How Does a Forced Air Heating System Work?

Forced air is they system of choice in most parts of the U.S. and North America in general. The ducting system installed with a forced air heater can also be used by the air conditioner in the simmer time to cool the house. In regions that are relatively dry in terms of humidity, many forced air furnaces will also work in conjunction with a humidifier to keep the humidity of the home at a comfortable level. When a house is heated the air tends to dry out, and this can be a cause of health issues for people, especially people who have sinus conditions.

Since natural gas is less expensive than electricity these days, most homes will have a gas furnace which also includes an air blower. Once the gas jets have heated the air, it flows through the blower which sends it out through the ducting all over the house. If a heat pump is the source of heating, there will also be a blower to distribute the hot air after it is created by the heat pump. In either case the blower will continue to work until the thermostat tells the blower to stop. One of the best ways to save money on heating bills these days is to have a programmable thermostat installed on your heater.

Besides the ducting and the air handler, forced air systems need an air filter as well as registers that are in each room to control the flow of air there. For gas furnaces there will also be a flue which will take the burnt gas out of the combustion chamber and send it outside the house.

The way a forced air system operates is that a cycle is initiated by the thermostat which detects when the temperate in the room has dropped below a certain predetermined level. The blower turns on and pulls air from the various rooms which will be heated up. The room temperature air goes into the unit’s heat exchanger, and this can be fired by gas, electricity, or in some cases it will be a heat pump. Once the air has been heated up the blower will send it to the various rooms of the house. This operation continues until the temperature rises enough for the thermostat to turn the cycle off.