer motor is running, it creates a small vacuum inside the furnace combustion chamber, which makes sure all toxic gases are vented. For safety, a pressure switch is used to tell if the inducer motor has turned on. It does this by sensing the vacuum that the inducer motor creates and closes a switch. If the inducer motor does not turn on, then the pressure switch stays open and keeps the gas off. When an inducer motor goes bad, it will either stop spinning or get out of alignment and make noise when they spin. The motor and the fan blade are balanced and aligned at the factory, so if you have to buy an inducer, you will likely have to buy the whole assembly. Example Furnace Draft Inducer Motor on Amazon. To test the pressure switch a multimeter needs to be used and measure the continuity of the switch as it opens and closes. This is done by taking the two wires off the pressure switch and touching them with the multimeter leads. The multimeter should be set to read continuity. When the furnace is turned on, the draft inducer motor will begin to blow the air out the vent and create a vacuum. The vacuum should be measured by the pressure switch, which will close the switch. A multimeter will see if there is any change and if the switch closes or not. Example Furnace Pressure Switch On Amazon. Steps to Test the Furnace Pressure Switch
Often when this happens something is clogging the line to the switch or stopping air from the inducer motor from being vented.
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What is an inducer motor
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