Whether you're considering upgrading your heating system or you just want to keep your system reliable and efficient throughout Fort Wayne's cold heating season, getting up to speed on common terminology can help.
Heat exchanger
This part of your system transfers heat from the combustion chamber's flame to the passing air or water. A crack here can cause a potentially deadly carbon monoxide leak, so an annual professional inspection is critical for your safety.
Flue pipe
This pipe is how your furnace or boiler vents the exhaust gases it produces to the outdoors. The external end, usually found on your roof, can become clogged with leaves, bird's nests or snow, causing harmful gases to back up into your rooms. To prevent this, regularly check your flue for blockages.
Humidifier
Do you suffer from dry skin or nose bleeds, or notice static electricity in your home during the heating season? If so, the likely cause is dry indoor air, a common wintertime problem. By increasing the moisture in your air, a humidifier creates healthier, more comfortable conditions.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
This colorless, odorless gas is produced by all fuel-burning heating systems, including fireplaces. While it's normally vented outdoors, a malfunction or blockage can cause the gas to leak indoors. Having your system professionally inspected every year greatly reduces the risk of carbon monoxide leaks, but it's still necessary to have correctly installed, regularly tested CO detectors.
Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)
A furnace or boiler's AFUE indicates how energy efficient it is. The number is expressed as a percentage, with more efficient systems reaching higher AFUEs. To meet Energy Star criteria for the U.S. North, including Indiana, a gas furnace must have an AFUE of 95 percent or higher.
Condensing furnace
These furnaces use a secondary heat exchanger to draw heat from exhaust gases. This increases the furnace's energy efficiency over models that vent the exhaust gases outdoors, wasting the heat.
For more tips on keeping your system running efficiently throughout the heating season, get in touch with us at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning in the Fort Wayne area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heating season lingo and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 260-376-2961.
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