Avoid a Heating Repair by Sizing Your Furnace Correctly

Friday, January 27th, 2012

We have talked a lot about how to preserve the life of your HVAC system and how to regularly maintain your furnace and air conditioner, but ultimately there will come a day when your system finally gives out.  Hopefully, when that time comes your heating and cooling system has lived a long life and kept you and your family comfortable in your home.  When someone comes out to look at your heating system it is very important that they quote you the proper size equipment.

If the HVAC equipment is too small, it will have to work extra hard to bring your home to the proper temperature, compromising efficiency.  However, too big is not the answer either.  If the furnace is sized to overcompensate, it will heat your home TOO quickly, cycling on and off constantly at a steep efficiency cost.

Heating equipment size is measured in BTUs, or British Thermal Units.  The higher the BTU value, the bigger the furnace.  The amount of BTUs your home needs is based on square footage of the home, along with other factors such as windows, insulation, and age of the home.  Make sure the HVAC professional you have out to your home takes all of these factors into consideration when sizing your new heating and cooling equipment.

When installing a new heating system it is also important to keep in mind the efficiency rating of your new HVAC system.  The two different efficiency ratings you will most commonly see are 80 percent and 90 percent models.  Bryant actually offers models that are as efficient as 97 percent!  This is important to keep in mind not only because more efficient units can save you money, but also because it influences the sizing.  If you home currently has a 100,000 BTU furnace and it is 80 percent efficient, you are actually using 80,000 BTUs to heat your home.  If you are looking at a 90 percent efficient unit or higher to replace an existing 80 percent furnace, you can put in a smaller unit because it is more efficient.

Peterman sales and service technicians are trained to account for all variables when it comes to sizing new heating and cooling equipment for your home.  We know that this is a larger investment for any household, and we want to make sure your new Bryant furnace functions properly.  It is our goal to keep you comfortable!

At Peterman Heating & Cooling, Inc., we always strive to keep our customers well informed when it comes to their home comfort system.  We proudly serve Indianapolis and the surrounding areas.  To learn more about our products and services please feel free to navigate around our website to learn more.