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Air Conditioner

Does Air Conditioner Use Furnace?

ByRalph P. Sita Updated onJanuary 20, 2025

Many homeowners may be surprised to learn that their air conditioner can use their furnace, even though furnaces are typically associated with winter heating. In fact, furnaces can play a role year-round, including during the summer months, in powering air conditioning systems. Some air conditioners use a process known as heat pump reversal to cool a home, which involves pulling heat from inside the house and transferring it outside. This process can place additional strain on the furnace, which is why some air conditioning systems are designed with their own dedicated outdoor units. If you’re unsure whether your air conditioner uses your furnace, it’s best to consult the manufacturer or a professional HVAC technician for clarification.

Does Air Conditioner Use Furnace
Credit: cjsheatingandair.com

Page Contents

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  • How Does an Air Conditioner Work?
  • How Does a Furnace Work With Ac?
  • Does Ac Run Through Furnace Filter?
  • Switch on Furnace for Ac
  • Air Conditioner Attached to Furnace
  • What is a Furnace and Air Conditioning Split System?
  • Next Steps
    • Related Articles

How Does an Air Conditioner Work?

An air conditioner works by circulating refrigerant through a closed loop system of coils and fans. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside the home, and then transfers that heat to the outdoors. Air conditioners use a lot of energy, so it’s important to choose an ENERGY STAR® certified model when shopping for a new unit.

The first step in understanding how an air conditioner works is to understand what refrigerant is and how it helps cool your home. Refrigerant is a chemical that evaporates at a low temperature, absorbing heat as it changes from a liquid to a gas. In an air conditioner, this process happens over and over again in a closed system of coils.

As refrigerant evaporates, it draws heat away from the air inside your home and carries it outside. Meanwhile, the fan inside your air conditioner blows air across the coils carrying the now-cooled (and dehumidified) air back into your living space via ductwork or vents.

You can think of an AC unit as kind of like a reverse furnace: while furnaces bring warm air into our homes during winter months, AC units take warm air out of our homes during summer months!

How Does a Furnace Work With Ac?

A furnace is a device used to heat homes and office buildings. The most common type of furnace in the United States is a natural gas furnace. Furnaces come in different shapes and sizes, but all have the same basic components.

The three main parts of a furnace are the burner, the heat exchanger, and the blower. The burner is where the fuel (natural gas or propane) is burned. The heat exchanger is a metal chamber that captures the heat from the burning fuel and transfers it to the air that circulates through your home or office.

The blower moves the heated air through your ductwork and into your rooms. Furnaces are usually located in a basement or utility room. Most furnaces have an access panel that can be removed to allow you to clean and inspect the components inside.

Does Ac Run Through Furnace Filter?

If your furnace has an air conditioner attached to it, then the answer is yes – the AC will run through the furnace filter. The furnace filter is there to help keep the air clean and free of debris, so it’s important that it’s in good condition. If your furnace filter is dirty or clogged, it can decrease the efficiency of your furnace and cause problems with your AC.

To avoid these issues, be sure to check and clean your furnace filter regularly.

Switch on Furnace for Ac

If your furnace is more than 20 years old, it may be time to start thinking about replacing it. If you have a newer furnace, however, you can probably keep it running for quite some time with proper maintenance. In either case, you’ll want to know how to switch on your furnace for AC so that you can keep your home comfortable all year long.

First, check your thermostat and make sure that it is set to “heat.” Then, find the switch on your furnace that says “fan” or “blower.” Flip this switch to the “on” position.

You should hear the blower come on immediately. Next, locate the switch that controls the gas flow to the furnace. This is usually located near the bottom of the furnace.

Make sure this switch is in the “on” position as well. If everything looks good so far, go ahead and light the pilot light if necessary (consult your owner’s manual). Now it’s time to test things out!

Set your thermostat a few degrees higher than the current room temperature and see if warm air starts coming out of the vents within a few minutes. If not, something may be wrong with your furnace and you’ll need to call a technician for help. But if everything seems to be working properly, congratulations!

You’ve just learned how to switch on your furnace for AC season!

Air Conditioner Attached to Furnace

If your furnace is attached to your air conditioner, then you have a central heating and cooling system. This type of system is very common in homes because it is efficient and effective. The air conditioner attached to furnace blows cooled air through the ductwork in your home, which helps to keep everyone comfortable during the summer months.

If you have this type of system, it is important to maintain it so that it continues to work properly for years to come.

What is a Furnace and Air Conditioning Split System?

Next Steps

If your home has an air conditioner, you may be wondering if it also uses a furnace. The answer is yes, air conditioners use furnaces to help circulate cool air throughout your home. Furnaces are used in conjunction with air conditioners to help evenly distribute the cool air throughout the house.

This ensures that all rooms are cooled evenly and that the temperature in each room is comfortable.

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Ralph P. Sita
Author: Ralph P. Sita

Ralph P. Sita is a seasoned professional with deep roots in both the HVAC and tech industries. His family’s business, Ralph P. Sita, Inc., is a locally owned and operated HVAC contractor with over 42 years of experience, serving the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. The company specializes in residential, commercial, and industrial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services, offering everything from installation and maintenance to custom ductwork and indoor air quality solutions -www.ralphpsita.com. A former CPA, he spent the last decade as co-founder and co-CEO at Cybrary, a leading platform for cybersecurity and IT training. Cybrary became the largest, most well-known cybersecurity training businesses in the industry under his leadership. Smart AC Solutions is an opportunity to give back to the HVAC community by providing reliable, actionable information on all things heating and cooling.

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  3. Can You Have Air Conditioning Without a Furnace?
  4. Why Is My AC Furnace Leaking Water? Find the Top 5 Causes!
Ralph P. Sita

Ralph P. Sita is a seasoned professional with deep roots in both the HVAC and tech industries. His family’s business, Ralph P. Sita, Inc., is a locally owned and operated HVAC contractor with over 42 years of experience, serving the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. The company specializes in residential, commercial, and industrial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services, offering everything from installation and maintenance to custom ductwork and indoor air quality solutions -www.ralphpsita.com.

A former CPA, he spent the last decade as co-founder and co-CEO at Cybrary, a leading platform for cybersecurity and IT training. Cybrary became the largest, most well-known cybersecurity training businesses in the industry under his leadership.

Smart AC Solutions is an opportunity to give back to the HVAC community by providing reliable, actionable information on all things heating and cooling.

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