Ductless Heat Pump vs Ducted Heat Pump in Seattle – What is a Forced Air Furnace?

A forced air furnace uses a combination of furnace and ductwork to warm the home. Room air is pulled into the house’s ductwork. It travels through the ductwork to the furnace where the air is heated. Once the air is warmed, it is pushed back into the room. Before the widespread use of forced air furnaces, the most common heating systems were known as gravity furnaces. They used convection, rather than blowers, to move warmed air through the home.

Forced air furnaces can use any type of fuel for heat. The most common type of forced air heating system uses natural gas, but they can also use oil, coal, wood, or electricity. Natural gas, because it is widely available and relatively inexpensive, is an excellent choice for forced air furnace systems.

There are several things that you can do to increase the output of your high efficiency furnace. The room registers should be evenly distributed through the home. If some areas of the home are perpetually warmer than others, consider partially or completely closing the room registers in those areas. That allows more warmed air to flow to other areas of the home. Also, do not block the air returns with furniture. For the most efficient exchange of air, the air returns should be unobstructed.

No matter what type of forced air system you have, there are several additions that you can make to your heating system that will improve your home’s comfort level. You can add air conditioning units, humidifiers or air filters to your system to cool your home in the summer, add moisture to the air or clean the air in your home.