At some point in your life, you’ve visited someone’s home and thought to yourself…
“Why in the world is it so hot/freezing cold in here?!”
Perhaps the homeowners simply have no sense of comfortable temperature. But don’t place the blame just yet. The truth is that the majority of heating and cooling systems installed in homes today are oversized and inefficient simply because the contractor who installed it did not perform a proper Manual J Heat loss/Heat gain calculation. Load Calculations are THE ONLY acceptable way to size a furnace, boiler, or air conditioner. Oversizing causes poor efficiency, subpar comfort, and premature equipment failure. Make sure your contractor takes the time to do one! A few minutes now will prevent years of headache, frustration, and added costs!
How to Formulate Load Calculation
You should always enlist the help of a professional when measuring load calculation. Chances are, you can’t walk into your home, evaluate its needs and determine it needs a new four-ton system.
When you hire a professional, he formulates your load calculation by evaluating a number of different things:
- How many people live in the home.
- The size of the home.
- The insulation values of walls, attics, windows, and skylights
- Orientation of the home
- Appliances in the home
It’s no surprise that larger homes need larger, stronger systems. Whereas, smaller homes require smaller systems. Every home is unique in these factors listed above and should not be generalized simply by square footage.
Other Factors to Consider
In addition to occupancy and home size, you’ll need to consider a few other factors. Each of these things play an important role in formulating the load calculation of your home.
Outside Temperatures
The temperature outside will play a huge role in how hot or cold you want your home. This becomes even more important when you live in areas with extreme temperatures. A poor load calculation could leave your home smoldering in hot areas or freezing in cold areas.
The Importance of Air Control
Many don’t consider what happens as a result of too much air control. With too little, you don’t have enough heat. But with too much, you’ll experience problems as well.
Because the system overworks itself, the house will get way too hot or cold. It can also wear out faster due to overuse.
Both of these issues result in unnecessary financial burdens. No one wants to replace their system or suffer with inordinately high energy bills every month.
Does Your Home Have Proper Load Calculation?
Take the time to get a professional estimate. They will evaluate the factors to determine the efficiency of your system. A system designed by a load calculation will keep your home comfortable and energy efficient.