Furnace Service & Repair

A forced-air furnace uses a heating cycle. Firstly the burner of the furnace ignites natural gas or propane (depending on the fuel source). A metal heat exchanger is heated up and cold air is heated as it passes through the exchanger. This warm air is forced into the ductwork by the furnace’s blower, which then disperses it throughout the house. Colder, denser air is sucked back into the furnace through the return ducts as the warm air fills each room, and the process repeats.

A furnace is primarily controlled by your thermostat. There are many different kinds of thermostats, programmable, non-programable, and smart wifi-enabled thermostats, but they all control your furnace in the same way. When the thermostat or control system requests heat because the internal temperature has dropped below the desired temperature, the furnace temperature control activates the ignition switch and begins the heating process. When the desired temperature is reached, the control shuts off the furnace.

Furnaces and boilers are both heating appliances that can be used in residential and commercial spaces, but they use different systems to generate and distribute heat. A boiler generates hot water that is used to heat spaces with radiant energy, while a furnace generates warm air to heat spaces.

Generally, there are three different kinds of furnace designs. Non-condensing furnaces usually have one heat exchanger and discharge exhaust gases outside the house. Condensing furnaces have two heat exchangers, the second is designed to collect heat from the exhaust gases before releasing them to be more energy efficient. And lastly, a modulating furnace is designed to run continually at a low level to maintain temperatures throughout the building instead of cycling on and off repeatedly.

The efficiency of a furnace is evaluated using its rating in annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This compares the quantity of heat a furnace produces to the energy it consumes. The efficiency of the unit is described by its AFUE rating over the course of a year. The AFUE rating of your furnace is listed on the EnerGuide tag which is attached to the side of your appliance (if your furnace does not have an EnerGuide logo, it is probably outdated and needs to be replaced). Depending on the furnace type and fuel source, furnace efficiencies typically range from 80 to 88 percent for mid-efficiency furnaces and from 90 to 98 percent for high-efficiency furnaces. We typically recommend homeowners to use furnaces with a minimum efficiency of 92%.

One of the most common issues is clogged furnace filters. A dirty filter will reduce the flow of air into your furnace, which will make the appliance have to work harder than necessary to circulate air and reduce its efficiency. Another common problem is excessive cycling of the furnace, where it turns on and off repeatedly. This can be related to thermostat issues or a clogged filter. For any concerns you have, contact our team for assistance.