How Do You Know What Size Furnace to Buy

Table of contents

  • Why Furnace Size Is And then Of import
  • Furnace Size Can Maximize Energy Efficiency
  • How Furnace Size is Measured
  • Furnace Sizing Starts with Square Footage
  • Factors Other Than Foursquare Footage that Impact Furnace Size
    • Climate
    • Abode Style, Layout, and Orientation
    • Insulation
    • Windows and Doors
    • Additional Rut Sources
    • Ductwork
    • Exterior Walls
    • Furnace AFUE (its energy efficiency rating)
  • Estimating Furnace Size Based on Foursquare Footage
  • Getting a Furnace Professionally Sized

Ownership a new furnace is a big decision considering there'southward and so much choice on the marketplace these days, including different brands, makes and models, bachelor technologies, furnace types, and efficiency ratings.

Just ane of the nigh of import things you lot'll need to know before you buy a furnace is what size you demand for your space.

Sizing a furnace isn't just almost calculating the square footage of your home. There are lots of things you have to account for when sizing a furnace. Today nosotros'll explain what those factors are, explore why it'southward of import to size a furnace properly, and talk about how you lot can get a furnace that's the right size for your space, your climate, and your comfort needs.

➤ Effort our new Furnace Sizing & BTU Estimator to get an instant estimate for your abode!

Why Furnace Size Is So Of import

Information technology might be tempting to buy a smaller furnace to save money on the buy price or to buy a larger one to maximize infinite-heating, merely furnaces are similar Goldilocks' porridge: you need one that is just right, for your home.

A furnace that's too big volition cycle irregularly. This is bad considering it will create hot and cold spots throughout the house, impact efficiency, increase maintenance, and reduce the lifespan of the furnace.

A furnace that'southward too pocket-sized will run continuously and still won't be able to keep your domicile at a comfortable temperature. The increased workload will likewise heighten your energy bills, create maintenance problems, and cut the life of the furnace brusque.

Furnace Size Tin can Maximize Energy Efficiency

Another problem with having a furnace that's the incorrect size is that it will negatively affect the efficiency of the heating system.

The AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of a furnace is calculated based on normal operation. When a furnace runs continuously or irregularly because it's not the right size, then you won't get the efficiency rating y'all paid for, and that volition consequence in more energy use and higher heating bills.

To ensure your furnace operates at the efficiency level it's supposed to, information technology has to be sized properly for your home.

How Furnace Size is Measured

When y'all talk most furnace size, you're not really talking virtually the physical dimensions of the unit of measurement. Rather, a furnace's size is related to its heating output, and how much oestrus information technology can generate.

Furnace output is usually measured in British thermal units (BTUs) per hour. A BTU is a measurement of energy, and specifically the amount of energy required to increase 1 pound of h2o past 1 F.

A bigger furnace, such as i with an output of 120,000 BTUs per hour, volition generate plenty rut for a larger space. A smaller furnace will have a smaller BTU chapters, such equally twoscore,000 BTUs per hr, and exist suitable for a smaller space.

Some manufacturers have started measuring furnace size in MBH instead of BTUs. MBH is 1 1000 BTUs per hour, so you're notwithstanding working with the same measurement: 60 MBH is threescore,000 BTUs.

Furnace Sizing Starts with Square Footage

I of the biggest things that will impact your furnace size is the size of your dwelling house, and specifically how many square feet of space need to be heated.

Yous can apply the square footage to get an thought of what size range you should be looking at for your new furnace. From there, yet, at that place are plenty of things that tin impact the size furnace you lot need, including:

  • The climate where you live
  • The style and orientation of your home
  • How many outside walls yous accept
  • The quality and thickness of your insulation
  • The number of windows and doors, and their age
  • Furnace efficiency
  • The land of your ductwork

You'll have to factor in all these elements, forth with square footage, to accurately calculate furnace size.

Factors Other Than Square Footage that Affect Furnace Size

Climate

Canada is a rather large country, and the climate in wintertime tin can vary drastically depending on where you live. The climate will as well aid to decide what size furnace you need.

For case, a ii,000 square foot domicile in Ottawa would require a larger furnace than that same home in Victoria considering Ottawa winters are and so much colder.

Home Manner, Layout, and Orientation

The design of your home is important to consider when sizing a furnace considering at that place are so many little things that can impact heating requirements.

Orientation is one of them. Due south-facing homes get more sun, and in wintertime you can take advantage of this by letting in the lite and allowing the sun to warm your dwelling. In other words, south-facing homes might be able to become away with smaller furnaces than homes that are shaded.

The number of floors in your home will besides impact BTU requirements, but maybe not in the way you remember. A 1,000-square-human foot home with a single floor will demand a slightly bigger furnace than a 1,000-square-foot domicile with ii floors considering the second floor actually provides insulation, thereby reducing heating requirements.

