How Often Do We Need To Have Our Furnaces Cleaned

For those people who live in area's of the country that gets cold, it's time to think about your heating equipment. With the technology new furnaces have today there isn't much to do on them as far as setting them up for winter. In the old days (10 years ago and before) we were told to have our furnaces and boilers checked once a year. But now furnaces and boilers have electronics doing most of the work. There are only a couple of things that a service tech needs to do in today's furnaces and boilers as far as a "clean and check" goes.

The old days:

In the old days when a service man (politically correct term today is "service tech" this term started about 21 years ago) when out on a "clean and check," he had all kinds of things to do. First he pulled out all the burners and blew them out with co2, then he checked the heat exchanger for cracks using a mirror, then vacuumed up any dirt he found. He also changed the "thermocouple" (on a standing pilot, where the pilot flame burns all the time, the thermocouple tells the gas valve there is a pilot light, and it's ok to open, and start the heat sequence) on the "pilot light" and blew out the pilot light assembly to make sure it would burn clean and that the pilot flame was positioned correctly on the thermocouple, and on the burner pilot runner.

After that he pulled the blower, and if it was a belt drive blower, oiled the squirrel cage bearings, motor bearings, and checked the belt for cracks . On a "direct drive blower" all he had to do was just oil the bearings on the motor.

Now all the burners are cleaned and the heat exchanger has been checked for cracks and everything is back in place, including the blower.On to the next step.

Now, if the service man was worth his salt, he checks the most important part of the furnace, the "limit switch". There's a limit switch in every; gas, oil, electric, or propane furnace, or boiler. It's main function is to turn on the blower (usually 200') and shut it off (around 110 or 100' any cooler, and you would feel like there was a draft) and the most important job it has is to tell the "gas valve" to shut down the burners incase the blower fails. It keeps the furnace or boiler (boilers also have a "safety relief valve" like hot water heaters) from over heating and starting a fire.

What the better guys did was pull the blower wire off the limit switch and start the furnace burners. With the blower wire pulled off the limit switch, the blower can't start, and when the furnaces gets to about 200 degrees, the burners should shut off and not relight again until the furnaces cools and lowers it's temperature to about 140 degrees. Some guys just checked the limit switch by rotating the dial on the limit switch and blower settings until the burners shut off. I liked taking the wire off the limit switch and testing it that way because it was more real life working conditions in the event of blower failure.

One of the last things, and just as important as checking the limit switch, was to check the "flue pipe" to make sure it, or the chimney, hasn't been blocked by soot or birds. It wasn't uncommon to find dead birds in the flue. Some even made it into people's basements. This doesn't happen anymore with the new furnaces. And the very last thing that was done was to check for gas leaks.

Furnaces 10 years ago to the present:

Today's furnaces and boilers don't need the kind of attention from the service man like furnaces of the past did. On most modern furnaces all that needs to be checked is the "flame sensor". The furnaces of today pretty much watch themselves. The burners almost never get dirty now a days because they are working in a mostly closed (80 plus furnaces are not, but the 90's are) environment. The blower, gas valve, and all the safety controls (including the "limit switch" and "blower switch") are run by a circuit board. The blowers are all sealed now too. They don't even need to be oiled!

So how often do we want our furnaces and boilers checked?

That's a tough question. It all depends on the environment your furnace is running in. It your furnace or boiler is running in an environment that has a lot of dust or animal hair, then it mite be worth it to have your furnace checked once a year. If your furnace is running in a relatively clean environment, you can probably get away with 2 or 3 years of not having to have to spend the money to have a clean furnace checked.

Don't forget that these new furnaces shut down when they spot the slightest problem. Some tech guys feel the only real time for home owners to have their furnaces ( don't forget where're talking new furnaces not the old clunkers) checked, is when they don't start. They don't think the cost justifies what your getting in return.

But in the end, it's the choice of the home owner to decide how often they have their heating equipment checked.

Jerry Quatrano is the proud owner of Addison Services who has 30 years experience in the Heating and A/C industry, and still likes to talk about it, along with selling great products at his site at addisonservices.com

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Not Changing Your Furnace Filter Can Be Dangerous - Don't Become A Statistic

We have all heard the horrifying story about the family that just barely escaped with their lives, or even worse the family that died in their sleep, there lives ended by a silent killer. The silent killer is CO (Carbon Monoxide). If you don't change or maintain your furnace filter as recommended by the manufacturer you could be putting your family in danger. Your furnace filter is designed to remove dust from air as it passes through your furnace. The longer your furnace filter is installed the dirtier it becomes. This increased loading of the filter with dust causes a resistance to air flow through the filter and reduces air flow.

