A furnace is not a one-size-fits-all appliance and when a gas furnace is too small or too big it causes a range of comfort problems. There are many sizes available meant to suit the needs of homes in a range of square footages.
A gas furnace sized right for your home improves indoor comfort and keeps energy costs manageable. Douglas Cooling & Heating’ NATE-certified heating technicians perform the necessary calculations to accurately size a new gas furnace for your home.
Problems When a Gas Furnace is Too Small
When your gas furnace is sized too small for your home, it cannot generate enough heat to meet the heating demand of your living areas. To compensate, it runs longer than it should to create enough heat for your home.
These extra long heating cycles place the equipment under a great deal of stress. They also burn excess energy in the process and cause wear and tear at a faster rate than normal.
The result is higher heating bills, discomfort indoors, and a furnace more likely to break down.
Why might someone install a gas furnace too small for a space? Smaller capacity furnaces typically cost less than larger equipment. A person who installs a smaller furnace does so as a cost savings measure. This so-called cost savings measure actually results in a costly mistake.
Problems When a Gas Furnace is Too Big
When sized correctly, a heating system cycles to deliver a select amount of heating over a period of time. This keeps your living areas properly heated.
Furnaces too big for a home generate the required amount of heat faster than the cycle time. This causes what is known as short cycling – the system’s heating cycles start and stop quickly.
Short cycling places the furnace under great stress and causes similar issues as a “too small” furnace. Increased wear, improper heating, and shorter service life result when you use a furnace too big for your home.
Someone might install a gas furnace too large for a home thinking it’ll heat the home faster and use less energy.
In fact, the increased wear on the furnace due to short cycling increases the expense of operation and causes serious damage to the equipment.
Ensure Your Heating System Fits Just Right
When your gas furnace is sized correctly for your home, you’ll benefit in many ways. It will provide reliable temperature control indoors, operate quietly, and consume less energy over a longer service life.
Working with the NATE-certified heating technicians of Douglas Cooling & Heating is the best way to ensure your gas furnace is the right size for your home.
We perform heating load calculations based on multiple factors to determine what capacity furnace is right for the house.
If we determine your existing furnace is too large or small for your home, we will gladly show you new equipment options. We offer our expertise and guidance so you choose the right system for your needs. We also provide quality installation services for your new gas furnace.
Don’t sacrifice comfort this winter with an incorrectly-sized heating system! Douglas Cooling & Heating will help you size and select a new furnace to keep you warm without the high energy bills generated by furnaces of the wrong size. Call us today to learn more.
