- Upflow Furnaces. An upflow furnace may draw cool air through either its top or its base. ...
- Downflow Furnaces. A downflow furnace takes cool air from the top and discharges warm air from the bottom. ...
- Horizontal Furnaces. A horizontal furnace lies on its side, pulling cool air from one side and pushing warm air out of the other.
- Upflow / Horizontal. An upflow / horizontal furnace can be configured as either an upflow furnace, or a horizontal (left or right) furnace.
- Downflow / Horizontal. A downflow / horizontal furnace can be configured as either a downflow furnace, or a horizontal (left or right) furnace.
- Multipoise Furnace. A “multipoise” or “multi-positional” furnace can be configured by the installing contractor in upflow, downflow, horizontal left or horizontal right positions.
What is the difference between an upflow and downflow furnace?
Better energy efficiency – because heat rises, upflow furnaces tend to be more energy efficient than downflow ones. Comfort – upflow furnaces heat from the floor up, and many people find this a little more comfortable than from the ceiling down.
Do you know the direction of airflow through your furnace?
Even when you know where the furnace is, sometimes it's not easy to determine the direction of the airflow in your furnace. It's important to understand the direction of airflow through your furnace when it's time to change out the air filters.
Where should a downflow furnace be placed?
As such, the placement of a downflow furnace is commonly in attic space, although it can also be placed in a garage or on the main level of a home.
Do you need an attic for an upflow furnace?
Great for homes with basements: Upflow furnaces are easily installed in homes with existing basements. There's no need for attic installation or extra flooring work in the attic. Crawlspaces may also be used in homes without full basements.
Do I have an upflow or downflow furnace?
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.
How do you determine the upflow on a downflow furnace?
These terms refer to the direction the air flows as it is taken in and heated by the furnace. So in an upflow furnace, the cool air is taken in at the bottom, warmed, and then expelled at the top. A downflow furnace, on the other hand, takes in cool air at the top and expels heated air at the bottom.
How do you know what kind of furnace you have?
0:170:51How to identify your furnace type - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou have a gas furnace. If you have radiators baseboard heaters or radiant tubing throughout yourMoreYou have a gas furnace. If you have radiators baseboard heaters or radiant tubing throughout your home or you do not have vents connected to ductwork in your home. You have a boiler.
Can you use an upflow coil on a downflow furnace?
The slant of the coil causes the condensate water to drain to the condensate pan located at the bottom of the slant. The coil can be used for upflow, downflow, or horizontal flow when designed for these applications.
Which way is the airflow on my furnace?
Stand in front of the furnace and look for the ducts. Pull the old filter out and discard it. On the new filter, find the arrow indicating the proper airflow direction. The arrow must face toward the furnace and away from the return duct that pulls the air in need of heating or cooling.
Can you turn a furnace upside down?
All the lettering inside, and even the cover, is installed upside down. It seems to work fine. I talked to the builder, and he said this is not a problem, but could give no further rational explanation. A: Short answer: New models of furnaces allow this upside-down installation.
What are the three types of furnaces?
Three Types of Gas Furnace SystemsSingle-Stage System. This is the most widely used system in Midwestern homes; it was first developed in the 1930s using inexpensive oil and gas. ... Two-Stage System. The next level of comfort is a two-stage system. ... Modulation System.
How do I know if I have a 1 or 2 stage furnace?
A furnace with single-stage heating contains a fixed gas valve and a single-speed blower motor. These furnaces are either on and running at full capacity or off. A model with two-stage heating contains a two-stage gas valve and a variable-speed blower motor.
What are the 9 types of furnaces?
Types 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...
Can a coil go on top of a downflow furnace?
Nope. Pull it and put it underneath.
Does coil go above or below furnace?
There is no problem with a coil being installed before the blower or electric heat coils in any position. It is only fossil fuel furnaces that will have a problem with condensate due to the outside air entering the heat exchanger.
