subject: The Gas Furnace And How It Changed The World [print this page] The gas furnace is a worthy invention for so many areas. It has become a standard fixture in many homes, buildings and other dwellings. It has become a traditional heating unit during the past century for good reason. It heats units fast and for an affordable amount of money. It is done simply by flipping a switch. There is more to these units when they are being set up, but the ease of use to the consumer is second to none.
The central air heating and cooling systems are in use in the modern day typical home. These type of forced-air gas furnace systems are usually heated with natural gas. Natural gas is understood to be the energy source found deeper in the earth which has been processed to be clean and free of impurities. It is often referred to simply as gas, especially as compared to oil or coal. This is the fuel source primary used in the modern gas furnace. This gas is probably supplied to the building from a gas line which came from another main line from gas company.
The gas furnace uses its energy source to push hot air through duct work. Duct work are metal tubes or channels that route forced-air to areas desired. These can be direct or indirect routes with efficiency usually being the goal. These ducts vary in size and shape, but are typically cylindrical and t shaped at breaks in the route.
Vents are the stopping points for the duct work that allow forced-air to enter a room or area. These vents are usually grated so as to allow air to enter the room, but prevent objects or animals from entering the duct work. These vents can be cosmetically designed or more practical in form.
Sometimes duct work is insulated. This is ideal for efficiency purposes. If duct work is insulated well, then heat is deterred from leaving through the metal tubes. More heat is captured, so less heat needs to be produced. Less production of heat means less energy is used. Less energy being used means lowered costs. Lowered costs means more money to spend on other things. This is an obvious benefit to so many parties.
When a gas furnace is installed and used, there must be a method or way to activate or put the furnace into use. This is accomplished typically through an item called a thermostat. A thermostat regulates and controls whether the gas furnace is on or off. It also determines how warm the unit gets. More sophisticated thermostats also have timers installed that can regulate the temperature at different times of day or days of the week through programming.
Gas furnace systems usually occur most within densely populated areas. This is basically because the gas company must be able to route natural gas through piping systems that are not always in place in more rural areas. More areas are making and implementing these gas systems specifically to provide an energy source for the gas furnace being installed in more areas.
The gas furnace revolutionized the way homes and other buildings are heated. Because of the efficiency of heating and the comfort provided, it appears that these type of heating units are here to stay. Although the concept of the gas furnace has standardized, look for improvements in efficiency to continue being invented.
