Everyone knows that warm air is lighter than cool air, so its tendency is to rise. While this basic principle may seem elementary, it has the greatest bearing if you are looking to buy a furnace online.
Furnaces for homes come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, heating capacities, air flow and fuel types. Today, we’ll focus on air flow for furnaces.
Air flow depends on your present furnace and the air ducts that comprise the central heating in your home. A furnace in the attic, for example, is likely servicing air ducts that run through the ceiling and walls of your home. This type is typically called a “downflow” furnace because it draws cool air in through the top and pushed the warm air out through the bottom and into the ducts.
If you are replacing a basement furnace, it will likely be an “upflow” furnace drawing in cool air either through the bottom or sides, and circulating warmed air out through the top.
Another variation is a “horizontal” furnace which, as you can guess, draws air in one side and pushes it out the other. These come in either left to right or right to left configurations depending on the overall layout.
One of the most popular types of furnaces for new installations or consumers that are looking to purchase a replacement furnace is called a multi-directional furnace. This type of furnace allows for installation in either upflow, downflow, or left/right horizontal positions. They allow for more flexibility when installing and therefore are a more popular choice.
The airflow of the furnace wont impact its efficiency in any significant way. The type of furnace that you choose should be based on the type of application that you need. We typically recommend that you stick to the same type of airflow furnace that you previously had if replacing an old furnace. If you are doing a new installation or are unsure which type of airflow you need, we recommend you go with a multi-directional furnace instead.
Consumer Reports says one of the best ways to offset expenses of volatile energy prices is to replace your old furnace with a newer and more efficient model. They also recommend having a contractor help you determine the size and orientation of a new furnace.
We are here to answer all of your furnace related questions. At National Air Warehouse we offer a large variety or furnaces including gas and electric which allow for the airflow direction that best suits your needs. Please get in touch with someone from our team if you have any further questions or would like additional information.