what is a counterflow furnace

What is the difference between an upflow and downflow furnace?

Getting right to it, the fundamental difference between the two is in the direction of air flow in and out of the furnace. A Upflow furnace takes in existing air from the bottom of the furnace and blows out filtered warm/cool air through the top. A downflow furnace works in the opposite way.

What are the 4 categories of furnaces?

There are four main types of furnaces: natural gas, oil, electric, and propane. Electric furnaces can heat the air by exposing heated elements, while other types of furnaces typically require a heat exchanger or chamber that warms the surrounding air.

Which is better upflow or downflow furnace?

Upflow furnaces are more efficient for heating and will have lower operating costs for areas with longer heating seasons. Downflow furnaces are more efficient during the cooling months and will save the homeowner on energy during warm weather.

What are 2 types of upflow furnaces?

Upflow furnaces can also be described as a “highboy” or a “lowboy”. For the homeowner, the important distinction between the two is that the lowboy is shorter — typically around 4 feet in height. The lowboy can be installed in low-ceiling basements. A highboy furnace is typically around 6 feet in height.

What's the top 5 furnaces?

Best Furnace BrandsDaikin Furnaces.Goodman Gas Furnaces.Lennox Furnace Units.Rheem Furnaces.Ruud Furnace Units.Trane Gas Furnaces.York Furnace Units.HEIL Gas Furnaces.More items...

What type of furnace is the best?

90% AFUE Furnaces The most efficient furnaces today are 96.7% AFUE and only waste 3.3 cents on the dollar of gas consumed. The 90% AFUE furnace is so efficient that water is condensed from the flue products and has to be disposed of in a sanitary drain or a freeze proof French drain.

Is it better to oversize or undersize a furnace?

Even a slightly undersized furnace will accomplish the job the majority of the time. Taking things down a few sizes will more than likely solve some of your common heating problems like too high of a utility bill while half of your house is blazing and the other half is an icebox.

What furnace is the most efficient?

The most efficient Furnace you can buy is a 98% modulating variable speed furnace. Almost every manufacturer has a variation of this type of furnace. With that said this is one of the most expensive to buy and install. Also, not every home can have this style of furnace due to various factors like duct system design.

Which furnace lasts the longest?

oil-fueled furnacesIn general, oil-fueled furnaces have the longest life expectancy, and gas-fired furnaces have the shortest.

When should you use a downflow furnace?

An upflow furnace is the best choice in cold climates where it is used for heating more than for air conditioning. Downflow furnaces blow heated or cooled air downward and are installed in attics. They are the best choice for warm climates where air conditioning is used more than heating.

How do I know if my furnace is upflow?

Upflow Furnaces One way that you can know whether your furnace is an upflow furnace is where it is located in your home. If the furnace is located in a crawl space or the basement, then it is likely that your furnace is an upflow furnace.

What are the 9 types of furnaces?

Types of Furnaces and How They WorkTypes of Furnaces for Heating Homes and Buildings. ... Gas-Fired Furnaces. ... Oil-Fired Furnaces. ... Waste Oil Furnaces. ... Dual Fuel Furnaces. ... Electric Furnaces. ... Wood-Burning Furnaces. ... Types of Industrial Furnaces.More items...

What is a Category 3 furnace?

Category III is defined as a gas heating appliance with a flue loss equal or greater than 17% (non-condensing) with a positive vent static pressure. In a Category III venting system, if there is a leak in the venting system, flue gas will flow from the flue pipe into the space.

What are the 4 types of gas fired furnaces?

Here's a look at five gas furnace types and their features.5 Types of Gas Furnaces. ... Single-Stage Gas Furnace. ... Two-Stage Gas Furnace. ... Two-Stage Variable-Speed Gas Furnace. ... Three-Stage Variable Speed Gas Furnace. ... Modulating Variable Speed Gas Furnace.

What is a Category 2 furnace?

Category II is negative pressure, condensing. Category III is positive pressure, non-condensing. Category IV is positive pressure, condensing. These categories are used to determine the type of vent that should be used for the appliance.

What are the 3 types of furnace?

What Are the Different Types of Furnaces?Gas Furnace.Oil Furnace.Electric Furnace.Modulating Furnace.

The Difference Between An Upflow Furnace And A Counterflow Furnace

The largest difference between an upflow furnace and a counterflow furnace has to do with the way that they release air. It is vital to understand which way that your furnace blows out air. This is because if you are wanting or needing to replace your furnace, it will be important to know whether you need an upflow furnace or a counterflow furnace.

Do You Need A New Furnace?

If you find that your home is in need of a new furnace, we at Genuine Comfort have you covered. Not only do we offer some of the highest quality furnaces around, but we also offer some of the very best installation services as well.