Gas and oil furnaces, like all heating and air conditioning equipment, are designed to have a certain amount of air flow at all times to operate properly and at highest efficiency. This air flow is measured in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). These appliances have a heat exchanger which has the heat source, flame, inside and the air passes over the heat exchanger on the outside. As the air passes over the heat exchanger it picks up the heat from the flame inside.

To get maximum efficiency from these systems the walls of the heat exchanger are made as thin as possible but not so thin that they cannot withstand the heat that they are subjected to during normal operation. This brings us back to the fact that these appliances are designed with minimum air flow requirements.

A furnace filter that remains in the system so long that it begins to negatively impact air flow can be dangerous. As the amount of air flowing over the heat exchanger declines, the operating temperature of the heat exchanger increases. This is when heat exchanger can crack because they are operating above design conditions. The hotter the heat exchanger gets the more it expands when heating and contracts as it cools during the off cycle. This expanding and contracting can become excessive and cause the metal of the heat exchanger warp or crack. A cracked heat exchanger can cause combustion gases to mix with the air in your home.

The good news is that properly designed furnaces have high limit switches that prevent excessive heating of the heat exchanger. These limit switches monitor the temperature at or near the heat exchanger and if the temperature reaches a predetermined set point, the unit will be shut off either until manually reset or until the limit switch senses that the temperature is within safe limits and resets automatically.

A furnace can operate a long time on an auto reset limit switch without anybody even knowing. This means that the furnace is operating at the limits of its design capabilities. Today most limit switches are the manual reset type, designed this way so that the furnace will not operate until it is serviced and the problem corrected.

Don't rely on these safety switches to protect you from disaster. These are mechanical devices which can and do fail to operate properly at times. So reduce your risk by maintaining your furnace filter properly. This means cleaning or changing your furnace filter regularly. It is always best to follow manufacturers guidelines.

Visit us for furnace filter reviews and articles to help you determine which furnace filter is best for your needs. Take part in surveys or have your questions answered

How You Can Benefit from an Outdoor Wood Furnace

In today’s society, many prices are on the rise. Unfortunately, the income of most individuals remains the same. Many individuals and families are finding it difficult to afford a number of necessary things, such as heat and hot water. If you are one of those individuals, or even if you would just like to save money, you may be able to benefit from the use of an outdoor wood furnace.

Many individuals have heard of an outdoor wood furnace before. Outdoor wood furnaces have been used for years now, but until the recent increase in energy costs, many individuals were unfamiliar with what they are. In recent years, the sales of outdoor wood furnaces have increased. There is a good reason for that increase, cheaper heating costs.

Cheaper heating costs are just one of the many ways that you can benefit from the use of an outdoor wood furnace, but, perhaps, it is the most important. When financial trouble arises, many individuals try to cut out unnecessary expenses. These expenses are likely to include meals away from home, movies, and additional entertainment. Unfortunately, home heating and hot water is not something that can be eliminated. For many individuals, an outdoor wood furnace is just a way to save money, but for others it is a way to survive.

A large number of homeowners need to heat more than their home. If you have a garage, barn, or shed, those facilities can also be heated with an outdoor wood furnace. This means that you do not have to spend your days in your garage, shed, or barn without heat. This is something that many individuals which to achieve, but many are worried about the cost of doing so. Depending on the size of those buildings and the outdoor wood furnace you select, you may be able to heat a number of facilities with just one unit.

By using an outdoor wood furnace to heat your home, you are also investing in a heating method that is relatively safe. It is important to note that all heating methods have some risks. Little incidents have been reported with outdoor wood furnaces. You will also find that many manufactures and dealers recommend that you place your furnace a safe distance away from your home. This distance will significantly reduce the danger of using an outdoor wood furnace.

In addition to being safe, in a general capacity, you will find that many outdoor wood furnaces are safe for those with young children. The main structure of an outdoor wood furnace should be placed off the ground. The controls are often placed in a secure location, out of the reach from many children. This means that if you are a parent, you can rest assure knowing that your wood burning furnace should not pose any risks to your children.

The above mentioned examples are just a few of the many ways that you may be able to benefit from the use of an outdoor wood furnace. For additional benefits, you are encouraged to take a closer look at outdoor wood burning furnaces. You can easily do so by speaking to a product manufacture or dealer, such as Hawken Energy.

Brad King is a writer for Hawken Energy where you can find a great deal on a outdoor wood furnace