How Does it Improve the Performance of Your Furnace?
Today’s furnaces are equipped with a number of different devices that help improve their performance. Some of these devices help the system run more efficiently, while others protect your furnace from serious safety concerns. One device that performs both of those roles simultaneously is a draft inducer. Today we’re going to talk about what a draft inducer is, how it improves the performance of your furnace and how your system ensures that the draft inducer is working properly!
What is a draft inducer?
A draft inducer is a fan that’s located inside of your furnace near the heat exchanger. When your furnace begins a heating cycle, the draft inducer is one of the first devices that turns on. In fact, the draft inducer starts up 30-60 seconds before the burners are lit and continues to run throughout each heating cycle.
By turning on before your furnace ignites its burners, the draft inducer is able to clear out any combustion gases that might be lingering in the heat exchanger from the previous heating cycle. Those gases are pushed into your system’s flue pipes and vented out of your home. After the burners do ignite, the draft inducer continues to run in order to provide the burners with a constant source of oxygen.
How does a draft inducer improve your furnace’s performance?
- Helps ensure your furnace runs safely. When your furnace’s burners ignite, it’s important that they do so in a safe and controlled environment. If combustion gases were to linger around inside the heat exchanger, lighting the burners could ignite some of those gases and cause a tiny explosion. Draft inducers eliminate this safety problem by blowing all of the combustion gases out of your furnace before any new flames are lit.
- Improves your system’s efficiency levels. By providing a steady flow of oxygen to your furnace’s burners, the draft inducer allows the burners to burn as efficiently as possible. Not only does this maximize the amount of heat that is produced by your burners, but it also distributes that heat more evenly throughout the heat exchanger’s walls. As a result, your supply air will contain as much heat as possible and your home will warm up faster, allowing for more efficient heating cycles.
Draft inducers are monitored by an air pressure switch
Draft inducers are such an important part of newer furnaces that they have a dedicated safety device that monitors their performance. This device is known as an air pressure switch. The air pressure switch measures the amount of air that’s being blown by the draft inducer. If the pressure switch detects that there is an inadequate amount of air blowing through the heat exchanger, or if there is no air blowing at all, it will shut down your system until the problem is resolved.
If you have any questions about a furnace draft inducer, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Indio, CA, furnace installation and repair contractor.
