2021
January
What Is a Sealed Combustion Furnace?

What Is a Sealed Combustion Furnace?

Jan 14


A furnace provides reliable comfort using clean-burning natural gas. It’s not an exaggeration to say it’s one of the great modern conveniences. But, as they say, there’s always room for improvement. Enter the sealed combustion furnace. This advanced type of forced-air heating addresses some of the typical atmospheric furnace shortcomings to provide safer, more efficient home heating.

Sealed Combustion Explained

A conventional furnace is what’s known as an “atmospheric” furnace. This means it draws air from its immediate surroundings, i.e., your home’s interior, to fuel the combustion process. In other words, it’s recirculating and reheating the same air over and over. Air that’s already warm is running through the system for another blast of heat. If that sounds somewhat wasteful, it’s because it is.

A sealed combustion furnace takes a different approach. The chamber is completely closed off from your home so that it’s only pulling air from outside. This has several benefits.

Advantages of a Sealed Combustion Furnace

  • Increased energy efficiency: Sealed combustion furnaces boast an AFUE rating of 90% to 98%. AFUE is the annual fuel utilization efficiency. The higher the AFUE, the less fuel goes to waste in the combustion process.
  • Better indoor air quality: Sealed combustion furnace isn’t recycling the same stagnant air. It’s drawing upon fresh outside air each time it starts a cycle. Maintaining healthy indoor air quality is vital during winter when our homes are sealed up for prolonged periods. Also, sealed combustion keeps humidity in balance. Unlike an atmospheric furnace, It doesn’t create a vacuum, causing dry winter air to seep into the home.
  • Enhanced safety: A conventional furnace is perfectly safe so long as it’s maintained. However, sealed combustion adds a safety layer by isolating the fuel-burning process.
  • Quiet operation: All the blowing and burning action happen inside a tightly sealed compartment, minimizing the noise.

Turn to the Denver Area Furnace Installation Experts

If you’re ready to upgrade your furnace, count on the team at AAA Service Plumbing, Heating & Electric for a quality installation and exceptional service. We have more than three decades of experience serving the greater Denver area, and a full 2-year parts-and-labor guarantee backs our workmanship. To schedule your appointment, call (303) 313-3333 or contact us here.