Furnace Installation
No attempt should be made to install a warm-air furnace until you have consulted the local codes and standards. The American Gas Association and the National Fire Protection Association have also established codes for installing warm-air furnaces; these are avail- able to the public through their publications (see, for example, NFPA No. 31, “Installation of Oil Burning Equipment 1972”; NFPA No. 90B, “Residence Warm Air Heating 1971”; and NFPA No. 204, “Smoke and Heat Venting 1968”). These publications can be obtained free or at a modest price from these organizations. Their ad- dresses appear in Appendix A, “Professional and Trade Associations” of this book.
As soon as the heating equipment is shipped to your building site or existing structure, check it for missing or damaged parts. The manufacturer should be notified immediately of any discrepancies so that replacements can be made.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installing the heating equipment, but give precedence to local codes and regulations should any conflict arise. Most manufacturers base their installation instructions on existing codes formulated by the American Gas Association and the National Fire Protection Association.
Locate the furnace so that it has the shortest possible flue run containing as few elbows (turns in the run) as possible. Clearances around the furnace should be kept to the required minimum but within the regulations established by local codes and standards. Air ventilation must be adequate for efficient operation.
After the furnace has been installed, check all gas or oil lines for possible leaks. Make the necessary repairs if any leaks are found.
More detailed instructions for installing furnaces are found in Chapter 11, “Gas Furnaces”; Chapter 12, “Oil Furnaces”; Chapter 13, “Coal, Wood, and Multi-Fuel Furnaces”; and Chapter 14, “Electric Furnaces.”
Furnace Maintenance
Furnace maintenance is a very important part of the efficient operation of a warm-air heating system and should never be neglected.
The manufacturer of the heating equipment will provide recommendations for proper maintenance, and these recommendations should be carefully followed. By doing so, you will extend the life of the equipment, improve its efficiency, and reduce operating costs.
Maintenance recommendations specific to gas, oil, electric, coal, wood, and multi-fuel furnaces are found at the end of Chapters 11 through 14. Always read and closely follow the furnace manufacturer’s service and maintenance instructions. Maintain a periodic service and maintenance schedule and post the schedule near the furnace. The schedule should include the dates of any service, maintenance, and repairs performed, and the telephone numbers of the local furnace manufacturer’s representative and/or a local technician qualified to work on the furnace.
Troubleshooting Furnaces
The automatic controls of all furnaces, as well as the heating elements in electric furnaces, are operated by electricity. If there is no electricity, the furnace will not operate and there will be no heat. Many times the problem of a furnace failing to operate can be traced to a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker caused by an electrical surge in the main power supply line. The fuses or circuit breakers protect the furnace (and other equipment on the circuit) from potentially damaging high voltages and currents by shutting off the power supply before the excess can harm the equipment. Replace a blown fuse or reset a tripped circuit breaker and restart the furnace. If the problem persists and you do not have the training or experience to make furnace repairs, call the local representative of the furnace manufacturer or a qualified HVAC technician for a service call.
Chapters 11 through 14 contain troubleshooting recommendations specific to gas, oil, electric, coal, wood, and multi-fuel furnaces, respectively.