Money-Saving Heating & Cooling Ideas

Heating & Cooling

When it comes to deciding on your furnace and air conditioning units, it's true that newer models are more efficient. Therefore, you must install the correct size in order to enjoy all of the savings from improved energy efficiency. In addition, correctly sizing a heating system is important because too small a system will not adequately heat the home during the cold winter season, or supply enough air conditioning in mid-August. Over-sizing the heating system is wasteful, not only because a larger system normally costs more to install, but also because it does not operate efficiently and, in the end, costs more to operate. Over-sized air conditioners cost more to buy and do not run long enough to dehumidify the air.

Verify the Size of Your Heating or Cooling Unit

The starting point for determining a properly sized unit is to check the "nameplate rating" of the existing system. The "nameplate" is a metal tag attached to the unit, usually near the control valves or wiring box on a furnace. On air conditioners there will be nameplates on both the outdoor (compressor) units and the indoor (air handler) units. The nameplate will tell you the maximum BTU per hour output as well as other useful information about the unit. DO NOT ASSUME the existing unit is the right size. In the past, few if any new homes had adequate levels of insulation or air infiltration sealing. It was not uncommon to install furnaces and air conditioners with twice the needed capacity to make up for the large losses found in most production-built houses. A full load (heat loss and heat gain) calculation should always be done on your home, especially if you believe that the insulation or windows of your home have been upgraded since the original heating or cooling systems were installed.