INTRODUCTION

TO
GAS FURNACES
#1
 Gas Furnace Controls, etc…
 After this you should be able to:
 Describe each of the major components of a gas furnace
 List two fuels burned in gas furnaces and describe
characteristics of each
 Discuss a multipoise furnace and its safety devices
 Objectives
– Discuss flame rollout, auxiliary limit, and
draft safeguard switches
– Discuss gas pressure measurement in
inches of water column and describe how a
manometer is used to make this
measurement
– Discuss gas combustion
– Describe a solenoid, diaphragm, and heat
motor gas valve
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– List the functions of an automatic
combination gas valve
– Describe the function of a servo-operated
gas pressure regulator
– Discuss the meaning of a redundant gas
valve
– Discuss different gas burners and heat
exchangers
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– Describe the difference between induced-
draft and forced-draft systems
– Describe and discuss different ways of
controlling the warm air fan
– State the function of an off-delay timing
device for warm air fan control
– Describe standing pilot, intermittent pilot,
direct-spark, and hot surface ignition
systems
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– List three flame-proving devices and
describe the operation of each
– Discuss the delay in starting and stopping
the furnace fan
– State the purpose of a limit switch
– Describe flue-gas venting systems
– Discuss flame rectification and how it
pertains to local and remote flame sensing
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– Apply flame rectification troubleshooting and
maintenance procedures
– Discuss the components of a high efficiency
gas furnace
– Describe direct-vented, non-direct-vented,
and positive pressure systems
– Explain dew point temperature as it applies
to a high-efficiency condensing furnace
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– Discuss excess, dilution, combustion,
primary, and secondary air
– Describe the condensate disposal system of
a high-efficiency condensing gas furnace
– Identify furnace efficiency ratings
– Discuss electronic ignition modules and
integrated furnace controllers
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– Describe two-stage furnace, modulating gas
furnace, and variable output thermostat
– Explain gas piping as it applies to gas
furnaces
– Interpret gas furnace wiring diagrams and
troubleshoot flowcharts or guides
– Compare the designs of a high-efficiency
gas furnace and a conventional furnace
 Objectives (cont’d.)
– Describe the procedures for taking flue-gas
carbon dioxide and temperature readings
– Describe typical preventative maintenance
procedures
 Introduction to Gas-Fired,
Forced-Hot-Air Furnaces
• Heat-producing system
– Consists of manifold, burners, ignition,
controls, heat exchanger, and venting
system
• Heated air distribution system
– Blower moves air throughout ductwork and
ductwork assembly
 Types of Furnaces
 Include:
 Upflow: stands vertically, top air discharge
 “Low-boy”: used for little headroom
 Downflow: stands vertically; bottom air discharge
 Horizontal: positioned on its side
 Multipoise or multipositional: can be installed in any
position
Types of Furnaces (cont'd.)

Figure 31-2 The airflow for an upflow gas furnace

Types of Furnaces (cont'd.)

Figure 31-3 (B) The airflow for a low-boy for the more common upflow
applications but can be changed furnace. The low profile of the low-boy is
accomplished by placing the blower behind the furnace in a separate cabinet
rather than in line with the heat exchanger
Types of Furnaces (cont'd.)

Figure 31–4 The airflow for a downflow, or counterflow, gas furnace.

Types of Furnaces (cont'd.)

Figure
Figure 31-5 31-5
(B) The(B) The
airflow for airflow for
a horizontal gasafurnace
horizontal gas furnace
 Gas Fuels
 Natural gas
 90-95% methane and other hydrocarbons
 Lighter than air (specific gravity = 0.60)
 Colorless, odorless, and not poisonous
 Displaces oxygen and can lead to suffocation
 Odorants are added for detection purposes
 Produces about 1000 Btu per cubic foot when burned
with air
 Gas Fuels (cont'd.)
 Liquefied petroleum
 Liquefied propane, butane, or a combination of both:
keep under pressure until used
 Propane produces 2500 Btu/ft³ but requires 24ft³ of air
 Heavier than air (specific gravity = 1.52)

