Your furnace is important for those cold winter months in Chicago, but do you know enough about it? Your home heating is one of the largest expenses in your home, so knowing more could help you save time and money in the long run.
Types of Furnaces
There are three primary types of furnaces that can heat your home. It is good to know which one your home is equipped with so you can properly maintain it and know when to call a furnace repair service in Niles.
Floor Furnace
These types of furnaces are commonly known as radiating furnaces. These furnaces are found in fixed locations in your floor. Normally, older homes will have these types of home heating, but floor furnaces do not require a duct system, so this could be a cost-effective option for your home.
Wall Furnace
Wall heaters are installed in fixed locations on your walls. These heaters can include vents, which use the oxygen from the outside air for the combustion process to produce heat, or they can be ventless and use the oxygen from the air in your home. With ventless heaters the heat is exhausted directly back into the room.
Forced-Air Furnace
A forced-air furnace is one of the most common types of furnaces. These furnaces work to keep your home at the set temperature of the thermostat by operating only when the temperature begins to drop. This system heats cold air that is processed through an air filter, is heated, then is dispersed throughout your home through a vent and duct system.
Basic Parts of Your Furnace
Your furnace is made up of several moving parts. Understanding the makeup of your furnace will help you know when to call a furnace repair or furnace maintenance Chicago. Deljo Heating & Cooling has a team of heating contractors in Chicago that can make sure every part of your furnace is functioning properly.
Internal
Your furnace has a few basic internal parts that make it run properly. You should have your furnace regularly maintained to ensure that no part of your furnace is malfunctioning.
The internal workings of your furnace include:
A thermostat controls the temperature of your home by a control panel. This tells your furnace when to start heating the home so it can be kept at the temperature of your liking.
Burners are a component of the furnace where gas is directed and burned. When the thermostat is turned to a warmer temperature, the burners are activated to warm the air in your home.
A draft fan pulls air into the burners so it can be mixed with gas and start the process of combustion. The draft, or hood, fan directs the air and gases to the heat exchanger where it is processed and expelled.
Heat exchanger is a collection of tubes that bring natural gas to the burners.
Blower is a fan that sends air from the ducts into the heat exchanger.
The flue vent is the location in the furnace where all combustion gases are collected and exhausted to the outside.
If any of these pieces of your furnace are malfunctioning call Deljo’s furnace repair service around Chicago at (773) 888-4229.
Heating System
The heating system in your home is made up of three key components. These include the heat source, which is normally the furnace, along with its boiler, the distribution system, and the control system. For distribution you furnace has a connected system of ducts and vents that move the heat throughout your home. The control system is also known as your thermostat, it controls the temperature that you want your household at.
When Should You Replace Your Furnace?
Make sure to keep track of the year you got your furnace installed; most have a lifespan of about 15 years. You can be sure to get the most out of your furnace by scheduling regular furnace maintenance in Chicago. Also be sure not to leave a broken furnace unrepaired for long, waiting too long to call for repairs can result in a CO2 leak in your home.
Maintenance Necessities
Maintaining your furnace is important for keeping it working properly. Be smart and schedule yearly furnace maintenance in Chicago.
How often should it be maintenanced?
There are some parts of your furnace that should be checked or changed yearly or even sooner. One of the easiest maintenance procedures you can do yourself is making sure that the filter is replaced every three months. The filter is important to keep the circulating air clean.
Other maintenance procedures will require an expert, you can call our furnace maintenance services in Chicago for these more invasive yearly checks. One that is important, is making sure that your burner is clean, dust build-up or misalignment can occur and create a much bigger issue. You should also ensure that your blower is cleaned yearly. Blowers move the air throughout the heating system and even the slightest bit of dust can cause the pressure to become off-balanced. The flame-sensing rod in your furnace should also be cleaned and maintained regularly, this is important to keep your furnace in the proper cycle, which will keep your family safe.
