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12 topics · Preschool to Grade 8

How home systems work

How does a furnace warm a whole house, and where does the hot water in the shower come from? These topics follow the hidden systems inside the walls and the basement. Children see how furnaces, boilers with radiators and heat pumps keep rooms warm, how water heaters store hot water, and how ventilation, air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers keep the air fresh and comfortable. They also meet the helpers that protect a home: a sump pump that keeps the basement dry, a backflow preventer that keeps drinking water clean and the springs and safety sensors of a garage door. Each topic has an animation, a look inside, a simulation and a challenge.

  1. 1Watch it
  2. 2Look inside
  3. 3Try it
  4. 4Solve a challenge
  5. 5Go deeper

12 topics in Home systems

Home systems

#183 Home systems How does a furnace heat a home? Follow air through heating, filtration, ducts, and vents while adjusting a thermostat. #184 Home systems How does a heat pump warm a home? Reverse a model refrigeration cycle and follow heat moving indoors. #185 Home systems How do boilers and radiators heat rooms? Follow heated water through pipes and radiators and back for reheating. #186 Home systems How does a water heater supply hot water? Compare tank and tankless designs while following water from inlet to tap. #187 Home systems How do ventilation systems replace stale air? Guide fresh and outgoing air through fans, filters, and a heat-recovery system. #188 Home systems How do air purifiers remove particles? Follow air through filters and compare capture of differently sized particles. #189 Home systems How does a dehumidifier remove moisture? Watch water condense as moist air passes over a cold coil. #190 Home systems How does a humidifier add moisture? Compare evaporative and ultrasonic designs and follow water into the surrounding air. #191 Home systems How does a sump pump keep a basement dry? Raise water in a model sump and watch a float activate the pump. #192 Home systems How does a kitchen garbage disposal work? Observe impellers pushing suitable food scraps against a grinding ring beneath a sink. #193 Home systems How do backflow preventers protect water supplies? Change pipe pressures and watch valves prevent unwanted reverse flow. #194 Home systems How does an automatic garage door open? Explore the door's tracks, springs, cables, motor, and obstruction sensors.

Keep exploring

Games to play

  • Machine RepairFix levers, pulleys, gears and ramps so every contraption works.
  • Circuit Workshop 3DWire up batteries, bulbs and switches on a 3D workbench.
  • Weather LabPredict the weather in a box, then run a fair test to find out why.

Guide for grown-ups

Science games by grade

Science worksheets by grade