Your floor plan can also touch on furnace size considering open-concept homes accept fewer interior walls to agree rut compared to homes with lots of isolated rooms, and this can mean you need a larger furnace.

Furthermore, certain features like sliding doors or sunrooms may leak heat more readily and therefore may increment overall heating requirements, particularly in that role of the abode.

Insulation

Insulation is an important tool that can increase the efficiency of your home. Homes that are well-sealed and take thick insulation are more efficient, and efficient homes can typically get abroad with smaller furnaces.

Insulation isn't just of import in the walls: your cranium, crawlspace or basement, and roof all need to exist insulated to prevent oestrus loss.

Windows and Doors

Windows, skylights, and doors can be notorious for leaks and drafts, especially older ones that aren't energy-efficient and properly sealed. The more glass and entryways yous take, the more BTUs you'll need to recoup for the heat loss.

Past dissimilarity, if you don't have a lot of these features, they're very small, or they're well-insulated and free energy-efficient, then a slightly smaller furnace might be sufficient.

Additional Heat Sources

Some homes accept wood stoves, gas fireplaces, and other secondary oestrus sources that can reduce the demands on a furnace. If you have additional heat sources that you use regularly in the winter, and then you won't need a furnace with equally many BTUs of heating output.

Ductwork

Like with windows and doors, leaky ductwork can increase heating demands throughout your business firm and increment the furnace size y'all need, along with increasing your energy bills.

It might be worthwhile to perform a visual inspection of your ductwork to encounter if there are any problem areas. By fixing leaks, you tin improve the overall efficiency of your dwelling house and your heating and cooling systems.

Exterior Walls

Homes with fewer exterior walls accept less exposure to the elements, and will likely accept lower heating requirements. This can include:

  • Apartments
  • Condominiums
  • Semi-detached homes
  • Townhouses

Furnace AFUE (its energy efficiency rating)

We already mentioned how size can touch on AFUE, but the AFUE of the furnace can too impact the size y'all demand.

Let'south utilise a 100,000 BTU furnace every bit an example. At 100 percent efficiency, that furnace would indeed generate 100,000 BTUs of heat per hour. Still, if the AFUE is but 90 per centum, then that same furnace will simply generate 90,000 BTUs of heat per hour.

The take-dwelling hither is this: the lower the efficiency rating, the larger the furnace will need to be.

You will pay more for a higher efficiency model, but you'll too be able to get away with a smaller furnace, and that volition offset some of the toll. Furthermore, you'll salvage more on energy bills in the long run with a high-efficiency furnace.

Estimating Furnace Size Based on Foursquare Footage

Nosotros've already talked near the myriad factors that can touch on furnace size, but you tin go a basic estimate using the square footage of your home.

While y'all shouldn't utilize this calculation to make a final decision virtually furnace size, y'all tin employ it to get an idea of the size range to wait at when you're shopping for a new model.

The general dominion of thumb is that you need between 30 and 60 BTUs per square pes, depending on your climate.

Climate zones tin help you determine how many BTUs per square pes you lot need. You lot can find more information nearly climate zones and insulation requirements from the N American Insulation Manufacturers Clan.

As a general guideline, the Vancouver region and similar nearby locations would be considered balmy climates. The prairies and other northern regions would be considered cold climates. And most of the balance of the country similar Southern Ontario and the Maritimes would exist considered moderate climates.

Furthermore, many homeowners in colder climates opt to have dual furnaces, peculiarly for larger homes.

Hither's a listing of general BTU capacity requirements yous can apply as a starting point to judge furnace size:

Let's look at an example of how these estimates can help you.

Say yous live in a common cold climate similar Winnipeg in a home that's 1,800 square feet. The chart would betoken you need a furnace that's effectually 108,000 BTUs. Only let's say your home is older, doesn't accept a lot of insulation, and has drafty windows. That could add an additional load to your heating requirement, so you might want to expect at furnaces between 110,000 and 130,000 BTUs.

But so say you recently upgraded the insulation, installed energy-efficient windows and doors, and were looking at a furnace with an efficiency rating effectually 99 pct. In that case, you might want to look at furnaces between 85,000 and 100,000 BTUs instead.

These are just examples with estimated numbers to give you an idea of how the additional factors will change the furnace size you need.

Getting a Furnace Professionally Sized

The all-time way to ensure your furnace is the right size for your home is to have an evaluation from a professional HVAC adept.

An experienced HVAC technician will exist able to accurately calculate the square footage of your home, factor in all the other elements that can affect furnace size, and give yous a precise BTU chapters for your furnace.

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Source: https://www.furnaceprices.ca/furnaces/furnace-sizing/

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