What Your AC Repair Company Considers When Sizing For A New Furnace | Kingman, AZ

An HVAC system is critical for your home, especially during winter or summer. You want your home to be comfortable for you and your family. Whenever winter beckons, you want to be armed with the right furnace to ensure that your home is heated properly and to your desired temperatures. Having an AC repair company install a furnace or conduct some tune-ups to your existing unit is among the steps you might want to take.

The last thing you want is your home to be at freezing temperatures, so it isn’t habitable. Do you have the aged and toddlers? That is more of a reason to have an AC company install a furnace. This is because while you might be able to tolerate the low freezing temperatures, they cannot. Are you considering upgrading your HVAC system or exploring your furnace options? There are many factors that you need to consider, and furnace sizing is a critical one. The last thing you want is to have a furnace that cannot effectively heat your home. Below is a guide to help you determine the right furnace size to install at your home.

What Is Furnace Sizing?

What do you understand about furnace size? Some homeowners mistake furnace sizing for a furnace unit’s actual or physical dimensions. However, that is not the case. Furnace sizing ( or air conditioning system sizing, for that matter) refers to the capacity of a furnace or air conditioning unit to cool or heat your home. The heating or cooling capacity is measured or determined using British Thermal Units (BTUs). BTU can be defined as the energy required to cool or heat a pound of water at one-degree Fahrenheit at sea level.

Hence, whenever shopping for a furnace, the physical dimensions should be the least of your concerns, and you should check the BTU rating. However, you can and should consult your AC repair company for additional advice on choosing the right furnace. With their many years of experience, they can measure the size of your home and determine the right furnace capacity required to ensure that your Kingman, AZ, home is heated to your satisfaction.

Why Does Furnace Sizing Matter?

Your furnace is the unit that ensures that your home is heated and at comfortable temperatures, especially during winter. However, the capacity of a furnace to properly heat your home is specifically related to the size ( and layout, shape, and condition, among other things) of your home. Hence, it is recommended that before purchasing a unit, you have an AC repair company inspect your home and measure its dimensions. This will put them in a pole position to choose the right furnace.

Furnaces are not supposed to be a one-size-fits-all appliance. This approach could result in other serious problems down the line. A furnace’s heating capacity should, at best, correspond to the dimensions of the space it is supposed to heat. If it does not, you will have various problems caused by ineffective temperature control, such as unexplainably high energy utility bills.

This similar property can be applied to your air conditioners. So, how do you or your AC repair company determine the right furnace size for your home? Below are some of the things they consider:

Determining the Right Furnace Size for Your Home

Consider the Regional Climate

Whenever you call an AC repair company, the first thing they consider before they even come to your home is the climate of your place. What kind of temperatures will the supposed furnace be dealing with? How much heating does your Kingman, AZ, area need? Different regions have varying cooling and heating needs called the heating factor. Look up various online maps that estimate the BTU output requirements for the area.

Don’t just use the first number you find because different sites will provide different numbers. The best approach to determine the heating factor is by speaking with a local heating and AC repair company for advice. Of course, they won’t be able to provide you with a thorough study of your home’s needs without checking out the area. However, they will still have a higher accurate figure than a national website.

Measuring the Total Square Footage of the Load

The other step towards determining the right furnace size is determining the total area of the space you want to be heated, otherwise called the load. The AC repair company will rely heavily on this to determine the furnace capacity. As mentioned above, purchasing a furnace that cannot heat your home effectively is the last thing you want. Hence, determining the size of the area to be heated is a critical requirement. This can be argued to be the most critical factor in determining the furnace size. Since they have done it several times, your reliable technician can help you measure the area and calculate the required furnace capacity.

Calculating the Total British Thermal Unit Size Your Load Needs

As mentioned above, BTU is the unit that measures the heating or cooling capacity of your furnace or air conditioner. The manufacturers usually measure the furnace’s output in BTUs or BTU per hour. To find a unit with the right British Thermal Units of cooling or heating per hour, the heating AC repair company multiplies the heating factor with the square footage of the space you want to heat or cool. Let’s suppose that a house has 2,500 square feet and is situated in a region where a heating factor of about 40 British Thermal Units per square foot is advised. The furnace in such a house ought to produce 100,000 BTUS of heat.

A furnace is a critical appliance, especially in winter. However, you should choose one having the right size. Do you need help choosing one for your Kingman, AZ, home? Contact us at Pitzer’s One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Mohave County, your reliable heating and AC repair company.