Your Furnace: the Basics

A while back (during summer) we looked at the basic breakdown of an air conditioning (also called a condensing unit)'s insides and what each part was etc. etc. Today, we will examine the inside of a furnace thanks to this handy picture: 

(Source: http://homerepair.about.com/od/heatingcoolingrepair/ss/gas_furn_trblsh.htm) 

How this works is that the cold air (air that was once heated, but has since cooled down) gets sucked into the furnace via the cold air return (this vent/grill is usually substantially larger and lower down than the other vents installed in your home). Then the cool air passes through the filter (to clean the air and trap any particles that may be lurking) then it is warmed by a burner. Then the warmed air gets pumped out into the rest of the house via the duct work. 

The site homerepair.about.com also gives possible suggestions on what to do if  your furnace is not working properly. 

Here are some of their suggestions: 

• Thermostat set too low and no calling for heat
• Thermostat not working
• Circuit breaker or fuse controlling the furnace is tripped or blown
• Natural gas or propane control valve is closed
• Pilot light is out
Possible Repairs
• Check that thermostat is in heat mode and has appropriate temperature setting Try moving dial setting up or down a few degrees
• Clean contacts in thermostat if it is a non-digital type
• Reset tripped circuit breaker
• Replace blown fuse
• Relight pilot light

However, if you're like me, it is always a good option to call your HVAC company for their suggestions or troubleshooting explanations.