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Most people don’t know it but some furnaces and Air Conditioners work together to give your spaces the required temperature, in what is known as a central heating and cooling system otherwise known as HVAC. In this article, we will tell you more into the relationship between the two cooling systems and why tweaking one of them can affect the efficiency of the other system
How Furnaces & AC Work Together
In simple terms, the heating furnace is the source of warm air and an air conditioner cools down hot spaces. Heating Furnaces can use either electricity, oil, or gas as the main source of energy. They have different energy consumption capacities, but in spite of the differences, the working mechanism is similar. When the temperature in the house drops beyond the specified level, a thermostat sends a signal to the furnace to initiate the healing process. A signal is also sent to a blower motor where a fan pushes the heated air from the heating compartment to rooms through ducts or pipes.
Air conditioners do more or less the opposite of this as it removes heat and humidity based on preset temperature ranges. When turned on, the power cools the refrigerant stored in coils to its liquid state.
In a central heating and cooling system, your AC and furnace will use the same ducts cool and heat your spaces. In this case, the blower in the furnace will be the one driving both heating and cooling exchange. Not all ACs work this way though.
Some spaces, especially smaller residential spaces use isolated ACs installed on a window or a wall opening. Air conditioning experts like AireControl recommend that you know how your specific type of conditioner and furnace work helps to diagnose when indoor conditions are far from appealing. For example, being in a hot room is a sign that either the furnace is overworking or the cooling unit has stopped working.
How to Keep Your Furnace and AC working efficiently
Every machine requires regular maintenance attention. You may be surprised by the simplicity of maintenance practices but if neglected, the results may be unfavorable conditions in the space or malfunctioning of the machines altogether. Both the AC and furnace require maintenance to perform efficiently. For both new and old systems, consider running the practices to keep the systems running for a long.
How to maintain Your AC & Furnace
Again, running on an unmaintained furnace and AC tends to bring up issues in the long run. They are machines so they will consume a lot of power, create health & safety hazards and reduce their life span, etc.
Even if you aren’t much into do-it-yourself, some of the furnace and AC maintenance procedures are simple. For furnaces, for example, ensure the vents are unclogged, reduce the overall heating load, clean the vents, the ductworks, and the filters, etc. For gas furnaces, keep the exhaust systems free, keep flammable elements away, and ensure the blower is functioning correctly. Consider seeking professional assistance if you don’t have the expertise to handle regular furnace maintenance. You should also do regular maintenance for the AC unit as well. Here are some of the essential maintenance tips for ACs.
That said, there are times when replacing the air conditioner and heating compartment is the best solution in terms of efficacy. A common dilemma that many residential and commercial users have is if they should replace the air conditioner and furnace at the same time or simply replace one. The answer is yes and no. Let’s expound more on this.
When to replace both the air conditioner and furnace at the same time
Nothing lasts forever, of course. Thus, you can consider the replacement of both if they aren’t working as efficiently anymore. Older units will tend to reduce inefficiency and it is recommended to replace both if you have a central heating and cooling system that integrates both the AC and the furnace. You should talk to a licensed AC expert who can help you determine your system efficiency and if it requires an upgrade.
Conclusion:
To conclude, your air conditioner and the furnace can function efficiently for long but you ought to keep maintaining them for this to happen. You should also know when to replace your units and if replacing one or both is the right option. In this regard, always talk to an AC repair expert who can assist with maintenance or even assess the efficiency of the units and advise accordingly.
