Boilers remain a very popular home heating choice for people across the country. Theyb re sturdy, energy efficient, and provide excellent heat output. Despite their popularity, however, most people are still unaware of how boilers actually work. The more you know about your home heating system, the better equipped youb ll be to take care of it. With that in mind, letb s take a look at 3 of a boilerb s most important components.
The Heat Exchanger
In a furnace, the heat exchanger is a tube that allows heat to pass through it and into the air, while simultaneously venting toxic combustion gases out of the house. In a boiler system, things are a bit different. A boilerb s heat exchanger is a pipe that runs through the main chamber and into the circulator pump. The boilerb s burner assembly is positioned under the heat exchanger, heating the water as it flows through the pipe. The heat exchanger is one of the most important parts of the entire boiler system.
The Circulator Pump
The circulator pump fills the same role in a boiler system that an air handler does in a furnace. Once the boiler finishes heating the water that will warm the house, it needs a way to distribute it throughout the system. The circulator pump is responsible for pumping water through the pipe networks installed in each room of the house. Without a working circulator pump, the boiler is incapable of actually heating the house.
The Vent
Most boilers are natural gas burning systems, meaning they produce combustion gases just like gas furnaces. While furnaces use heat exchangers to prevent the toxic combustion gases from mixing with the homeb s air, however, boilers donb t use air to distribute heat. This makes venting combustion gases much simpler. Instead of a heat exchanger, boilers have a vent extending from their main chamber directly to the exhaust flue. During operation, the combustion gases simply rise through the chamber, into the vent, through the exhaust flue, and out of the house.
If youb d like to know more about how a boiler works, call Comfort Central, Inc. We provide quality boiler installation andB replacementB services throughout the Arden area.