Heating and Cooling Load Calculations
Unfortunately, many HVAC systems do not meet these very basic goals because the HVAC system was not the correct size for the Portage, MI, area home and nobody performed a Manual J load calculation! You can count on Better World Builders to expertly calculate the loads for heating and cooling requirements specific to your home and make recommendations for the optimal size units.
A proper load calculation will ensure proper capacity size of furnace, A/C, and heat pump units in your home. In order to complete the calculations, your home will be measured and we will need to evaluate the insulation effectiveness of the rooms, attics, basements and/or crawl spaces of the home.
The calculations also take into account the number of occupants in the home, the number of doors and windows, direction the home faces, the weather region the home is in and understanding the specific HVAC needs the homeowner has.
Manual J is the ANSI recognized Standard for producing HVAC equipment sizing loads for single family homes. Accurate evaluation of the Insulation Envelope and air losses along with Manual J calculations can be the determining factor in furnace, A/C, and heat pump feasibility and effectiveness in single family homes.
Not convinced yet?
Isn't it smart to get bigger HVAC equipment so that you know you've got the capacity to cool and heat your home under all conditions? The answer to that question is a resounding NO.
When an air conditioner is bigger than necessary, it cools your home too quickly. That might sound good, but it's not. The system will turn on and off several times during the day, a scenario known as "short cycling." That is bad because the system needs to run for long cycles to remove enough humidity to keep you comfortable.
- Long A/C runtimes = more humidity removal while also satisfying your thermostat setting.
- Short A/C runtimes = satisfying your thermostat setting but failing to remove much humidity.
- You'll wonder why you're sweating even though the thermostat says it's 73 degrees.
Oversized furnaces or heat pumps cause problems too. Whenever the thermostat meets its setting and the furnace cuts off, the area around each supply register will be scorching hot while the rest of your Portage, MI, area home still feels cold. Temperatures will be very uneven throughout your home.
Under sizing an HVAC system isn't good either. If your A/C, furnace, or heat pump doesn't have enough capacity to do its job, you'll always feel too hot in the summer and always feel too cold in the winter.
For more information, contact us at (269) 383-7862 or request service online today!