gas furnace planned maintenance
DESCRIPTION
Gas Furnace Planned Maintenance. Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). Percentage of the annual average efficiency of a furnace All furnaces manufactured after 1992 must have a AFUE of at least 78%. Types of Gas-Fired Furnaces. Natural Draft Induced-Draft Condensing. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Gas Furnace Planned Maintenance
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)
• Percentage of the annual average efficiency of a furnace
• All furnaces manufactured after 1992 must have a AFUE of at least 78%
Types of Gas-Fired Furnaces
Natural DraftInduced-DraftCondensing
Natural Draft Furnaces
• Rely on the buoyancy of the hot combustion products to create the draft needed to draw combustion products through the heat exchanger and out the vent
• Difficult to obtain a 78% AFUE rating• Not being produced by most manufacturers
Induced-Draft Furnaces
• Have an AFUE of at least 78%• Use an inducer fan to draw the products of
combustion through the heat exchanger• Inducer fan restricts the flow of warm air
out the vent during the off cycle
Condensing Furnaces
• Have an AFUE rating of at least 90%• Have an additional heat exchanger which
removes the latent heat from the flue gas by condensing the water vapor
• Side wall venting• Draws in 100% combustion air from
outside
Furnace Configurations
UpflowDownflowHorizontalMultipoise
Gas Furnace Components
Gas ValveGas Manifold and Orifices
Gas BurnersHeat Exchangers
Burner Ignition Devices
Gas Valves
• Most furnaces will use a combination gas valve
• The basic function of a combination gas valve is:– Automatic and manual shut-off of gas flow to
the main burners & pilot– Pressure adjustment and regulation of the gas
supplied to the gas manifold & pilot
Gas Valves continued….
• Natural gas furnaces use a combination gas valve--it should be adjusted to regulate the outlet gas pressure to 3.2” w.c. to 3.8” w.c.
• LP furnaces may not have a pressure regulator adjustment; if it does, it should be adjusted to regulate the outlet pressure to 10.5” w.c. to 11” w.c.
Gas Manifold & Orifices
• Spuds can be changed in the field to obtain the correct burner input rate
• The spud controls the flow of gas to each of the burners
• The exact orifice size of the spud is determined by the manufacturer
Gas Burners
• Properly mix the gas with the combustion air to the combustion chamber
• Two types:– Multi-port– Mono-port
• The amount of primary air supplied to some multi-port burners can be changed by adjusting the primary air shutter
Burner Ignition Devices
Three basic types
Standing PilotPilot Re-ignitionDirect Ignition
Standing Pilot
• Two types of safety devices:– Thermocouple– Thermally-actuated switch
• Clean orifice carefully• A properly adjusted pilot flame will have a soft
blue color with some yellow at the tip• Should have a height of 3/8” to 1/2” to
impinge on the thermocouple
Standing Pilots continued...
• Normal output voltage of thermocouple is 26 to 32 millivolts DC
• The minimum acceptable output voltage is 12 millivolts DC
• If pilot flame goes out the gas flow to the pilot assembly should drop out within 2-1/2 minutes.
Spark Re-ignition
• Used on mid-efficiency & high-efficiency furnaces
• Output spark typically 15,000 volts• Pilot flame is proved by either a set of
thermally-actuated switches or a flame rectification circuit (more common)
• Never attempt to manually light
Spark Re-ignition continued...
• Clean the components of any dirt, scale, soot or carbon using a soft-bristle brush
• Check high voltage cable for any cracks or poor connections
• Check safety lockout operation– With gas valve off set thermostat to call for
heat, see if gas valve shuts down if no flame is proved
Direct Ignition(Hot Surface Ignitor)
• Used on high efficiency furnaces• Hot Surface Ignitor directly lights burners• Uses flame rectification circuit to prove flame• Made of ceramic - fragile• Visually inspect for cracks or breaks• At room temperature the resistance should
equal 45 to 90 ohms (if over 110 ohms replace)
Vent Checks
• Visually check for any obstructions• Visually check for any worn or damaged
pipes• If any problems observed, immediately
notice the proper personnel• Inspect vent pipe to other appliances that
may be tied into the furnace(s)
Combustion Testing
Category I Appliance
Category I - Appliance Test Point
Category I Appliances
Fan Assisted Furnaces
Category IV Furnaces
Temperature Rise Checks
• Determine temperature rise for data plate• Generally low-efficiency furnaces will have
a temperature rise of 75 to 100 degrees• Generally high-efficiency furnaces will
have a temperature rise of 40 to 70 degrees• Always check supply temperature out of the
line of sight of the heat exchanger
Temperature Rise Checks continued...
• Before checking the temperature rise of a furnace make sure the filter is clean and the airflow is not being blocked
• Use the same type of thermometers for measuring the return and supply temperatures
• Before checking the temperature rise, compare the accuracy of each thermometer against each other
Safety Controls Checks
• Verify the operation of the high temperature switch.
• Block return airflow completely and observe the gas valve shutting down and at which temperature
• On induced draft furnaces remove one end of the rubber hose from the air pressure switch and observe the gas valve shutting down
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