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Is your furnace correctly sized?
Friday, 11 September 2009 20:30
An oversized furnace (one whose capacity is too large) costs substantially more to operate than a correctly sized furnace. This is because oversized furnaces typically cycle on and off more often than correctly sized furnaces, and cycling on and off is more expensive than running at steady state.

The only way to know if your furnace is correctly sized is for your HVAC contractor to do a load calculation. A load calculation takes into account the size of your house, the insulation value of your windows, the amount of insulation in your walls and roof, and a host of other criteria to determine the appropriate furnace capacity.

Ask your HVAC contractor if s/he performed a load calculation before you accept the furnace that recommend. If you are replacing an old furnace (as opposed to buying a furnace for a new home you are constructing) they may argue that they chose a furnace as big as your last furnace. But your old furnace might be too large for your house. Request that they perform a load calculation, and find another contractor if they refuse.