Inspecting your fuel nozzle

A furnace generates heat by igniting a combination of air and gas that have mixed together inside of the combustion chamber. The gas passes into the combustion chamber through the fuel nozzle. This component has an important job to play. Beyond simply providing a means of entry, it also atomizes the incoming fuel. This helps to disperse it more evenly, thus ensuring that as much of the fuel as possible is combusted.

As time goes on, however, the fuel nozzle tends to accumulate a problematic layer of buildup. Eventually, this unwanted gunk will start to affect the nozzle’s ability to properly introduce and/or atomize the fuel. As a result, your furnace’s efficiency will start to plunge. A trained furnace repair person or a Willowick OH heating installation professional can thoroughly inspect your fuel nozzle, and clean or replace it if necessary.

Clean out your burner tube

Many cling to the mistaken idea that furnaces require very little in terms of annual maintenance. Unfortunately, this belief often leads to the need for expensive and time consuming furnace repairs. If you would like to learn more about what it takes to keep a home’s heating system running strong, read on.




Combustion itself is carried out by the igniter flame inside of a furnace. Over time, the igniter mechanism is subject to the same sorts of buildup that can negatively impede the fuel nozzle. Thus a furnace technical will often perform an inspection of the igniter flame. By observing the color and/or shape of this flame, they will be able to glean information about the cleanliness of the igniter. Then, if necessary, they will extinguish the flame in order to clean out any debris from the burner tube.

If you have any questions, reach out to a Bakersfield CA furnace contractor.
 

Be More Efficient with a Clean Dryer Vent

Have you ever noticed that your dryer is working as well as it normally does? Maybe it's taking more than one cycle to dry your clothes or your clothes are still somewhat damp when you take them out? This can be frustrating, especially if you have to spend more time doing laundry than you originally anticipated.

This can be cause by a number of different things. When this happened to me, it ended up being caused by the dryer vent. The vent had gotten squeezed between the dryer and the wall and started to cave in on itself. Since air flow to and from the dryer was diminished, the dryer wasn't able to perform efficiently and our clothes were coming out damp.

We ended up having to get a new dryer hose and boy did we notice the difference. No longer were me and my roommates arguing over laundry time since the amount of time it took us to dry our clothes was cut in half. I'm glad we finally reached out to somebody to get it fixed.

If you have any issues with your dryer, look into dryer vent cleaning in Hawaii.

What You Should Know About the Thermocouple in Your Furnace

To most homeowners, the furnace is just one more appliance whose inner workings are shrouded in mystery. Unfortunately, this means that many easily diagnosed problems are often overlooked. If you would like to improve your HVAC knowledge, read on. This article will discuss everything you should know about your furnace’s thermocouple.

Basic Idea

The furnace component known as the thermocouple has a vital role to play where safety is concerned. Its job is to control the flow of gas coming out of the pilot orifice. So long as the pilot remains lit, the thermocouple keeps the gas valve open. But if the flame should suddenly go out, the thermocouple shuts off the valve, thus preventing raw, dangerous gas from entering your home.

Thermocouple Problems

It’s important to know how to recognize the signs that your thermocouple may not be working correctly. The most common symptom is that your pilot light won’t seem to stay going, no matter how many times you relight it. This may be caused by either a thermocouple that has been jarred out of place, or one that has failed mechanically.

In the first case, the problem can often be solved by making an adjustment to the position of the thermocouple. You see, it needs to be close enough to the pilot flame that it receives an adequate amount of heat. This causes two pieces of metal near the tip of the thermocouple to generate an electrical impulse, thus keeping the gas valve open.

If repositioning the thermocouple still doesn’t fix the problem, and your pilot light continues to go out, chances are the thermocouple has become excessively worn with age. Here the best option is to replace it entirely. Fortunately, a new thermocouple isn’t too expensive.

If you have questions, reach out to a Miller Place NY heating expert to get their opinion or have them check out your system. 

Burning Dust Odor

If this is the first time you've used your furnace for the cold season, the burning odor is likely coming from accumulated dust on various parts of your furnace, such as the heat exchanger. This dust buildup accumulates over the summer when the furnace isn't used. It should burn off after a few hours. If the odor persists, changing the air filter may solve the problem. If it doesn't, turn off your heating system and call your furnace repair person for help.

Inspection and preventative maintenance are the key to reliable furnace operation. If your furnace hasn't been checked in a while, contact your local Atlanta GA heating service.

Furnace Repair Experts Explain Two Furnace Odors

If you notice odors coming from your furnace, don't ignore them. This can happen for a number of reasons, and most of them indicate that something is seriously wrong. Here are two common furnace odors, their meaning, and how to respond to them:

Gas (Rotten Eggs) Odor

The gas that fuels your furnace is normally odorless. For safety reasons, fuel suppliers include a chemical that gives it the distinctive smell of rotten eggs. This odor means you have a gas leak. This is extremely serious because if the gas builds up, it can explode if it comes into contact with a heat source. Get everyone out of the house, and when safely away, call 911 and explain your situation. Contact your gas company as well.

Electrical Burning Odor

If you smell a sharp acrid burning odor (similar to burning wires), then an electrical component of your furnace is overheating. For example, if the electrical windings of a blower motor get too hot, they will char and burn surrounding insulation and other materials, which emit the odor that you smell.
Regardless of how cold it is outside, turn off your heating system. If you are familiar with your circuit breaker panel, cut off the power to your furnace by tripping the appropriate switch. Contact your furnace repair person, and keep an eye on the furnace for several hours to ensure there aren't any ongoing fires.

If you have any questions or concerns about these smells, don't hesitate to contact a furnace service in Birmingham AL.

Still Warm

I can't believe we're almost halfway through November. 2016 has gone by so fast. Before we know it, we'll be into the holidays and it will be 2017. Most of the country is experiencing cool temperatures by now and have their heat on.

However, if you live in a warm climate like here in Florida, chances are it's still pretty warm. Having lived up north for most of my life, every year I'm surprised by how late in the year it stays warm down here.

While you may not be using your air conditioning as much as you were over the summer, it's important to keep up with regular maintenance. You should be checking the filter about once a month and making sure no debris is interfering with your outdoor AC unit. If you notice something isn't working quite right or have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to a local air conditioning service in Orlando FL.