As most people know, wintertime heating bills can be astronomical. The good news is that you can drastically lower your energy costs through the installation of a two stage furnace. If you would like to learn more about this technology and how it can make a positive impact in your life, read on. This article will provide a useful introduction to the world of two stage furnaces.

How Two Stage Furnaces Differ From Conventional Furnaces

The burner in a conventional furnace can operate in only one of two modes: on or off. That means that, when the furnace is on, it is running at full blast. While this is just fine when it comes to frigid days in the heart of winter, it can be somewhat wasteful when the weather is only moderately cold. A two-stage furnace alleviates this problem by allowing the furnace to operate in a third, intermediate, stage. This increases not only the economic efficiency of the furnace but also its efficiency at heating your home in an even manner.

Two Stage Furnace Operation

The crucial component in distinguishing a conventional from a two-stage furnace is the fuel valve, which is responsible for controlling the flow of gas into the combustion chamber. This fuel valve may either be closed, partially open, or fully open. As with conventional furnaces, the state of the fuel valve is automated through an electrical connection with the thermostat. In this case, however, the information being relayed is much more detailed.

In other words, when the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of your house is minimal, the furnace will be prompted to turn on its partially open setting. This will bring your home up to temperature while minimizing the expense involved. Likewise, it will eliminate the problems associated with short cycling.

Short Cycle Times

Short cycle times are the cause of the problem known, not surprisingly, as short cycling. This phenomenon leads to two unwanted effects: poor heat distribution and insufficient filtration.

The first of these issues has to do with the fact that, when a furnace attempts to compensate for a minor temperature differential by turning on full blast, it generally only runs for a couple of minutes. This doesn't give the blower system enough time to push the heat to the rooms located farthest from the furnace. As a result, these rooms tend to be colder than those closer to the furnace.

Likewise, a short cycle time leads to a decrease in the air quality inside of your home. Here, the furnace simply doesn't run for a great enough length of time to circulate the air of your home through its built-in filtration system. As a result, air quality tends to decline. A two stage furnace helps to eliminate both of these problems by allowing the furnace to remain on for longer in its intermediate stage.

For more information, contact Wright Total Indoor Comfort or a similar company.