If you have a combustion heating system, such as a furnace, then you should always ensure its combustion process is efficient. This is necessary because inefficient combustion will trigger several negative consequences. Below are some of the effects of inefficient combustion in heating systems.
Indoor Air Pollution
A good heating system converts most of the fuel into heat for warming up your house. This won't be the case if the combustion process is compromised. For example, if the intake air is low, a furnace may produce a lot of soot, smoke, and carbon monoxide since there won't be enough oxygen to burn the fuel. Such combustion products will foul up your indoor air, which can compromise your health and make your home too smelly to live in.
Improper Heating
Impaired combustion can also lead to reduced heating output. If the heating system cannot combust its fuel properly, not all of the fuel will be used to produce heat. Some of the fuel will be wasted in producing combustion byproducts. This means your house may not be as warm as you want it to be or that you will have to contend with uneven heating in the house.
Frequent Breakdowns
Heating systems, such as furnaces, do not run all the time. Your furnace only runs when it needs to be actively heating your house; it switches off after your house's temperature reaches the target temperature. However, impaired combustion will force your furnace to run longer cyclesthan usual in order to reach the target temperature. The furnace will also struggle to heat your house, as discussed above. This will accelerate the heating system's wear and tear and lead to frequent breakdowns. Such a furnace can also overheat and damage some of its components, such as the heat exchanger.
Noisy Operations
As previously mentioned, a heating system struggling with combustion is likely to produce a lot of combustion products, including carbon deposits. These deposits will clog the heating system and force it to struggle with its heat production. In many cases, the furnace will also be noisier than usual.
Energy Inefficiency
Most of the issues associated with improper combustion, such as overheating, longer runtimes, and frequent breakdowns, will lead to increased energy consumption. Your heater will be struggling to keep your house warm but still consuming more energy than it should.
Proper maintenance of your heating system will help maintain an efficient combustion process. You also need to take care of malfunctions, even seemingly minor ones, as soon as they occur.
For more information, contact an HVAC repair technician.
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