| The right amount of heat in your home is very | | | | contractors who come into your home to bid on |
| important, an oversized furnace can waste a lot | | | | the job of replacing your furnace will want to |
| of energy and a lot of your money in the process | | | | base the size of the new unit on the square |
| - and an under sized furnace will not be able to | | | | footage of your home alone because this is the |
| heat your home to the necessary level for you | | | | easiest way to get a general idea of your homes |
| and your family to be comfortable. | | | | needs. The problem is - that the square footage |
| Sometimes it's not just a matter of replacing | | | | alone will only give a very general idea of what |
| your existing furnace with a furnace that's exactly | | | | size furnace your home needs and by going this |
| the same size because the methods of sizing a | | | | route you'll often get a furnace that's either one |
| furnace appropriately have changed quite a bit | | | | size too big or one size too small (at least) which |
| over the last several years; it's very possible that | | | | will either have you wasting a bunch of money |
| your current furnace may be oversized for the | | | | unnecessarily, or not heating your home enough |
| application. | | | | to live comfortably. |
| Furnaces today also operate much more | | | | Go by the Numbers |
| efficiently than furnaces from twenty, ten or | | | | In order to get a furnace that's properly sized, |
| even five years ago, so that could also contribute | | | | you should have a company come out to do a |
| to what size unit you would require for your | | | | heat loss calculation on your home. The heat loss |
| home. | | | | calculation is the only true way to determine |
| Your Furnace Size depends on many Factors | | | | exactly what size furnace you need to heat your |
| So many different variables can contribute to the | | | | home thoroughly and efficiently, and it's a quick |
| size and type of furnace that you will need to | | | | and simple process. |
| adequately heat your home. Things like geographic | | | | A qualified technician will come out to your home |
| location; overall square footage, level and type of | | | | and using a variety of equipment will take into |
| insulation and the heat loss through old windows, | | | | account the heat loss caused by all of the |
| unsealed chimneys and holes where pipes and | | | | aforementioned factors - which will give the true |
| wires come into your home can all be major | | | | measurement of power necessary from your |
| contributing factors to the size of heating unit you | | | | new furnace. |
| need to heat your home. | | | | It's not just about heating your home efficiently |
| The design of your current heating system and | | | | either, though the cost savings of having an |
| the layout of your home can both be major | | | | appropriately sized boiler could be dramatic, |
| contributing factors to the size of furnace you | | | | different sized furnaces come with different sized |
| need as well. For example, if you have split level | | | | price tags. If a contractor estimates that you |
| home with two operating zones to control your | | | | need a 120,000 BTU when in reality a 95,000 BTU |
| heat and there are only occupants of one zone at | | | | furnace would do the job - the initial investment |
| any given time (like upstairs bedrooms being | | | | of the job could be several hundred dollars more - |
| occupied at night and remaining empty during the | | | | causing you to lose a substantial amount of |
| day controlled by one zone), this could mean that | | | | money up front and then to continually lose |
| you only need a smaller BTU furnace despite | | | | money with each and every energy bill. |
| having a higher overall square footage. Having two | | | | The size of your current furnace and the square |
| or more controlling zones can play a very large | | | | footage of your home alone tell you very little |
| part in determining exactly what size furnace is | | | | when it comes to sizing a new furnace for your |
| needed for a home. | | | | home - to get a truly accurate gauge of the size |
| Blindly basing the size of a furnace on any one of | | | | furnace you need a home heat loss calculation |
| these factors alone can be a big mistake, many | | | | must be performed by a qualified professional. |