How Does a Furnace Work?

Posted: November 7, 2022

Get expert furnace service from Vaughn Oil!

furnace repair rhode island At Vaughn Oil, we want to ensure that your Rhode Island home is always comfortable. That’s why we offer oil furnace installation, maintenance, and repairs with our team of dedicated experts. We are constantly training and expanding our knowledge so that we can serve you better!

This winter, don’t worry about your furnace running out of its oil source: our delivery service will make sure it always has enough. You and your family can stay warm and comfortable all season long.

If you have a furnace in your home but don’t know much about furnaces, this article is for you. We’ve provided answers to some frequently asked questions so that you can get acquainted with your furnace.

How a furnace operates

Furnaces have been around for a long time, and they heat your home by creating and circulating warm air. The earliest models were powered by coal or wood, but now furnaces use heating oil, natural gas, propane, or electricity to generate heat. Vaughn Oil installs and maintains oil furnaces.

Your furnace turns on when you manually do it, or if the temperature in your home falls below your set temperature on the thermostat.

The burner is where your fuel is combusted. The heat exchanger is where the combusted fuel heats the air coming into the furnace through the vent. The blower fan distributes that air throughout your home using your ductwork.

How do I take care of my furnace?

You can help your furnace run efficiently and safely in two ways.

The first way to help your furnace run better and last longer is to get an annual maintenance tune-up from Vaughn Oil. Our skilled service technicians will clean and tune up every component of your furnace so that it runs at its best efficiency, which saves you money on energy costs. A tune-up also gives our technicians the chance to spot any problems and fix them before they become bigger issues that lead to needing repairs.

A service plan from Vaughn Oil not only tunes up your furnace once a year, but also covers many parts and labor costs associated with repairs, making it a wise investment.

The second way is by having a clean air filter. Your furnace’s efficiency and performance decreases when you have a dirty or clogged air filter. Dirty or clogged filters can also result in damage to parts inside your furnace. To avoid any future problems, check your filter once a month and change as needed.

How long do furnaces last?

A furnace typically lasts 10-15 years, but with regular professional tune-ups, it can last even longer.

At some point, it becomes financially responsible to replace an old furnace rather than repair it. With time, furnaces can become less efficient–particularly if they haven’t been maintained properly. By investing in a new furnace, you will gradually recoup the cost through savings on your energy bill. If furnace repair would cost more than half of what buying a replacement would, then getting a new one is the wise solution.

Now is the time to get your home’s furnace its annual maintenance tune-up ahead of winter. Contact Vaughn Oil today to schedule your appointment. And don’t forget to sign up for one of our service plans!