ACU	Air

Heating and Air Conditioning

How Your Heater Works

Gas Furnaces

A furnace which is cracked or contains holes or small leaks can release carbon monoxide into your home or place of business. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and is virtually impossible for the human senses to detect. Most accidental carbon monoxide poisonings occur from house fires, malfunctioning home-heating systems and hot-water heaters. While the symptoms vary significantly, the most common symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fatigue. On-going carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to coma and death.

To reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning inside your home or place of business, have your furnace inspected annually by an experienced technician. An annual check-up should include a thorough inspection of the heating unit for cracks, holes, and leaks. To reduce the risk of fire, the flame should checked for a proper mixture of air and gas. Likewise the safety and limit switches should be tested to insure that the fan runs whenever the heat exchanger is hot and that the unit will shut off should the flame burn beyond the confines of the box.

Electric Furnaces

An electric furnace use an air handler (fan) to force air across a heat exchanger, a wire coil which uses electricity to create heat. The heated air is then circulated through ducts to warm your home or place of business.

While electric furnaces are generally cleaner and safer to run than gas powered furnaces, they too can benefit from an annual heating inspection to insure that they are running efficiently and that they are providing maximum comfort. The inspection may also detect minor problems which can be corrected before they cause more serious damage to your heating system.

Heat Pumps

Related Links

Rogue Valley Heating and Air Conditioning
Heating (by D H Climate Control)

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