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Furnaces
The furnace, whose name is derived from the Latin word fornax, which means oven, is a heating device utilized for both home and industrial purposes. Questions about furnaces can be asked and answered here.
1,402 Questions
How long should a furnace run during a typical heating cycle?
I just installed a propane furnace, I don't know what kind you have, but mine runs about 9 minutes. Depending on the draft or air movement around the thermostat and coolness a furnace should cycle on average, so I'm told, 3x's an hour. If you ask me that would mean some major air issues, but I'm not the furnace expert. Anyways hopes this helps. Best thing to do is call a heating-air conditioning person.
Does an oil furnace have a pilot light?
Well, the answer is "yes and no".
A True oil FURNACE or BOILER does NOT not normally have a 'pilot light". Instead, they have some type of electrical ignition system. In the past--this was accomplished with an "iron" type of transformer that increased the 120 volt line voltage to 6-10 thousand volts, enough to cause a spark to jump across a pair of electrodes mounted above the "nozzle" where the oil sprays out of.This spark would ignite the oil and a very intense , hot flame would then shoot out into the combustion chamber--producing the heat, which in turn heated air or water to heat the building. This is only active when the furnace is on, and so--no oil is wasted to keep a pilot lit, as in a gas furnace with a pilot.
Nowadays--the oil is still lit by a spark across electrodes, BUT the inefficent, heavy, sometimes unreliable 'iron" transformer is being replaced by an "electronic ignitor" which contains a transformer, BUT it is powered by an electronic "switching supply" circuit, resulting in MUCH more voltage-14 to 20K volts, and using a LOT less AC power to do this.
So--no most oil burners do NOT have a pilot light, like a gas furnace sometimes does.
BUT--I HAVE seen , many years ago, oil fueled "space heaters" which DID use a pilot flame. These do NOT normally have a pump like a normal furnace, ad depend on gravity to feed the oil to the burner. The pilot functioned the same way that a gas furnace pilot does--but probably had a wick-type element to be able to burn-like a kerosene heater does.
How do you light a coal fire as you're quite cold?
Before lighting (firing) a coal furnace, have a reputable furnace man go over your ducts, flue, and chimney. If you've never fired a coal furnace or never used one, ask the furnace repairman lots of questions and what each part (levers) do. You might ask the repairman to SHOW you how to load and fire the furnace for the first time. That would be very worth paying extra for the service call.
Do some research about what can and CANNOT be burned in a coal furnace! Some materials can let off poisonous gases and should never be put in a coal furnace. Plain precut wood can be burned, but avoid treated, painted, or varnished wood. Also, a furnace is NOT a "wood stove" so don't use cord logs. And, I assume you intend to burn bituminous (soft) coal, not anthracite which (a) doesn't burn well and (b) is generally not recommended to use for home heating.
There are two main parts to a coal furnace, the top door where you put coal and other items to burn, and a lower door where coal refuse ("clinkers") and ash falls. There is a lever (should be near the top door) that when moved "shakes" the grate on the floor of the top chamber.
Make sure you have a set of tools used for coal furnaces. I don't remember, now, all the names, but for example, one metal tool is like a hoe with holes that you use to pull material forward in the furnace and to stoke the fire.
Bring a wheelbarrow filled with coal over to the furnace. Make sure you have a "coal shovel" which is uniquely much wider and flatter that a regular shovel. It's a good safety measure to have a METAL bucket of water near the furnace-- remember everything you will need must be off to your left side so you can access it quickly. An open furnace door will block the right.
ALWAYS, AND BEFORE EACH TIME YOU BUILD A FIRE, YOU MUST make sure the lower door is CLOSED and clear the upper grate, eg. "shake" it using the lever. This removes ash and coal "clunkers" (hard, brittle, non-fireable coal refuse) and drops it into the lower chamber. Note: If you have the bottom door open, you'll get a cloud of coal ash dust in the air, eyes, face-- not good! Wait 30 minutes after "shaking" the grate, to let the dust in the lower chamber settle. Open the door and shovel out as much refuse as you can-- put into a wheelbarrow to take outside to a designated area you will use for that purpose. Example: Most people dumped it near a "burn barrell" but most local ordinances now forbid burning, so you might not have an area like that. Just pick a spot out of the way to use to dump it. Dumping it out also causes a dust cloud, so wear a protective mask.
Now, you are almost ready to build a coal fire.
The key to a coal fire is how you "build" it and where you make it. Never, ever build your mound of materials at the front of the furnace because when you open the door, materials on fire could fall out. Very dangerous. Instead, near the far back wall place a couple medium lumps of coal. Crumple up single full sheets of newspaper-- the non-slippery paper, black and white print. Crumple these loosely, not in tight balls or wads. Place 4 or 5 of these crumpled pages on top of the two pieces of coal. Like in a camp fire, you next place cardboard, like in an upside down V over that pile so you have a little "tent". Use regular cardboard, not the slippery kind that has been "treated". You could also use small pieces of scrap wood first to make the upside down V. Add another piece of crumpled paper to the front, mostly put under that upside down V, but with a little sticking out. Make sure the flue is set properly to draw smoke up through the chimney-- you will likely need to adjust this again after you start the fire.
Use a tool that holds paper at one end (sorry, I forget the name of the tool), or use long furnace matches. Light the paper being held by the tool and insert the tool into the chamber-- gently hold it near or against the crumpled paper under the V tent until it catches. Once it has "caught", remove the tool -- you can douse it in the bucket of water. As the fire catches on, close the door, check the flue. You should not have smoke coming out through the open or closed furnace door! If you do, don't add more material until you adjust the flue!
