Are you in the market for a new furnace soon? You should be sure that you are getting the correct size needed for your home. Don’t always assume the size you have in your home now is the correct one. Some technicians make mistakes and could have sized your home heating needs wrong from the start. Also if you have added any additions to your home, the furnace might not be the right size to heat everything anymore. You will have issues if the furnace you have is too small or too large. If your furnace is too big it will short cycle so it will constantly be going on and off which results in an uncomfortable living area, wasted energy and extra wear and tear on your system. Humidity will also be an issue if your furnace is too large. The large unit will be louder and more inefficient. If your furnace is too small it will run longer to heat your home. This will also waste energy and put more strain on the system. You need to make sure you have the correct size you need in your home.
The new furnaces are very efficient, but only if it is the right size. How can you determine how big of a furnace you need? You need a qualified and experienced HVAC technician to correctly size your homes needs. There is a US standard for this called the manual J load calculation. They will look at your square footage, insulation amount and type, number of storm windows, the seals on the doors and windows, and more to correctly ascertain your heating needs. Furnaces are rated a few ones. The first is the BTU which comes in a range of 45,000 to over 135,000 BTU. That is the ability of the furnace to heat the space around the home. It is recommended that you install the smallest most efficient system in your home. There is also an AFUE rating which is how efficiently the furnace turns fuel into heat without wasting. The standard is 80% which means 80% of the fuel is turned into heat and 20% is lost. AFUE over 90% are considered high efficiency furnaces and some qualify for tax credits.
When you are shopping for a new furnace, be sure to choose a certified contractor like Bartlett Heating and Air who will make sure the job gets done right. Call us today for your free installation quote!