Where does the A coil go on a downflow gas furnace?
The coil is always placed downstream of the furnace air- flow. Do NOT install the furnace directly on carpeting, tile or other combustible material other than wood flooring. For vertical downflow application, subbase (BAYBASE- 205) must be used between the furnace and combus- tible flooring.
Why do you need an upflow furnace?
Some of the benefits of an upflow furnace are: Better energy efficiency – because heat rises, upflow furnaces tend to be more energy efficient than downflow ones.
Where should I put a downflow furnace?
As you may have guessed, a downflow furnace takes in air at the top of the cabinet, warms it, and then disperses it down into your home’s ductwork. As such, the placement of a downflow furnace is commonly in attic space, although it can also be placed in a garage or on the main level of a home. Some of the challenges with a downflow furnace are that installation can be more complicated, as there are stricter requirements for downflow furnaces (they also need reinforced subflooring), and they fight the natural tendency of hot air to rise. However, not all homes have a basement or crawlspace, so the benefit of a downflow furnace is that it fits with every kind of home.
What are the challenges of a downflow furnace?
Some of the challenges with a downflow furnace are that installation can be more complicated, as there are stricter requirements for downflow furnaces (they also need reinforced subflooring), and they fight the natural tendency of hot air to rise.
Does air flow affect furnace placement?
It may seem like a small detail, but the way the air flows – either up or down – directly affects the placement of your furnace. If you are looking to install a new furnace for this winter’s heating, it’s important to know some basic functions of a furnace so that you can make an informed decision.
Do I need extra flooring for a basement furnace?
No need for extra flooring – upflow furnaces can rest directly on the concrete of your basement; with a downflow system, flooring needs to be reinforced, as downflow systems are typically placed in attics.
What Is a Downflow Furnace?
This term is used to describe furnaces installed in attics or the highest level of the home. It refers to the idea that the heated air flows down from the furnace and into the duct and vent system. Because heat rises, this is an inefficient way to heat your home.
What Is an Upflow Furnace?
If you have a basement or live in a cold climate, you will definitely want to strongly consider an upflow system. As you can imagine, these furnaces operate in an opposing fashion to downflow systems. Upflow furnaces are more efficient for heating homes because of the simple fact that hot air rises.
Is There a Price Difference?
The quick answer is probably not. You may run into some unique installation constraints that make your particular project more expensive, but the pricing is generally very similar when you compare upflow vs. downflow furnaces.
Turn to the Furnace Pros at PlumbersStock
Now that you know if you need an upflow vs. downflow furnace, it's time to make further considerations. We have all the resources you need here at PlumbersStock to make this decision. Read more helpful articles or contact us directly. We carry a huge inventory of HVAC parts like motors and blowers, furnace ignitors, blower wheels, etc.
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.
Where is an upflow furnace installed?
Upflow furnaces are most often installed in basements and, less commonly, in crawl spaces. 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 ...
Why is there an upflow furnace in the basement?
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. On the other hand, if an upflow furnace were installed in an attic, you’d be wasting energy.
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.
Do you need a subfloor for a furnace in the attic?
What’s more, if you want your furnace in the attic, you’ll need to have the subflooring reinforced to support the extra weight and a separate subbase installed as a fire-resistant barrier between the furnace and flooring.
Upflow
Airflow comes in from the bottom of the air handler or furnace and flows out the top of the unit. This type of system is most common in basement installations.
Downflow
Airflow comes in at the top of the air handler or furnace and flows out the bottom of the unit. This type of unit is most common when the unit is installed in a closet.
Horizontal
The unit seems to be laying on its side and the airflow flows in from one side and out the other side. This type of system is most common in attics and craw spaces.
What is an upflow furnace?
An upflow configuration is typically selected when the ductwork is located above the furnace , such as in a home’s basement. 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.
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.
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.
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.
How tall is a highboy furnace?
A highboy furnace is typically around 6 feet in height. 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.
