A combustion efficiency test of your gas-fired furnace provides a qualified HVAC service technician with important safety, performance and efficiency data. Exhaust produced by a furnace includes a variety of gasses that should be present at specific percentages in relation to each other. Using a combustion analyzer, a trained HVAC service tech can go beyond simple visual inspection and sample the exhaust gases to check for subtle imbalances or discrepancies that may indicate a major problem.
A digital combustion analyzer incorporates a probe that is inserted into the furnace exhaust stream to sample its contents. Some of the imporant measurements produced by the analysis include:
- Carbon monoxide
- Carbon dioxide
- Oxygenization percent
- Exhaust stream temperature
If results indicate an imbalance or other reading that does not meet specifications for the furnace, this could indicate problems including:
- Excessive carbon monoxide. Small measurable amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) gas are always present in furnace exhaust. However, readings that exceed acceptable levels for this hazardous gas (generally, amounts above 99 parts per million) could be dangerous to occupants of the house, particularly if the furnace heat exchanger is not fully intact. High carbon monoxide readings may indicate problems with the furnace air supply, fuel delivery, burner or the heat exchanger. These critical issues require expert troubleshooting and repair.
- Low efficiency. High levels of unburned natural gas present in the exhaust is usually accompanied by poor heating performance and low energy efficiency. Unburned fuel going up the exhaust is money wasted and doesn’t contribute to household comfort. Adjustments to variables such as the gas flow can reduce fuel waste and improve combustion efficiency.
- Environmental issues. Elevated levels of sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) in the furnace combustion gas are another red flag and must be resolved by a qualified technician. In addition to health effects on humans if exposure exceeds a certain concentration, highly corrosive sulfur dioxide is harmful to the environment when released into the atmosphere.
For more details about the benefits of a furnace combustion efficiency test, ask the professionals at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area