Whether you manufacture single-stage conventional furnaces, modulating furnaces, or anything in between, quality pressure switch tubing is a must. This automatic safety feature is a crucial part of any furnace. Unfortunately, pressure switch tubing can cause false shutdowns if you don’t find the right solution for your furnaces.
There are a few different factors that can lead to tubing failure. One is these is the choice of rubber material. Various rubber materials differ in terms of benefits, capabilities, and cost. As such, it’s important to figure out which one is right for your specific needs. Fortunately, pressure switch tubing is mainly a choice between two rubber materials:
Pressure Switch Tubing Rubber: EPDM
In general, EPDM is the standard material solution for pressure switch tubing. While older furnaces generated a lot more heat, more modern furnaces have become smaller and more efficient, reducing the amount of heat on the inducer motor and the pressure switch. This reduced temperature allowed for the use of a less specialty material for pressure switch tubing, such as EPDM.
This reduced temperature requirements are beneficial for furnace manufacturers, as EPDM is a very versatile, cost-effective material. Thanks to a natural resistance to aging, abrasion, and other damaging factors, EPDM can last for long periods of time with proper use, making it a go-to material option for pressure switch tubing in environments.
Pressure Switch Tubing Rubber: Silicone
While EPDM is generally acceptable for furnaces, silicone may be required for higher-temperature applications. Silicone is a material made to withstand difficult environments, including high temperatures. These capabilities can make silicone a better material solution for pressure switch tubing used for apartment buildings, campers, or other situations where efficiency is not required. Warm weather climates are another possibility for silicone, especially where the furnace is only used a couple times a year may also opt for silicone as well. Essentially, if the heat in your furnace may cause premature failure, you’ll want to invest in silicone pressure switch tubing.
Pressure Switch Tubing for Your Business
When improper pressure switch tubing is a recipe for disaster, it’s important to get the right parts for your furnaces. At Timco, we work with you to determine the exact needs of your parts to provide you with the best, most cost-effective solution whether you need bulk pressure switch tubing or parts cut to length. We can also color code and label your pressure tubing to help you identify vacuum and pressure lines without having to manually add markings.
Ready to invest in the right pressure switch tubing for your applications? Give us a call at 800-969-6242 or contact us online today to get a quote for your product needs.
