Guide to Staged Electric Furnace Heaters InspectAPedia® -
What are staged electric furnaces and heaters? How do they work?
How to wire, diagnose, and repair electric heaters & furnaces
How to buy, install, inspect and diagnose each type of electric heat in buildings
Electric heat choices, electric heat wiring and installation tips and safety suggestions
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Here we define staged electric furnaces that use sequencers to turn on and off individual heating elements. This website answers most questions about all types of heating systems and gives important inspection, safety, and repair advice.
Heating safety hazards such as carbon monoxide gas leaks, unsafe furnaces, furnace and boiler recalls are addressed. If you don't know what kind of heat your building uses, see our introduction at BOILERS, HEATING. Sketch at page top courtesy of Carson Dunlop.
Staged Electric Furnaces Using Sequencers to Control Heat
For economy, as Carson Dunlop's sketch shows, electric furnaces often use a gang of electric heating elements that are turned on in stages rather than all at once.
As temperatures fall and more heat is needed in the building, more heating stages turn on.
By leaving individual heating elements (heating stages) turned off when not needed, we reduce electrical consumption and thus we cut the building's heating cost.
On a staged electric heating furnace each heating stage typically provides about 5,000 watts (5KW) of heating energy.
The fan limit switch that controls an electric furnace may have a built-in delay so that on a call for heat the blower fan won't turn on until the heating element(s) have warmed up.
We discuss fan limit switches in more detail at FAN LIMIT SWITCH
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Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
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