furnace / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...furnace that will shut the furnace off if the pump fails. There should be a small reservoir you can pour some water into to check that the pump is working.  Check safety switches on modern furnaces Newer and modern furnaces will have safety switches that set the furnace into a lockout mode that will shut down the furna...

...furnace Are air filters for furnaces washable? Some air filters are washable such as those with lower MERV ratings, or those that have no rating at all.  So in general, we would have to recommend against washing furnace and home air filters. The higher-rated air filters are paper-based, as that is the medium needed to...

...furnace or boiler: Water vapor formed during combustion is condensed and recovers the latent heat of condensation. This is a very efficient combustion system, somewhere in the area of 90% to 97%.  There is also very little loss during the transmission of heat energy. With a conventional gas furnace or boiler: This is a...

...furnaces, boilers, and wood-burning stoves are the most common interior sources, especially if heat exchangers are cracked or flues are blocked. Water heaters: Natural gas or propane-fired water heaters can backdraft CO into the living space if venting systems are improperly sized or obstructed. Attached garages: Idlin...

Convection heaters are an excellent choice for homeowners seeking reliable, efficient and low-cost heating solutions. These heaters are designed to distribute warmth evenly throughout a room, providing a quiet, energy-conscious way to maintain a cozy indoor environment. Whether you’re heating a bedroom, living room, or...

...furnace pro hack Even a full-sized gas furnace only requires electricity for the control board and the blower motor. While most furnaces are hardwired and cannot be simply plugged into a battery, many professionals now install a service switch that functions as a standard 120V outlet. During an outage, you can flip thi...

Outdoor wood burning boilers: Is this the right home heating system? For homeowners seeking energy independence, outdoor wood burning boilers offer a smart solution for centralizing heating away from the living envelope. Also known as hydronic heaters or outdoor wood furnaces, these units are designed to burn stove woo...