The Difference Between An Upflow Furnace And A Counterflow Furnace

If you are new to the heating and cooling industry or are in the process of looking for a new furnace, you likely have come across many different types of furnaces. Furnaces come in all shapes and sizes, but furnaces typically work one of two ways. The first type of furnace is called an upflow furnace and the second is called a counterflow furnace. Both upflow and counterflow furnaces work well, but the choice of whether to get an upflow or counterflow furnace will depend on your home’s individual situation. Continue reading to learn the difference between an upflow furnace and a counterflow furnace.

The Difference Between An Upflow Furnace And A Counterflow Furnace

The largest difference between an upflow furnace and a counterflow furnace has to do with the way that they release air. It is vital to understand which way that your furnace blows out air. This is because if you are wanting or needing to replace your furnace, it will be important to know whether you need an upflow furnace or a counterflow furnace.

Say that you are building a home and you are needing to install a new furnace. In this situation, you would not have an old furnace to reference to tell if you needed an upflow furnace or a counterflow furnace. However, based on the way that your duct system is built and the way that the space is configured where the furnace will be installed, an HVAC professional will be able to tell you immediately whether an upflow furnace and a counterflow furnace would be most suitable.

Upflow Furnaces

Upflow furnaces simply blow air out the top of the furnace. An upflow furnace heats up the air by taking cool air from the bottom, warming it up and expelling it into the home through the top. Whether or not an upflow furnace would be an ideal choice for your home entirely depends on the configuration of your home and your air duct system. One way that you can know whether your furnace is an upflow furnace is where it is located in your home. If the furnace is located in a crawl space or the basement, then it is likely that your furnace is an upflow furnace. 

Counterflow Furnaces

A counterflow furnace, otherwise known as a downflow furnace, blows air out the bottom of the furnace. It works almost the same as an upflow furnace aside from the direction that the air escapes. A counterflow furnace takes air from the top of the furnace, heats it up and dispels it through the bottom of the furnace. A counterflow furnace can be found in the attic or in the upstairs of your home. So the difference between an upflow furnace and a counterflow furnace is that an upflow furnace pulls air in from the bottom and releases the air through the top while a counterflow furnace pulls air in from the top and releases air through the bottom.

Do You Need A New Furnace?

If you find that your home is in need of a new furnace, we at Genuine Comfort in Centerville, UT have you covered. Not only do we offer some of the highest quality furnaces around, but we also offer some of the very best installation services as well. Our service technicians are professional and experienced and would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about your furnace. If you are interested in getting a new furnace installed, feel free to reach out to us today.