As a warm-blooded animal, humans need to stay warm. The average body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. When our bodies are at that temperature, they function optimally, meaning we are able to go and do the things that we like doing, whether that’s visiting with friends, going for a long walk, or traveling to see family over the holidays. You might be surprised to learn that our body temperatures don’t have to drop that much in order to be in danger. In fact, once your body temperature falls to 95 degrees or below, you are in hypothermia, which is life-threatening. At this temperature, your brain and heart, as well as your other organs, are severely impacted and stressed. If your core body temperature falls much further, you can suffer from amnesia, lose consciousness, and eventually die. That being said, it’s safe to say that being warm is foundational to human survival.
Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning & Heating in Fort Worth offers the best HVAC services, including heating installation, repair, and maintenance. We offer both gas furnaces and heat pumps to serve your particular needs. While the winters are mild here in Texas, they can get uncomfortably cold to the point you need some type of heating element in your home or office space, commonly dipping into the 30s during the coldest winter months. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how your furnace works to keep you comfortable and warm during the winter months. Contact our HVAC company to get started today!
What is a Furnace?
Fundamentally, a furnace is a heating device that is used to heat homes and businesses across the United States. First invented in 1919, this idea changed forever the way Americans heat their homes. No longer did the home have to be heated by a central fireplace that has to be maintained all day and all night long. It was invented by a woman named Alice Parker in Morristown, New Jersey. She designed a gas-fired furnace complete with air ducts and adjustable vents that allowed the homeowner to control the amount of heat entering their room. While it would take decades to fully develop her idea into what we now see as the modern-day residential and commercial central heating, her idea was the spark that made modern furnaces possible.
HOW YOUR GAS FURNACE IN FORT WORTH WORKS
Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning & Heating in Fort Forth notes that your gas furnace works on a heat cycle where air is continually treated (in this case, warmed), circulated through your home or office space, and then retreated to go through this process all over again. Here are the steps in the heat cycle of a furnace.
- First, the energy source, be it natural gas or propane, must be ignited to light the burner. This takes place inside the combustion chamber.
- Once the gas is burning, flames form and they heat up the heat exchanger. Exhaust fumes exit out the flue.
- The heat exchanger does just that — it transfers the heat to the incoming air and heats it up.
- Next, the blower in your furnace blows this heated air out through your ductwork, which then travels all throughout your house.
- You feel this warm air, heating you up and keeping you warm. The colder air that has lost its heat is now denser. It is drawn back into the furnace by the return ducts in your building.
This entire heating process is then repeated each time you hear your furnace kick on.
TYPES OF FURNACES
Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning & Heating in Fort Forth notes that there are many different types of furnaces. However, they all function the same and, for the most part, look the same. The main difference is in the types of fuel used. There are gas furnaces, electric furnaces, and oil burning furnaces. As you can tell from the names, one uses gas, the other electric, and the final one oil. In Texas, heat pumps are popular and common in both residential and commercial buildings. A heat pump is not a furnace and operates differently.
A heat pump is both a heating and cooling system that works extremely well in climates with hot summers and mild winters, which is the climate of Texas. A heat pump works by moving heat from one place to another. During the summer, it moves the heat out, and during the winter it draws heat from outside in. A heat pump does this much like a central air conditioning unit, by using a refrigerant circulated by a pump and compressor that moves the heat through exchanging coils both inside and outside of your home office space.
TWO-STAGE FURNACE FOR TEXAS
Since the winters are so mild in Texas, Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning & Heating in Fort Forth notes that many people prefer a heat pump. A furnace uses the same amount of energy when it is on no matter how much it actually needs to heat your space. While it will heat up your home quickly, using its full power doesn’t save you any money in the long run. However, furnaces are extremely popular in Texas, and the best option for Texans is a two-stage furnace.
A two-stage furnace refers to the fact that the furnace has two levels of output for heat: high heat on extremely cold days and low heat on warmer days. This is the most energy-efficient furnace. Your furnace can be told to operate at full blast or only at about 60% of heat output. Thus, it has a high heat and a low heat setting. The difference is the valve. It will either open all the way on high heat or partially on low heat. Most two-stage furnaces automatically adjust its setting so you don’t have to worry about it. It does this by measuring the amount of times it is kicking on. If it’s constantly running, then it will open up the high heat valve because it has to run to keep the temperature in your home or office warm. If it’s not running all that much, it will kick into low heat mode. This saves on fuel, heats your home better, and also filters your air better.
CHOOSE ARTHUR HAGAR FOR ALL YOUR FURNACE NEEDS TODAY
Here at Arthur Hagar, our gas furnaces that we offer are two-stage gas furnaces. These are the most economical and energy-efficient furnaces for your pocketbook, and they are perfect for Fort Worth residents. While we appreciate the full capacity of a one-stage, or regular furnace, it is just not needed. Our energy-efficient furnaces will keep you comfortable when the winter hits. In addition, we also carry heat pumps, another very energy-efficient, economical way to heat your home or office in Texas.
Arthur Hagar has been serving Fort Worth, Texas, with the best HVAC services since 1949. Our family-owned business takes pride in providing homeowners, businesses, and area home building contractors heating and cooling solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of life. We have partnered with Carrier, the best name brand in the business, to bring you top-of-the-line air conditioners, heat pumps, gas furnaces, thermostats, and air cleaners. Our mission is to ensure you are comfortable all year long by treating the air around you. We believe in energy-efficient HVAC systems that not only save you money, but reduce your carbon footprint for the long haul.
Our team understands that when your furnace or air conditioner goes out, you may not be prepared for the replacement costs. Thus, we offer financing on all of our heating and cooling systems so you can stay cool and warm. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our products and services, including heating repair and air conditioning maintenance. We encourage you to give our HVAC specialists a call today to schedule a tune-up for your HVAC system. This is recommended every fall before you turn on your furnace or heat pump and every spring before you need your air conditioner. Regular HVAC maintenance helps to discover any minor problems that could turn into major costly HVAC repairs down the road.
Your heating and cooling system are too important to put on the back burner (pardon the pun). We are always striving for innovation in the HVAC industry, helping you to not only lead your best life, but we also supply the most environmentally-friendly HVAC systems available. Call our HVAC company in Fort Worth to get started today!
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