How well do you know your furnace? The better you know your furnace, the better you will be at troubleshooting problems when they occur. Some problems can be easily repaired and don’t require the aid of an HVAC technician, where other times you will need professional assistance. To help you know when you can repair a problem or when to seek professional aid, Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning would like to take this time to share the components of a furnace and what these components do.

What are the Components of a Gas Fired Furnace?

Blower and Blower Motor – The blower is a component that circulates all of the heated air out through the air duct system. The blower is a cylinder like fan. The blower motor is the engine that powers up and spins the blower fan. Often the blower needs to be cleaned and lubricated. The motor can overheat and need to be replaced.
Blower Chamber – The blower chamber is, as the name suggests, a box that houses the blower and the blower motor. The blower chamber helps stabilize and protects the blower and the blower motor.
Burners – The burner is a major part of the heating system. The burner is where the fire comes from, and is fueled by gas, propane or other natural fuels.
Flame Sensor – The flame sensor is part of the burner system and acts as the furnace safety system. Even though the flame sensor is nothing more than a small rod, the flame sensor is designed to detect the flame. If there is no flame detected, then it will stop the furnace from running a heating cycle. If there is no flame present there may be a gas leak and igniting the burners can be very dangerous.
Pilot Light or Electronic Ignition – A furnace will use either a pilot light or an electronic ignition system to light up and start the burners. You will only see pilot lights in older furnaces as modern furnaces now only use an electronic ignition system. The ignition or pilot light is the furnace’s start up system. Often when a furnace fails to run a heating cycle, there is a problem with the pilot light or ignition.
Burner Covers – The burner cover sits over the flame sensor, burners, blower chamber and the pilot light or electronic ignition system. The burner cover is designed to keep the flame inside the furnace. At times the burner cover may become damaged and may not keep the flame properly contained which would be a safety concern.
Combustion Chamber – The combustion chamber holds the entire fire system in place. The combustion chamber primarily holds the burners, flame sensor, the flames, and the starting system. The combustion chamber and the blower chamber are separated and this is done for safety reasons.
Heat Exchanger – The heat exchanger is how your home gets the warm air safely and healthily. When making warm air for the home, gas such as carbon monoxide is produced which you cannot expose to the household. The hot combustion gasses are sent inside the heat exchanger. The heat transfers and filters the warm air. As the gases are filtered out, they are sent through a flue pipe so they can safely disperse outside of the home and the warm air will enter the blower system to be circulated.

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These are the primary components of the furnace system not including the air ducts and damper system that supply the home with the heated air. If you need quality HVAC services contact Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning.