An Overview of Furnace Commissioning
Your heating contractor has to commission your furnace after installation. The commissioning process confirms that the heating system operates as intended. The contractor will fix any problem they might unearth during the commissioning. Below are some of the critical aspects of furnace commissioning.
Equipment Verification
The first commissioning step involves verifying that the contractor has installed the right equipment and materials. Say the quote called for the installation of a:
- Modulating furnace
- A furnace with an AFUE of 92%
- Smart thermostat
The contractor will verify that the installed furnace has the exact features. Thus, equipment verification involves a physical check of the system. The verification is necessary since the wrong equipment might not perform as expected.
Installation Verification
The contractor will also verify that they have installed the furnace as expected. In this step, the contractor will verify that:
- They have installed the furnace in the location the design required
- The return and supply registers are in their appropriate locations
- The thermostat is in the correct location
- The venting is adequately and properly located
- The drainage pipe has the right pitch
Note that furnace efficiency and operations depend on both system selection and installation. Thus, an improperly installed system might be dangerous and inefficient, even if it's the right system.
Operation Verification
Testing the basic operations of the furnace is also part of the commissioning process. For example, the contractor may need to verify that:
- The furnace switches on and off
- The gas valve works, and you can turn it on and off
- The thermostat accepts inputs — for example, you can set it to heat and set a desired temperature
- The igniter works with no difficulties
- The burners light with no difficulties
- The furnace cycles on and off as expected
The furnace needs to accept these basic operations whenever you need to use it. Thus, it needs to get them right from the start.
Meter Clocking
The operation verification only covers the basic operations of the furnace. They don't confirm that the furnace works as efficiently as it should. For example, just because the burners work, this doesn't mean that they get the right fuel.
Thus, the contractor has to clock the furnace's meter. The clocking allows the contractor to determine the volume of fuel flowing to the burners. Too much gas is wastage, and too little gas lowers heating inefficiency. The contractor may have to make some adjustments to ensure adequate fuel flow.
Combustion Analysis
Even with adequate fuel delivery, the furnace might not be efficient if the fuel doesn’t burn efficiently. The furnace needs these three things for efficient combustion:
- Adequate fuel
- Adequate air
- Adequate venting
Thus, the contractor will analyze the furnace's combustion and make necessary adjustments. For example, the contractor must ensure that the combustion gases don't have raw fuel, which would be bad for your house and the environment.
Anomaly Tests
The contractor may also perform different tests to check for additional anomalies in the system. For example, the contractor may test for:
Air leakages that might lead to heating and energy inefficiencies
- Pressure imbalances
- Furnace response to thermostat changes
- Unusual furnace noises
The contractor may run the thermostat for some time to confirm that everything works as it should.
Note that the commissioning process's exact steps or stages will depend on prevailing circumstances, such as your house and furnace type. The main thing is to ensure that your furnace works as well as it should before the contractor leaves.
Any Season Heating & Air Conditioning has relevant furnace experience to install and commission all forms of heating systems. Contact us for a quote so that we can plan your furnace's replacement or installation.
