Maximize Your Investment by Properly Sizing Your Furnace
We really can’t say it often enough: If you are planning to replace your furnace, make sure your new one is properly sized. Improper sizing of HVAC equipment is one of the primary reasons the equipment does not do an adequate job of heating or cooling a home. Here’s why.
Why Furnace Sizing Matters
Historically, there has been a tendency to install HVAC equipment that has more heating or cooling capacity than the home needs. This oversizing can result in the equipment short cycling, or turning on and off too frequently.
Short cycling usually means the home is never adequately heated or cooled. With a furnace, the homeowner will turn up the heat in an attempt to keep it running longer, and energy and dollars are wasted. Plus, the frequent cycling means the equipment will wear out before its time.
When the furnace is undersized, it has to run continuously in an attempt to meet the thermostat set point. This, too, results in the equipment wearing out before its time.
Getting the Right Size Furnace
Improper sizing usually occurs when an HVAC consultant simply replaces the furnace with the same size that was in the home before, without bothering to go through the sizing process. Or, the consultant might base the size of the furnace needed on the square footage of the home without taking other factors under consideration.
The modern way to size a furnace is to gather data about the home, including square footage, but also such factors as number and size of windows, number of occupants, the home’s orientation, insulation levels and other data. The data is then fed into computer software and the correct heating load for the home can be determined, along with the size of the equipment needed.
At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about furnace sizing and other energy and home comfort issues — especially HVAC and plumbing issues — so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.
