Gas Furnaces
 Gas fired and forced air electric furnaces distribute warm, even heat throughout your home or place of business by heating air and circulating it through ducts. Furnaces create heat by burning fuel (gas, oil, or propane). When the fuel burns, it generates hot gasses which travel through curved metal tubing called a heat exchanger. As air passes over the heat exchanger, it absorbs heat from the hot metal surface.
The heated air is then circulated through ducts to warm your home or place of business. Meanwhile, the gasses (combustion air) that are created by the burning fuel are released outside through a metal or plastic vent pipe.
A furnace which is cracked or contains holes or small leaks can release carbon monoxide into your home or place of business.
Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and is virtually impossible for the human senses to detect. In fact, because carbon monoxide is so hard to detect and is so deadly it has earned the nick-name "The Silent Killer". Most accidental carbon monoxide poisonings occur from house fires, malfunctioning home-heating systems and hot-water heaters.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning vary significantly. The most common acute symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fatigue. Many carbon monoxide victims frequently attribute these non-specific symptoms to viruses or flu-like illnesses. Severe, continued cases of carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to coma and death.
To reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning inside your home or place of business, it is extremely important that your furnace be serviced annually by an experienced technician. An annual check-up should include a thorough inspection of the heating unit for cracks, holes, and leaks which can release carbon monoxide into the air. To reduce the risk of fire, the flame itself should checked for a proper mixture of air and gas. Likewise the safety and limit switches should be tested to insure that the fan runs whenever the heat exchanger is hot and that the unit will shut off should the flame burn beyond the confines of the box. ACU Air performs annual heating check-ups in north Harris and Montgomery Counties. Click here for additional details on what our check-ups include.
Electric Furnaces
Electric furnaces use an air handler (fan) to force air across a heat exchanger (or resistor). The resistor is a wire coil which uses electricity to create heat. The heated air is then circulated through ducts to warm your home or place of business.
While electric furnaces are generally cleaner and safer to run than gas powered furnaces, they too can benefit from an annual heating check-up. A thorough inspection of your heating system can insure that it is running as efficiently as possible and is providing maximum comfort for you and your family. The inspection can also detect minor problems which can be treated before they cause serious damage to your heating system. ACU Air performs annual heating check-ups in north Harris and Montgomery Counties. Click here for details on what our check-ups include.
Heat Pumps
A heat pump works by moving naturally occurring heat in or out of your home. Even in the cold of winter, free outdoor heat is available to warm your home. In summer, the heat pump reverses the process and pumps warm indoor air into the outdoors, cooling your home like a normal air conditioner. Because a heat pump does not burn fuel, it is safer and cleaner to run than a gas powered furnace. (For diagrams and a more detailed description on how heat pumps work, visit our Heat Pumps web page).
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If your home or business uses a heat pump, make sure that your heating and air conditioning technician is certified to work on heat pumps before he services your unit. Heat pumps operate on different principals than traditional furnaces and air conditioners and so are engineered differently. Not all state licensed heating and air conditioning technicians are qualified to service heat pumps. To receive heat pump certification, a technician must receive formal training in heat pump design and repair and must pass a test administered by the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES). ACU Air has been heat pump certified by the RSES.
Your heating and cooling system is no different than your expensive car. Your gas furnace, your oil furnace, your heat pump, your central air conditioners, commercial heating and ac units all require regular maintenance to get the most performance and longest life from your system.
Click Here for your: High-Efficiency Furnaces: A Buying & Care Guide |
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