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Don’t let those triple digit summers get you down, at Genuine Comfort, we are Northern Utah’s hot and cold experts! Genuine Comfort is a family-owned and operated HVAC company providing service to our customers in Centerville, Utah, and surrounding areas.

What is counter flow arrangement?

With a counter flow arrangement, the cooling medium flows in the opposite direction to the liquid being cooled. Find out why this so much more efficient.

How does counter flow cooling work?

In a counter flow cooling, the incoming cooling medium absorbs heat as the ‘hot’ fluid travels in the opposite direction. The cooling medium heats up as it travels through the heat exchanger, but as colder water enters the heat exchanger, it absorbs more heat, reducing the temperature much lower than could be achieved with parallel flow.

What is parallel flow?

The clue is in the name; parallel flow is where the fluid that needs to be cooled, flows through the heat exchanger in the same direction as the cooling medium.

What is the phone number for Bowman heat exchanger?

To ensure the correct product is always specified, Bowman offer computer aided product selection for all their heat exchangers. Call +44 (0)121 359 5401 or email [email protected] for more information.

Does a heat exchanger need a counter flow?

Whilst a heat exchanger installed with parallel flow will reduce temperature, it is nowhere near as efficient as a counter flow arrangement and, to achieve the required outlet temperature, a larger heat exchanger may possibly be required.

Is counter flow more efficient than heat transfer?

By contrast, counter flow is significantly more efficient and, depending on the flow rate and temperature, the heat transfer performance could be up to 15% more efficient, possibly enabling a smaller heat exchanger to be used, saving space and money!

What is a cozy counterflow wall furnace?

The combination of fan-forced efficiency, counterflow heat delivery and sealed combustion makes Cozy Direct-Vent Counterflow Wall Furnaces the perfect heater for multi-story units, room additions, garage apartments, vacation homes, and more. Cozy Top-Vent Counterflow Wall Furnaces can be mounted on any inside or outside wall, allowing maximum installation flexibility. The powerful, thermostatically controlled blower draws cool air into the upper grill and delivers warm air at floor level, distributing heat uniformly throughout the room.

How long is the warranty on a cozy heater?

10 Year Warranty. Cozy offers a 10 Year Warranty on the heater exchanger. WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Chromium, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer, and Lead, which is known to the state of California to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.

Can wall furnaces be interchanged?

Wall furnace components must not be interchanged or mixed to make a complete furnace.

Why is the furnace upflow?

In these locations, the ductwork is above the furnace, so the upflow configuration takes advantage of the laws of thermodynamics. Because warm air rises, thanks to the law of convection, air from an upflow furnace in the basement naturally rises toward the rooms above it. It needs less help from the blower fan to move into the ducts, so you save some energy.

Where is horizontal flow furnace installed?

Horizontal flow systems are most often installed in attics, and crawl spaces where space is limited due to a low ceiling and a standard upflow or downflow furnace just won’t fit. Upflow/horizontal and downflow/horizontal models are also available. These offer two possible configurations.

What is the best furnace for a basement?

If your home has a basement, chances are your installer will recommend an upflow furnace or, if the ceiling is very low, a horizontal flow model. No basement? Then a downflow model is most likely the way to go, but you have a few choices for where it’s installed.

How high is an upflow furnace?

Upflow furnaces come in “highboy” and “lowboy” models. Highboys are typically no higher than 6 feet and designed with the blower fan under the heat exchanger. Lowboys are a maximum of 4 feet high with the blower fan behind or beside the heat exchanger to save vertical space.

What is horizontal furnace?

A horizontal furnace is designed with the components in a horizontal row, so the unit looks like it’s lying on its side. Cool air flows in on one side, and heated air flows out the other. These furnaces are designed as either “horizontal left” or “horizontal right,” referring to the side the heated air comes from.

Where does cool air flow in an upflow furnace?

In an upflow furnace, cool air from your house enters either at the bottom or top of the air handler, depending on the furnace model, and heated air flows out the top.

Can you use an upflow furnace in a crawl space?

The benefit of these furnaces is that they can be installed in any type of home. If you don’t have a basement or crawl space, an upflow furnace just isn’t a practical choice. You aren’t necessarily stuck with ceiling registers, either. In many homes, downflow furnaces can also work with floor registers.

What is the difference between an upflow furnace and a downflow furnace?

The main distinction between upflow and downflow furnaces is the direction of the airflow in the furnace. In a downflow furnace, air is warmed as it flow s down through the unit and the home's ductwork. This type of furnace is generally placed in an attic or the highest level of a home if there is no attic. Placing the furnace in the attic or upper level gives greater versatility to homes without basements. However, the downward flow of air goes counter to how heat naturally rises, so they are somewhat less energy efficient for heating than upflow furnaces.