 Displaces oxygen; can explode when accumulated

 Butane produces 3200 Btu/ft³

 Difficult to work with, not very popular
Gas Fuels (cont'd.)
 Manifold pressures
 Expressed in inches of WC
 1 psi = 28”WC (27.7 “WC)
 Some common manifold pressures:
 Natural gas and propane/air mixture: 3 to 3.5
3.5 in. WC
 LP gas: 11 in. WC

Figure 31-10 A manometer used for

measuring pressure in inches of water
column. Courtesy Ferris State University.
Photo by John Tomczyk.
Gas Fuels (cont'd.)

Figure 31-12 A digital manometer being used to measure gas pressure in

inches of water column
Courtesy Ferris State University. Photo by John Tomczyk
Gas Combustion
 Gas Combustion (cont’d.)
 Requires fuel, oxygen, and heat
 Ignition temperature for natural gas is 1300ºF
 Perfect combustion produces carbon dioxide, water
vapor, and heat
 Poor combustion produces carbon monoxide, soot, and other
products
 Flame should be blue with orange tips
 Yellow tips indicate carbon monoxide
Gas Combustion (cont’d.)

Figure 31-13 (A) Primary air is induced into the air shutter by the velocity of the gas
stream from the orifice. (B) Ignition of the gas is on top of the
burner. (C) Incomplete combustion yields yellow “lazy” flame. Any orange color
indicates dust particles drawn in with the primary air
Gas Combustion (cont’d.)
 Only gas pressure and primary air can be adjusted in
the field
 Gas/air mixture is important
 0-4% natural gas will not burn; 4-15% natural gas will
burn but can explode; 15-100% natural gas will not burn
or explode
 Limits of flammability vary for gases
 Extra primary air supplies better combustion
0% 4%< to >14% Natural Gas 100%

111 100
%
Air
Gas Regulators
 Gas Regulators (cont'd.)
 Drop gas pressure to proper level, maintain constant
pressure at the outlet where gas is fed to the gas valve
 Many regulators can be adjusted
 LP regulators are located at supply tank
 Always consult manufacturer's specifications when
setting or adjusting gas regulators
Gas Regulators (cont'd.)

Figure 31-15 The diagram of a standard gas pressure regulator

Gas Valves
Gas Valve
 Gas is piped from regulator to gas valve at manifold
 Several types exist

Figure 31–16 Natural gas installation

where the gas passes through a separate
regulator to the gas valve and then to the
Manifold. Courtesy Cengage Learning 2013
 Solenoid Valve
 Normally closed (NC)
 Electrical current applied to coil pulls spring-loaded
plunger to open the valve

Figure 31–18 A solenoid

gas valve in its normally
closed position. Courtesy
Cengage Learning 2013
Diaphragm Valve
 Uses gas pressure on one side of the diaphragm to
open the valve
 Types:
 Electrically operated magnetic diaphragm valve;
thermally operated diaphragm gas valve
 When electric current is applied, gas is allowed to bleed off
from upper chamber; gas pressure below diaphragm pushes
valve open
Figure 31–21 When an electric current is Figure 31–23 When an electric
applied to the coil, the valve to the upper current is applied to the leads of the
chamber is closed as the lever is bimetal strip heater, the bimetal
attracted to the coil. The gas in the upper warps, closing the valve to the upper
chamber bleeds off to the pilot, reducing chamber, and opening the valve to
the pressure in this chamber. The gas bleed the gas from the upper
pressure from below the diaphragm chamber. The gas pressure is then
pushes the valve open. Courtesy greater below the diaphragm, pushing
Cengage Learning 2013 the valve open. Courtesy Cengage
Learning 2013
 Heat Motor-Controlled Valve
 When heat is called for, a rod attached to the valve is
heated and expands or elongates, causing the valve to
open
 20 seconds to open; 40 seconds to close
Figure 31–24 A heat
motor–operated valve,
(A) closed and
(B) open. Courtesy
Cengage Learning
2012
Automatic Combination Gas Valve
 Used in many modern gas furnaces
 Include manual control, pilot supply, pilot adjustment
and safety shutoff, pressure regulator, main gas valve
controls
 Valves with dual shutoffs: redundant gas valves
 Standing pilot automatic gas valves
 Pilot burner is lit all the time; manual
 Have safety shutoff features
Automatic Combination Gas Valve
(cont'd.)
 Intermittent pilot automatic gas valves
 Pilot light is lit when there is a call for heat; when the
call ends, the pilot goes out
 Do not use power units or thermocouples; just two
automatic valves:
 Solenoid operated valve opens to permit passage of pilot gas
 Servo operated valve opens to permit passage of gas for main
burner operation
Automatic Combination Gas Valve
(cont'd.)
 Direct burner automatic gas valves
 Electronic module or IFC lights the main burner
directly, without a pilot flame
 Ignition is accomplished by a spark, hot surface igniter, or
glow coil
 No power units or reset buttons
 Two automatic valves are energized on a call for heat
 Slow-opening is used when two automatic gas valves are used
Furnace Parts
Manifold
Pipe through which gas flows to burners
Attached to the outlet of the gas valve
Manifold
Heat Exchangers
 Provide rapid heat transfer from
the combustion products to the
air that will be distributed in
the space to be heated
 Must have correct airflow
 Many sizes, shapes, and
materials

