Which HVAC Size Is the Best Size to Heat and Cool Your Home?

When you’re shopping for a new furnace or central air conditioner, installing the correct size of HVAC equipment is critical. Measuring, selecting, and designing the right HVAC system and layout will impact your lifestyle for many years with regard to energy efficiency, home comfort, air quality, and the longevity of the new unit. What follows is a three-step process your certified HVAC technician performs which determines the right HVAC size for your home and needs.

Load Calculation

The first step in deciphering the right HVAC size is a load calculation. A good load calculation takes dozens of factors into consideration. Some of these factors are solar orientation of your home, local climate, number of people, window size and location, heat/gain loss, and your home’s total square footage. For precise load calculation, such as for installing a zoning system, your technician will perform a room-by-room load calculation in addition to a block-load calculation.

HVAC Equipment Selection

With correct load calculations performed by an experienced technician, you can begin to select the right HVAC size for your needs. So, you must now determine what your home-comfort needs are. For example, do you have a multifloor home that would be more efficiently heated and cooled with a zoning system? Are there any rooms that aren’t used often and don’t need air conditioning much? In other words, do you need one HVAC unit, two units, or a combination of conventional forced-air units and one or more ductless mini-splits? You have options.

Duct Design

The third step in sizing the right HVAC unit for your home and needs is looking at your current duct design. Are your air ducts designed efficiently and still in good condition? Would you be better off installing new portions of ductwork or replacing all of the ducts? Consider that your new HVAC unit is only going to operate as efficiently as the ductwork that carries the conditioned airflow.

Lastly, hire a reputable HVAC contractor to help select the right HVAC size for your Lorain home. For the best results, please contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.