Everything You Need to Know About Heat Exchangers
Many homeowners are not aware of a heat exchanger until something goes wrong on their furnace. However, a heat exchanger is the largest component of your furnace, and if you have a worn-out heat exchanger, it can result in cracks or holes in the furnace. You don’t want this to happen because it will result in faulty fuel combustion and carbon monoxide that is too high. Here is all you need to know about heat exchangers.
A Heat Exchanger Works by Holding to a Specific Design
Heat exchangers usually work by transferring heat from one side to the other. These heat exchangers will take the by-products of a natural gas or propane furnace and turn them into exhaust. The heat exchanger will also heat the metal and keep air circulating through the exterior area of this heat exchanger.
A Heat Exchanger Has Various Components
In order to properly understand a heat exchanger, you must realize that they consist of various components. First of all, most heat exchangers will have a primary heat exchanger, and this is used for containing the hottest flue gas. Generally, in order for a furnace to be 70% to 80% efficient, it must have at least one heat exchanger.
Secondary Heat Exchanger
If you are going to have a furnace that operates at 100% efficiency, it is necessary that you have a system that has both a primary and secondary heat exchanger. The secondary heat exchanger is usually responsible for releasing more heat from the flue gas and making it form into water vapor. You will usually see a secondary heat exchanger comprised of stainless steel or a coated steel material.
Be Aware of Some of the Health Risks
Obviously, if either of your heat exchangers starts malfunctioning, then it could lead to some health risks if undetected. Give Dogtown Heating, Air & Plumbing a call if your carbon monoxide detecter is going off and you are not really sure why. Dogtown Heating, Air & Plumbing serves the residents of Paxton, Urbana and the surrounding areas in a variety of ways, including a number of heating services, cooling services, and plumbing services as well. Give us a call today!