5 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Furnace

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5 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Furnace

Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing loves repairing and maintaining furnaces in homes around Waterford, MI. It’s what we do for a living, but what do you say we take a break from talking about furnace repair, changing filters, and scheduling regular maintenance for your gas furnace.

Things you may not know

Let’s see if Kotz can put a little smile on your face by using this blog to talk about five things you may not know about your furnace.

It is the most common heating system

The vast majority of homes in the U.S. are heated by forced air furnaces. In other words, the furnace heats air then sends it through a system of ducts to warm the entire home. Furnaces can burn natural gas, propane, oil, or use electricity. A gas furnace is the most popular because they are efficient and natural gas costs less.

Furnaces have been around for a long time

The earliest known furnaces date to about 1200 B.C. and were invented by the Romans. They were the first central heating systems. Early furnaces were also used to help smelt iron and make steel for tools and weapons.

Furnaces are durable

There’s no way to guarantee the longevity of any one furnace but there are some that last 20, 30, or even more years. As a result, many Waterford, MI homeowners know very little about their gas furnace because it was already in the house when they bought it.

Furnaces have just three main components

They are the blower, the burner, and the heat exchanger. The burner allows for efficient burning of the gas (or other fuel) to create heat. The heat exchanger is critical as it separates the deadly combustion gases from the air we breathe. And the blower sends that breathable air throughout the house. There are many different parts that make up the three components.

Furnace installations are regulated

Because gas furnaces are so widespread, proper installation is a matter of public safety. There are national guidelines and rules put in place by local governments to ensure a safe installation. The regulations are in place to guard against things like fires and explosions. Additionally, a poorly done installation can lead to catastrophic breakdowns during a frigid Great Lakes winter.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming

Now that you know all about your gas furnace let’s turn back to what Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing knows best: Furnace repair and maintenance. Call today to schedule your heating system tune-up to make sure you stay comfortable for the holidays and throughout the long, cold winter. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.