Bartlett Heating and Air Helps with Furnace Sizing

So you’re looking for a new furnace but are not sure what size best suits your home. There are a few different factors that go into determining what size best suits you. The first thing you can do is check the size of the furnace you have now but that is not always a guarantee because the original installer might have calculated wrong. It can also change if you added an addition since the furnace was installed. By adding an addition you might need a bigger furnace to heat the new space. You need to make sure you have the right sized furnace because if one is too small you wont have enough heat and one that is too large will run more and waste energy and money. When a tech comes to your house he will look at the size of your home first. He will also look to see if it is an open house with few larger rooms or if it’s more of a closed type home with many smaller rooms. Does your home have vaulted ceilings? If so you will need more heat to heat them. They also look at the orientation of the home, south facing living areas heat more from the winter sun. The climate you live in also determines the heating power needed for your home. You will need more heating if you live in the Midwest and on the east coast than you will in warmer areas of the country. The tech will look at how your home is built. If your home is well insulated, you wont need as big of a unit. Is your home made of brick? A brick home is more naturally insulated than a wood one. The efficiency you choose also determines the size you need. An 80,000 BTU furnace in 95% efficiency will produce way more heat than the same BTU 80% furnace. You want to have 25-30 BTU of heat per square foot of your home in a moderate to warm climate. Colder climates recommend 40-50 BTU of heat per square foot. These are the thoughts that go into making the estimate for your homes heating needs and our certified technicians here at Bartlett Heating and Air are experienced in choosing the right equipment for you. Give Bartlett Heating and Air a call today to schedule your free installation quote!