Once you are sure the furnace and flue is operating properly, smoke escaping up the back of the furnace to the chimney, and the mound burning, you can begin shoveling coal. BUT you cannot just pile it in... the weight can initially suffocate the fire. So add a shovel-full, as close to the mid-line and on the mound, and close the door. As that pile catches, you can add more coal.
You must ask questions of a reputable repairman. Though the upper chamber looks huge inside, you cannot build a mound that is too high or add "too much" material or coal-- e.g. the goal is NOT to fill up the furnace. The pile or mound should NOT be even half as high as you might think, and should NOT extend across to both sides or walls of the furnace. If you overload the furnace like that, you can cause the furnace to overheat, cause a chimney or house fire, especially because once the coal catches, it will burn for many hours!
Once you have a knack for building a basic fire, AND you are knowledgeable about what to burn or NOT burn in a furnace, you can add to your burning materials things like household papers/bills, toilet roll or paper towel cardboard inserts, etc. Keep these away from the furnace-- at least 5 feet away. Once you know how to build and maintain a fire, it is basically a constant, round-the-clock task of checking the fire every couple hours, stoking the fire (moving the fuel to give it air), and SLOWLY adding SMALL amounts of new materials to keep the fire burning at an "even" rate.
NOTE: Coal Furnaces throughout history have caused chimney and house fires-- fires at houses, businesses, churches, etc., with high property damages, loss of lives, or serious burns. PLEASE do not rely only on advice from the Internet. Consult a reputable furnace company! The description above relies on my memories of coal furnace maintenance and firing a coal furnace in the 1960s through 1970s. Memories can never substitute for in-person instruction from experts!
How much does a gas furnace cost?
I was just checking around myself and looks like it can be anywhere from $3000-$4000 installed. Add $1K if you're going with a 90% high efficiency one which is recommended for harsh winters. 80% is fine for warmer climates.
How much is it to replace a furnace?
Depends on Seer Rating / Size / Brand / Extra's - ducts, electronic filters, humdifiers etc. Normal 3 bedroom home $3000 to $10,000 installed.
Why does your AC condenser unit run in the winter for your high efficiency gas heater?
Unplug the electrical outside service connector for the air condenser. Something is miswired.
Is it safe to run your furnace all night?
If your furnace is opperating correctly and the vent is in good opperating condition, You can run the furnace non stop forever.
What is wrong if a Rudd furnace will not run?
The legs are rusted off. Is the gas cut on at the meter and on at the heater valve ? The pilot lit and working? Come on down with some facts.
What size direct vent furnace for a of 600 sq ft?
Depends on manufacturer recommendation; read the box or brochure for the furnaces you are considering.
12/2009 - As I type, they are replacing my old with a one-cycle Trane. The check I will be writing for this nifty little gadget is $3000 even.
getting a furnace meens getting ready to pay 35 thousand.
Why doesn't the furnace blower turn on?
number of things can cause turn tstat from auto to on to rule out power to unit, transfomer and motor if it dosent u have voltage problem or bad capacitor or fan motor
You may want to try askarepairtech.com. They can diagnose the problem by phone and if you are handy, you can replace the part yourself. If not, they can do it.
Thomas Savery invented the steam pump in 1712 Thomas Savery invented the steam pump in 1712
What is the proper way to run a condensate drain with a trap Does it need a vent?
The condensate drain on the a-coil should have a trap and the trap should be vented for proper operation . The vent should rise above the top edge of the drain pan in the unit. Their should be a capped clean out before the vent.
If you are running your central heating/air conditioner unit to cool your home, moisture will condense on the cooling coil inside the unit and should drain out to the outside or will be pumped out. This will lower the humidity in your house.
The question is to vague, but I suspect a coil pan leaking 90% or better furnaces are also condensing and generate water.
How do you size a furnace and ductwork for your home?
Too maby variables here but heating and AC supply sites have the formulars. Look for it.
1150 cfm is typical of a 3-ton cooling system, based on 400 cfm per ton. THere are many more questions to ask to give you the answer you request. A lot depends on your specific configuration and what this is being used for.
Why is the Furnace air conditioner leaking?
There's a normal amount of condensation when a AC is running. If it's dripping on the floor, look for the white PVC pipe that is supposed to be there to drain it. If it's coming from inside the unit, call a repair person. If not, the water will rust and corrode other parts and you'll need to spend a lot more money later by ignoring it now.
How does an electric furnace work?
The operation of the furnace depends upon the thermostat, which is a simple unit that like a thermometer. which has set at a particular temperature. If this value falls below the set level on the thermostat, then the house starts to become colder, which alerts the electric furnace that is usually situated in the basement of a building. The heated coil in turn heats the temperature of the air around it. This air is then routinely blown into the house through a blower, the pressure that is exerted by the blower on the heated air warms it further. This air is blown into the house and the uncomfortably low temperature rises to a very pleasing level. The cold air that was initially present in the house replaces the hot air in the electric furnace
What is the best electric furnace?
It would be a good idea to reseach consumer feedback on different brands of electric furnaces. You should determine what you are looking to get out of the furnace as well as the price range you need to stay with. Carrier and Bryant are two top ranked gas furnaces, but are also more expensive. Research cost, longevity, malfunctions, and part replacement to get a complete view of the product.
Change the thermocouple. -This is the device that keeps the gas open to the pilot and thus controls the regulator. They cost less than $10 and can usually be changed in less than an hour. If you haven't done it before I would suggest hiring a competent handyman to do it, or ifyou are quite mechanically inclined, Youtube it to find any videos of it.
How many hours a day does a furnace run?
It depends on the ambient temperature and the setting of the thermostat.
How do you light the pilot on a gas furnace?
There are always very detailed instructions on the regulator. Read and follow them.
