What’s up with the cold draft in my home?

When it comes to repairing and providing maintenance for furnaces, you can rest assured that your investment will be protected when you use One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®.

A home furnace is a major appliance that is permanently installed to provide heat to an interior space through intermediary fluid movement, which may be air, steam, or hot water. The most common fuel source for modern combustion furnaces in the United States is natural gas; other common fuel sources include propane (LP), fuel oil, coal or wood. In some cases electric resistance heating is used as the source of heat, especially where the cost of electricity is low. Combustion furnaces always need to be vented to the outside. Traditionally, this is through a flue, which expels heat along with the exhaust.

Central Warm-Air Furnace: A central warm-air furnace is a type of space-heating equipment in which a central combustor or resistance unit–generally using gas, fuel oil, or electricity–provides warm air that circulates through ducts leading to the various rooms.

• A forced-air furnace is one in which a fan is used to force the air through the ducts.
• In a gravity furnace, air is circulated by gravity, relying on the natural flow of warm air up and cold air down; the warm air rises through ducts and the cold air falls through ducts that return it to the furnace to be reheated, thus completing the circulation cycle.

The furnace typically is divided into three primary components:

• The burner (includes the heat exchanger, draft inducer and venting) – The flame originates at the burners and is drawn into the heat exchanger by the negative pressure produced by the draft inducer. The hot gasses produced by the combustion of the flame pass through the chambers of the heat exchanger and heat the metal walls of the heat exchanger. The gasses cool as they transfer the heat to the heat exchanger and are at about 120 degrees as they exit on a high efficiency furnace. The cooled gasses then enter the draft inducer blower and are pushed into the venting pipes. The exhaust gasses then are directed out of the house through the vent pipes.
• The blower and air movement - The blower creates a negative pressure on the intake side which draws air into the ductwork return air system and blows the air out through the heat exchanger and then into supply air ductwork to distribute throughout the home.
• Controls and Safety Devices - The controls include a gas valve, ignition control, ignitor, flame sensor, transformer, limit control, blower control board, and flame roll out switch. A limit control is a safety device that will open the electrical circuit to the ignition control and stop the gas flow if the furnace over heats. The flame roll out switch does the same thing if the flame was rolling out of the heat exchanger instead of being completely induced into it by the draft inducer.

Morvents One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® can help you make the best decision on which furnace maintenance service or plan is best for you.

A central air conditioner that runs but doesn’t cool may just need to be cleaned. Plan to do this on a relatively warm day. Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual.

1. Before you begin, turn off the power to the unit. There is normally a shut-off or disconnect panel on the house wall next to the outdoor compressor. Otherwise, shut off the air conditioner’s 240-volt circuit at the main electrical panel.
2. Rake leaves and debris away from the outdoor condenser.
3. Remove any protective grille or cover from the condenser’s fins.
4. Use a soft brush to clean dirt and debris from the fins, and then vacuum them with a brush attachment (be careful not to damage the fins).
5. Unscrew and lift the top grille off the unit, if possible. If the fan is attached to the grille, be careful not to pull any wires loose.
6. From inside the unit, hose down the fins (protect the wiring and motor with plastic sheeting). If your owner’s manual calls for lubricating the motor, do that now—but don’t overlubricate.
7. Reassemble the unit.
8. To test it, turn the power on and set the thermostat to turn the unit on. Let it run for a few minutes, and then feel the two pipes that connect to the condenser unit (slide any insulation back). One should feel warm, the other cool. Otherwise, call an air-conditioning technician—the refrigerant may need to be recharged.

Important note: Avoid straining an air conditioner’s compressor by waiting at least five minutes between turning it off at the thermostat and turning it back on.

 ”Very painless; everyone was nice and very thorough.  A great experience from the very start.”
 
“The crew did an excellent job installing our new unit and getting us back on so we could have heat that night.”
 
“Extremely pleased with the professionalism and the courtesy of the men that installed the unit.”
 
“My technician, Kelly, was so respectful and I didn’t even have to ask questions. He proactively showed me what was wrong and what he needed to do to fix it for me. I am in my 70’s and it was nice to be treated with such kindness and understanding from him. I couldn’t be more pleased with the work they do for me and they always clean up after themselves, I never have to go behind them trying to pick up a mess when they are gone like I have other companies.”

“It’s a great feeling to have someone come out twice a year and maintain my furnace and a/c especially since I would have no idea where to start. These guys are so professional and courteous and do a great job. They are always on time and I know I can count on them to do the job right!’

1. Be sure the thermostat is set to “cool” and below the current temperature.
2. A central air conditioner should be on a dedicated 240-volt circuit; check the main electrical panel and any secondary circuit panels for a tripped breaker or blown fuse. If you find the problem here, reset the breaker or replace the fuse.
3. Make sure the furnace power switch is turned on and that the outdoor condenser’s power switch, mounted on the outdoor unit, hasn’t been shut off. Also, be sure the 240-volt disconnect next to the compressor (in a metal box, usually mounted on the house wall) hasn’t been shut off.
4. Turn off the power to the air conditioner and check the thermostat.
5. Remove the thermostat’s cover and unscrew the wire from the Y terminal.
6. Turn the power back on.
7. Holding the wire by its insulation ONLY, touch the bare end to the R terminal and hold it there for about two minutes. If the compressor kicks on, the thermostat is faulty; replace it or call an air-conditioning technician. If the compressor doesn’t go on when you hold the two wires together, turn the power back off and call a technician.