If you have a central heating system, you are probably familiar with your home’s furnace, which produces and distributes heat throughout your home.
Modern units consist of several features and mechanisms that work together to keep your home cozy and warm on those chilly nights. One of the most integral pieces is a safe and efficient furnace inducer motor. So what is a furnace inducer motor?
Unfortunately, these blowers are one of the most common parts to break down. Luckily, our team at On the Double Heating & Cooling is here to help with your furnace repair needs. This guide explains everything you need to know about a furnace inducer motor. Call one of our expert technicians at 806-203-6512 to schedule Lubbock’s furnace maintenance service.
What Is a Furnace Inducer Motor?
By now, you are probably wondering, “What is a furnace inducer motor?”
The furnace inducer motor became a requirement in 1992 when Congress introduced it as a minimum standard for home furnaces. Essentially, the inducer motor is a component that properly vents out the heat exchanger of any gas produced during the previous heating cycle. Furnaces use them to prevent fire hazards and serious health issues that can result from toxic fumes.
Oftentimes, you can hear the blower motor start before the furnace burners fully ignite. If you do not hear the motor ramp up or have other complications with your furnace, you should schedule a home consultation with a professional furnace repair technician as soon as possible to prevent further complications with your heating system.
How Does a Furnace Inducer Motor Work?
When your heating system starts a new cycle, one of the first things to start up is your furnace’s inducer motor. The blower will run anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds before the burners light. There are two reasons for this, which we will discuss in more detail below.
How Does the Furnace Inducer Motor Improve My Heating System’s Efficiency?
Today, we purchase many appliances and electrical systems with efficiency in mind. The same goes for our furnaces and boilers.
As we mentioned above, the inducer blower is a modern modification to our home furnaces. Sometimes called the “exhaust vent motor,” this component is responsible for the amount of air dispersed throughout the vent, ensuring your heating system is clean, safe, and efficient.
So, the question is, how does the furnace inducer motor create a better-functioning and more efficient heating unit? There are three reasons for this.
- It clears the chamber of any combustion gas lingering from the previous heating cycle. When the furnace inducer motor starts up, the blower pushes any residual gas out of your home through the flue pipe, ensuring a cleaner heating system and furnace.
- When the inducer motor’s blower turns on before a new heating cycle, it begins to clear the exhaust exchanger of any excess combustion gas. This process makes your home’s furnace safer since these gases are flammable and can be dangerous if inhaled by you or your family.
- The purpose of the furnace inducer motor is to distribute air evenly throughout the furnace’s heat exchanger to create warm air in the combustion chamber of the furnace. The more evenly the warm air disperses in the chamber, the more efficiently and powerfully your furnace operates.
What if My Furnace Inducer Motor Stops Working?
As you can see, the inducer motor is an essential component of your furnace. Without a properly functioning inducer motor, your heating unit can become dirty, unsafe, and less efficient. When assessing if the furnace inducer unit is working properly, you have a few things to look out for:
- If you hear clicking or humming coming from your furnace when a new heating cycle begins, this could mean you have a faulty inducer motor.
- If your inducer motor runs constantly, this could be an indicator of a malfunctioning thermostat. If the electrical control board is the issue, you may need to upgrade or replace it to get your furnace working again.
Give Us a Call!
As the premier provider of heating repair, maintenance, and installation services, our team at On The Double Heating & Cooling can assist you when your furnace fails. We hold ourselves to the highest industry standards and look forward to helping you with your home’s heating and furnace repair needs.
Next time your heat is down, call us at On the Double Heating & Cooling at 806-203-6512 to get your furnace back up and running. We can also answer questions like, “what is a furnace inducer motor?” and “when should I schedule heating system maintenance?”
