In a time when energy prices seem to be increasingly rising, it is natural
to be worried about the costs associated with operating your furnace.
Fortunately, there are numerous things you can do to help keep your fuel costs
down. One useful strategy is to have a heating contractor add what is known as
an automatic vent damper installed in your flue. To learn more about how this
component can boost your heating efficiency, read on.
Automatic Vent Damper
The purpose of an automatic vent damper is to prevent heat from escaping
your exhaust flue. This allows the heat exchanger inside of your furnace to
extract a greater amount of thermal energy, which then passes on to the rooms
of your home. This helps to reduce the number of times your furnace has to turn
on--and thus the amount of gas it consumes in heating your home.
A Closer Look
An automatic vent damper does not close off your flue all the time, however.
If it did, poisonous exhaust gases would build up to dangerous levels inside of
your furnace. Instead, an automatic vent damper is designed to only close the flue
when the furnace’s burners have shut down. At all times when the furnace is
running, it must remain open; in fact, a special electrical switch prevents the
furnace from starting up unless the automatic vent damper is in its open
position.
The moment your furnace’s burners shut down, however, the automatic vent
damper closes. This helps to keep the residual heat trapped inside of the
furnace for a greater period of time, thus maximizing the amount that can be
passed on to your home.
We encourage you to call New England Cooling Towers, Inc with any questions
or service needs you may have.
