Finding the correct sized furnace is a vital aspect of ensuring high quality heating. The right size of a furnace is needed to not only elevate your home comfort, but allow you to manage your utility bills. While you may think that a bigger the furnace, the better it will be for heating, this can be a costly mistake.
The Problems of an Incorrectly Sized Furnace:
If your furnace is too small or large for your home, it can create several problems. The main issue with an incorrectly sized furnace is that it will increase your energy expenditure and compromise your home comfort. Unfortunately, this is not the extent of the problem. You are also likely to find that you suffer from uneven temperatures inside your home, and there is greater stress on the system. This increased pressure is likely to result in the need for more maintenance and repairs, which will attract costly bills.
Correct Size = Efficient Cycling:
Larger furnaces provide greater velocity for distributing heat as larger volumes of air are conditioned. This can heat the home more quickly, but it causes the system to turn on and off more frequently, creating excess wear on the system. Conversely, a too small furnace lacks the capacity to meet the heating demands of the home. This lack of capacity means that the system is running almost continually and again creating additional wear and tear.
Furnaces are available in many different sizes to allow you to find the one best suited to the specifications of your home. Modern high efficiency units heat the air more gradually, so the system performance is kept at optimal efficiency and the conditioned air is uniform. You should also ensure that your new furnace complies with state codes and regulations.
The Importance of a Maintenance Schedule:
Once you have found the correct size of furnace for your home, it is important to keep it functioning correctly and at peak efficiency. For this reason, you should establish a maintenance schedule. Most manufacturers recommend that you have your furnace serviced at least once a year by a qualified professional technician. Experienced technicians will have the skills and knowledge to thoroughly check your furnace and heating system to ensure that it continues operating safely and efficiently. An annual service also provides an opportunity to replace components that have become worn, before they develop into a breakdown causing fault. Even smaller components have the capability to trigger a cascade failure, which will result in a hefty repair bill. Your HVAC technician will check that the system is correctly tuned up so you can prolong the lifespan of your furnace.
Additionally, you will need to undertake some basic heating system maintenance. Cleaning and changing the air filters is a vital aspect of maintenance. A clogged filter can not only compromise airflow and air quality, but it can place additional strain on your furnace and heating system, increasing the risk of a breakdown. The owner’s manual for your system will provide recommendations for when and how the air filters should be replaced to maintain the safety, efficiency and cleanliness of your system.