Figure 31–39 A heat exchanger with

four sections. Courtesy Cengage
Learning 2013
 The Fan Switch
 Automatically turns the blower on/off
 Can be temperature controlled or on a time delay
 Blower activation and shutoff are delayed
 Gives heat exchanger time to heat up at the beginning of
the cycle and cool off at the end of the heating cycle
 The Limit Switch
 Safety device that closes the gas valve
if the heat exchanger overheats
 High-limit cut-out requirements vary,
but are often between 200°F and
220°F
 Fan switch and limit switch can be
combined into a single unit
 Can be high-voltage, low-voltage, or
combo
 Controlled by the same bimetal helix
 May be automatic or manual reset
devices
Pilots
 Small burners used to ignite the gas burner on
conventional gas furnaces
 May be aerated or nonaerated
 Standing pilots burn continuously; other pilots are
ignited by an electric spark or other ignition device
when the thermostat calls for heat
 Pilot flame provides heat for safety devices that shut off
gas flow if the pilot goes out
Safety Devices at the Standing Pilot
 Flame-proving devices prevent gas from flowing
through the valve if pilot is out
 Thermocouples and thermopiles
 Pilot heats hot junction of thermocouple and keeps it open so
gas can flow
 Thermopile: thermocouples wired in series
 Bimetallic safety device: bimetal strip heated
 Liquid-filled remote bulb
 Pilot heats liquid, causing diaphragm to expand
 Ignition Systems
 Can ignite the pilot or main burner

