When you’re planning to replace your furnace, the most important step is sizing it properly. Correct sizing has a direct impact on the furnace’s longevity and your ongoing heating bills. It’s important to remember that sizing your next furnace is more complex than going by the size of your current heating system.
Any changes you’ve made to your home’s heating load (the amount of heat it takes to make your home comfortable) will have an impact on the capacity of your new system. HVAC contractors use a tool called Manual J that takes into account variables in your home that contribute to its heating load. They include:
- Size of the area to heat
- Insulation levels in the floors, walls and attic
- Number of windows, their size, placement and efficiency
- Air infiltration levels
- Layout of the home
- Landscaping factors
- Number of occupants and their ages
- Preferred indoor temperatures
- Number of heat-producing appliances
After the HVAC contractor inputs these values, he or she will know the number of Btus your new furnace will need to put out to heat your home. Once you know the appropriate Btus, you can select the new furnace’s desired efficiency rating, another factor that drives the cost of heating your home.
So why is it so important to get furnace sizing right? It’s simply because a furnace that’s too small or too large will run inefficiently and not provide comfortable, efficient or reliable heating.
A system that’s too small won’t heat your home sufficiently when it’s exceptionally cold out. It will struggle to meet your temperature demands, and wear itself out sooner than its expected life span.
One that’s too large will run for shorter off-and-on cycles, providing uneven heating in your home. You also will not feel as warm because the solid objects in your home won’t have time to warm. When they short cycle, oversized systems use more energy and are likely to break down prematurely. HVAC equipment uses the most power when it first starts up, adding wear and tear to the parts.
The final step includes evaluating your ductwork and its compatibility with the new system. The tool used for this is called Manual D, and proper duct sizing and layout is also important for your comfort.
Remember, spring is often the best time to go furnace shopping; the demand is low so you’ll likely have a better selection of furnaces from which to choose, and post-winter deals may be available. For more information about furnaces and furnace sizing, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Cooling. We provide quality HVAC services to Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area