Fun Facts About Furnaces, or Brrrrr! It’s Cold Outside!

Understand Your Furnace and Impress Family and Friends

These recent storms have made a lot of people start thinking about their furnaces, and with more winter weather predicted, it’s never a bad time to consider the status of your home’s HVAC system. But there might be a few things about furnaces you didn’t realize, facts that you can impress neighbors and friends at the next block party or holiday get together. In this era of turmoil, having some ready ways to change the subject is always useful!

Furnace Technology Is an Ancient Art

We don’t know if they had an ancient version of an HVAC tech, riding around on his donkey, but we can tell you that people have been using furnaces or some version of one for a very long time. Back in 1200 B.C. the Romans had hypocausts, or a system of central heat that produced and circulated hot air below the floors of their homes. Also used for warming baths and other public buildings, only the rich were able to afford their cost.

Some excavations in Pakistan have also revealed possible central air heating systems among ancient structures, which would mean their hypocausts were in use about 2,000 years earlier than the Romans. While there were no thermostats, we’re sure couples were undoubtedly bickering over the indoor ambient temperature even then!

Furnaces Are Popular Ways To Heat Your Home

Most houses in the United States are outfitted with a furnace which uses natural gas, the cheapest fuel available. Other energy sources include oil or electricity, or a combination of the three. Ductwork systems are typically utilized, and a whole lot of furnace filters. Made from three main parts, your furnace consists of a burner or heating element, a heat exchanger to divide combustion fuel from breathable air, and finally, a blower that moves breathable air along the ducts. Of course, each furnace has a whole lot of other stuff, including filters, fittings, and more. But these three elements are the most important.

Furnaces Last a Long Time

In a world of expendable goods, it should make any homeowner happy to know that most furnaces last more than 15 years. With regular and effective maintenance, your furnace can even last longer than 20. That’s pretty impressive for machinery your family depends upon day after day, year after year.

Furnace Production, Installation and Repair Are Heavily Regulated

When you invite a licensed, certified professional HVAC company like Air-tro inside your home, you’re not just getting the benefits of our more than 50 years of expertise. You’re getting a lengthy list of codes, rules and laws that govern how furnaces are manufactured, installed, and repaired in the United States. In fact, the HVAC industry is one of the most heavily regulated, reflecting both popular concern for the environment as well as a governmental interest in public safety and fuel economy. This is part of why hiring a professional is so essential in today’s marketplace. While many handymen and journeymen contractors claim to know about air conditioners and furnaces, you’re always better off going with a licensed professional. Your safety and well being, not to mention that of the planet’s, may depend upon it.

Need your furnace inspected or repaired? Considering an energy upgrade to your home or commercial building? Get in touch with the professionals at Air-Tro for a consultation. For more than 50 years we’ve been keeping California comfortable. Call us today! (626)357-3535