 Intermittent pilot ignition

 Spark from electronic module ignites pilot, which
ignites main burner
 Pilot burns only when thermostat calls for heat
 Natural gas: pilot valve remains open (not 100% shutoff )
 LP gas: pilot valve will close if pilot does not light
 Ignition Systems (cont'd.)
 Direct spark ignition (DSI)
 No pilot is used
 Sensor rod sends signal through flame rectification to
DSI module to confirm firing
 Hot surface ignition
 Uses silicon carbide placed in gas stream
 Ignitier is allowed to get very hot before gas valve opens:
immediate ignition
Flame Rectification
 Uses the flame as a switch
 Flame located between two electrodes completes the
rectification circuit
 Rectification circuit converts AC power to DC, which
tells the furnace to open the gas valve
High-Efficiency Gas Furnaces
High-Efficiency Gas Furnaces
(cont'd.)
 Reduce outdoor air infiltration and room
depressurization
 Have multiple heat exchangers, flue-gas condensate
disposal system, and induced or forced power drafted
venting system
 Operate below the dew point temperature of the
combustion gases
 As excess air decreases, DPT increases
High-Efficiency Gas Furnaces
(cont'd.)
 Annual fuel utilization efficiency rating (AFUE) allows
consumer to compare furnace performance before
buying
 Furnace efficiency ratings are determined by amount of
heat transferred to the heated medium
 Conventional furnace: 78-80% AFUE
 Mid-efficiency furnace: 78-83% AFUE
 High-efficiency furnace: 87-97% AFUE
Electronic Ignition Modules and
Integrated Furnace Controllers
 Control the ignition and sequence of operations in
most modern gas furnaces
 100% shutoff system
 Both pilot/main gas valve shut down in failure
 Non-100% shutoff system
 Main gas valve shuts down; pilot continues to bleed gas
 Continuous retry with 100% shutoff
 90-sec trial for ignition
Electronic Ignition Modules and
IFCs (cont'd.)
 Lockout: time period to light or relight the pilot or
main burner
 Soft: semi-shutdown but module will keep trying to
relight the system
 Hard: full shutdown; module must be reset
 Prepurge, interpurge, and post-purge periods allow
blower motor to clear heat exchanger
 IFC provides sequence schemes
Electronic Ignition Modules and IFC
(cont'd.)
 Terminal marking abbreviations:
 MV, PV, MV/PV, GND, 24V, 24V(GND), TH-W,
IGNITER/SENSOR, SENSE, SPARK
 Smart valve is gas valve and electronic control module
in one
 Pulse furnace ignites small quantities of gas many
times per second in a closed combustion chamber
Two-Stage Gas Furnaces
 Use a two-stage gas valve and a two-speed combustion
motor with two pressure switches
 First stage puts out manifold pressure of 1.75 in. WC and
operates at 50-70% of total heating output
 Second stage puts out manifold pressure of 3.5 in. WC
and 100% of total furnace output
Modulating Gas Furnaces
 Follows the heat loss of the structure, reducing cycling
for greater efficiency
 Determines exact heating requirements for the space
and adjusts to changes
 Optimizes furnace performance
 Utilizes variable speed blowers
Venting

Venting
Conventional gas furnaces
Use convection to vent flue gases but lose heat to
prevent corrosive condensation
Use Type B vent; approved masonry materials
High efficiency gas furnaces use plastic
venting and ventor motors.
Gas Piping
 Observe all national and local codes
 Piping size varies with furnace ratings and gas type
 Should be steel or wrought iron
 Use pipe dope or Teflon tape on joints
 Piping at furnace should provide for a drip tap, a shutoff
valve, and a union
 Assembly must be leak tested and purged
 Summary
• Gas furnace consists of heat-producing
system and air distribution system
• Furnace configurations: upflow,
downflow, lowboy, horizontal, multipoise
• Common fuels in gas furnaces: natural
gas, and liquefied petroleum
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Piping must be done according to all
building codes
• Piping circuit must be inspected and
leak-tested prior to use
• Incomplete combustion produces
carbon monoxide
• Correct air adjustments are important to
combustion
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Burner flames should be blue with
orange tips
• Regulators maintain proper gas
pressure
• Types of gas valves include diaphragm,
solenoid, heat motor-controlled,
automatic combination, standing pilot,
intermittent pilot, direct burner, and slow
opening
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Other furnace parts include the spud,
burners, manifold, and heat exchanger
• Fan switch controls blower operation
• Limit switch is a safety that opens
contacts if heat exchanger gets too hot
• Safety devices include thermocouples,
thermopiles, bimetal devices, and liquid-
filled controls
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Ignition systems used to light the pilot or
main gas can be intermittent, DSI, or
hot surface
• Flame rectification devices convert AC
to DC and are used on spark to pilot or
DSI systems
• High efficiency furnaces have 87-97%
AFUE ratings
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Integrated furnace controllers control
ignition and sequence of operations
• Two-stage furnaces use two-stage gas
valves
• Modulating furnaces adjust to match
load
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Flue gas venting must be done in
accordance with all federal and local
codes
• Flue gases in conventional furnaces
must be removed quickly to prevent
gases condensing
• High efficiency furnaces use small
blowers to remove flue gases