Furnace Parts and Equipment Key Terms

Make informed heating decisions by learning furnace parts and equipment key terms

By Jess Buskirk

In order to decide what type of furnace best meets your business' needs and to keep maintenance costs low, learn common furnace parts and equipment key terms. All furnaces are similar in that they produce heat, but they use different equipment and parts to accomplish their goal.

When searching for a furnace part, you must first know what kind of furnace for which you are shopping and the exact name of the part. Even if you choose to hire a service company to maintain your furnace, having a working knowledge of key terms will ensure you're not paying for unnecessary repairs. When learning furnace parts and equipment key terms, know the following:

1. Learn how a gas furnace functions and about its components.

2. Familiarize yourself with oil furnace parts.

3. Review how electric furnace parts work.

4. Know the differences and similarities among industrial, commercial and home furnaces.

Become familiar with gas furnace parts

A gas furnace heats cold air with a gas burner and uses a motor to distribute the air throughout a building using a system of ductwork and vents. Components of a gas furnace include the heat exchanger, the induced-draft motor, the blower motor, a spark ignition system and filters. When you can accurately diagnose a gas furnace, you save your company repair costs and downtime.
Try: See a photograph of a gas furnace at Ingram Water and Air Equipment. Click on the photograph to see a larger view. Review the diagram of a gas furnace at A-Z Comfort Air. Clearly labeled are the furnace's parts with brief descriptions of how they function.

Review examples of oil furnace equipment

Forced air oil furnaces work similarly to gas furnaces. This type of furnace burns stored oil to produce heat and uses a blower motor to distribute the warmed air. This type of furnace is ideal for industrial applications where you must discard the oil. Oil furnace parts include an oil pump, transformer, blower motor, ignition control and filter.
Try: Visit Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems to see examples of oil furnaces. Click on the photographs of the individual models to see larger photos and read product specifications. To see clearly labeled parts inside an oil furnace, visit High Performance HVAC. Find photographs of individual oil furnace supplies, including valves and gaskets, at Aubuchon Hardware.

Learn the functions of electric furnace parts

Electric furnaces use tubular heating rods to directly heat an air stream. Like other furnaces, electric furnaces use a motor, fans and filters. A circuit breaker controls this type of furnace, which can be either inside or outside the furnaces cabinet depending on the model. Other electric furnace parts include hot surface igniters and flame sensors.
Try: To see an example of an electric furnace, visit The Unico System. Find illustrations of electric furnace repair parts at Expert Appliance. To see how individual components function within an electric furnace, visit Warmair.com.

Know the difference between industrial, commercial and home furnace equipment

When purchasing furnace parts and equipment, you need to specify if the supplies are for an industrial, commercial or home furnace. Home and commercial furnaces supply heat for the purpose of comfort. Industrial furnaces typically heat a material, such as metal.
Try: To see examples of industrial furnaces, visit Johnson Gas. Notice the furnaces resemble heavy machinery rather than an appliance. To see examples of home furnaces, visit Lennox. Click on the individual links to see photographs. Find a photo of a commercial furnace at Boyertown Furnace.

Home furnaces can often be for use in commercial applications, depending on the size of the building. Home furnace equipment is typically adequate for salons, restaurants, small shops, doctor's offices and similar businesses.