Definition
A draft inducer motor is the small fan motor on a gas furnace that pulls combustion gases through the heat exchanger and pushes them out the vent. It starts before ignition, and a pressure switch must confirm proper draft before the igniter and gas valve are allowed to operate. If the inducer fails, the furnace locks out.
Also called: Inducer motor, Induced draft blower, Combustion air blower
Why it matters to you.
The inducer is usually the first sound of a furnace start-up, and a worn bearing often announces itself with a rising whine or rattle as Central Kentucky heating season gets going. Because the inducer and its pressure switch guard against poor venting, they are a core safety check on the older furnaces common in the area's housing stock.
Practical guidance.
Note any new noise, or a furnace that hums but never lights, and call for service rather than resetting it repeatedly. Inducer, pressure switch and vent inspection belong in a fall furnace tune-up by a licensed technician, and a pressure switch should never be bypassed.
About this definition
Written by the Feistritzer Heating & Air Conditioning team — family owned and operated in Danville since 1976, Kentucky HVAC license M02584. Definitions inform; a whole-system diagnosis in your home decides.