Which is better, a furnace or a downflow furnace?

Upflow furnaces are more efficient for heating and will have lower operating costs for areas with longer heating seasons. Downflow furnaces are more efficient during the cooling months and will save the homeowner on energy during warm weather.

How does an upflow furnace work?

In an upflow furnace, air comes into the furnace from the bottom. It gets heated and then flows upward into the home's ductwork. In a downflow furnace, the air flows in the opposite direction. It enters the furnace from above and flows down into the home.

What is the most efficient furnace?

Energy efficient for heating: Upflow furnaces work with the natural flow of heat going upwards rather than working against it. For this reason, they are the most efficient systems for any homes located in colder climates or areas that have longer seasons where heating is necessary.

Why is an upflow furnace so efficient?

This is because heat naturally rises, and this system takes advantage of this natural heat flow.

Why is my furnace in cooling mode?

This is because the cooler air naturally sinks downward, and the warm air rises in the rooms. It's then easier for the HVAC system to pull the warmer air up and out of the rooms and push the cooler, air-conditioned air back down into the rooms.

Where is the furnace located in my home?

Furnaces located in an attic or upper story are most likely downflow furnaces. When it's located in the basement or crawlspace of the home, you likely have an upflow furnace.

What is horizontal furnace?

Horizontal Furnaces. A horizontal furnace lies on its side, pulling cool air from one side and pushing warm air out of the other. You will occasionally see a distinction between a “horizontal left side” and a “horizontal right side” furnace.

What is a multipositional furnace?

A “multipoise” or “multi-positional” furnace can be configured by the installing contractor in upflow, downflow, horizontal left or horizontal right positions. For this reason, some people refer to it as a “universal” air flow configuration.

How tall is a lowboy furnace?

The lowboy can be installed in low-ceiling basements. A highboy furnace is typically around 6 feet in height.

Where is the blower in a highboy furnace?

There is a second distinction between the two: the blower is installed below the heat exchanger in a highboy furnace and behind / next to the heat exchanger in a lowboy furnace.

What is the definition of air flow configuration?

The term air flow configuration describes the physical orientation of a furnace relative to the direction in which heated air leaves the furnace and enters the ductwork.

Which side of the furnace discharges warm air?

This refers to configuring a furnace to discharge warm air from the right side (in a horizontal right furnace), or the left side (in a horizontal left furnace). Because they don’t require much vertical clearance, horizontal furnaces are used in locations where space is limited, such as in a basement or attic crawl space.

Can an upflow furnace be installed as a downflow furnace?

An upflow / horizontal furnace can be configured as either an upflow furnace, or a horizontal (left or right) furnace. It cannot be installed as a downflow furnace.

What is counter flow in water?

The first thing to remember about coils and counter-flow is that chilled water coils are always built to be piped in counter-flow. This means that the air flows in the opposite direction as the water. For example, with counter-flow, the air flows through rows 1-8, while the water runs through rows 8-1. Water always travels through the coil in the opposite direction of the air; hence the term “counter-flow.” Direct Expansion Coils (Evaporator Coils) are also piped in the same manner.

What is counter flow in a cooling coil?

Water always travels through the coil in the opposite direction of the air; hence the term “counter-flow.”. Direct Expansion Coils (Evaporator Coils) are also piped in the same manner. With that said, what happens when you do not pipe cooling coils counter-flow?

Why feed a water coil from the bottom?

You always want to feed a water coil from the bottom connection so that the header fills from the bottom on up and feeds every tube connection evenly. All tubes must be fed evenly with the same amount of water. If you try to feed the header from the top, you greatly increase the risk of “short circuiting” the coil and having a higher water flow through the top tubes in the coil.

What happens when you turn off a steam coil?

On a long Steam Coil, you will be hard pressed to get the steam through the length of the coil. Slowly but surely, that steam converts into condensate, which is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to any system. If not evacuated, the condensate just lays in the coil when the system is shut off. This problem comes into play when the steam is turned back on and meets the condensate laying inside the coil. In addition to the noise, the steam and condensate cause huge amounts of additional stress on the coil’s joints. As a result, over time, your coil will inevitably fail.

Where is the condensate in a steam coil?

This method ensures that the leaving condensate is on the bottom of the coil and below the lowest tube within the coil . Whatever else you do, know that the condensate must leave the coil!

Do steam coils feel cool?

A steam coil should never feel cool to the touch, but when condensate blocks steam, one part of the coil will be warm while the other will be cool. Again, that should not happen. Steam coils are interesting in that they are more dependent upon the system and installation than any other type of coil. A steam coil must be pitched to the return end of ...