Heaters are not without any risks. If you have a gas furnace, your risks are slightly higher since you also have gas lines to think about. But the good news is that modern gas furnaces come with a variety of safety features that make these systems very safe to operate.
You can keep reading to learn more about each of the safety features of your gas furnace and the purpose of each one. You can also learn more about when you might want to schedule gas furnace repair in Midlothian, TX. Remember, our team is always here to help with your heating needs, big, small, and everything in between.
Flue Exhaust Pressure Sensor
One of the most important components of your heater is the flue exhaust. This is the area where exhaust air and carbon monoxide channel outside of your home so that they don’t mix in with your clean heated air. But exhaust blockages do happen from time to time.
The flue exhaust pressure sensor helps identify blockages. If exhaust air gets trapped inside your heater, it can mix in with the clean air and reduce your indoor air quality, potentially even making you sick. Plus the exhaust can lead to overheating which is dangerous for your heater and your home.
Flame Rollout Switch
Your gas furnace has an active flame as part of the heating process. There is a flame rollout switch that helps ensure the flames do not get too big during operation. There needs to be enough airflow inside of your heater for the flame to have oxygen to burn efficiently. A lack of oxygen will cause the flame to grow larger as it seeks out more air.
The flame rollout switch senses when the flame gets too large and signals for your heater to shut down. If you notice that your heater is turning off early in the heating cycle, this may be why.
High Limit Switch
Another safety switch is the high limit switch that monitors the temperature inside the heat exchanger. Yes, your heater is supposed to get very hot in its effort to warm up the air for your home. But there is such a thing as too hot. If your heater begins to overheat, the high limit switch will signal for the entire unit to shut down so that it can cool off.
As we already mentioned above, your heater turning off early in a heating cycle is a problem. It can indicate that the system is overheating, among other potential issues. There are a variety of other reasons that your heater may turn off early during a heating cycle.
As a consumer, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly why this is happening. If you ever have concerns about how your heater is operating, give our team a call to schedule an appointment.
Flame Sensor
The flame inside of your heat exchanger has a second safety switch as well. This flame sensor ensures that the flame is only active when gas is being released into the chamber for heating. You don’t want the flame to burn at the wrong times.
Contact Republic Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc, today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. Revolutionizing the Customer Experience.