Tag: Furnace Installation

In the Market for a New Furnace? Here are 3 Things to Consider

Posted on by Larry & Sons

Whether your old furnace broke down for the last time or you’re sick of high heating bills and you’re thinking about upgrading to a more energy-efficient model, buying a new furnace is a big investment. During the winter months, you need to have a furnace you can depend on for safe, even heating throughout your home, and with a bit of research, you can make an informed decision that you’ll be happy with for years to come.

When you’re in the market for a new furnace, there are several things to consider, including type, size and efficiency. Knowing which options are best suited to your needs ensures that you’ll ultimately invest in the right furnace. When you’re shopping for a few heating system, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Things to Consider When Buying a Furnace

Fuel Sourcebuying a furnace

In most cases, it’s easiest to purchase a furnace that uses the same fuel as your existing furnace. Installation costs more when switching to a different type of furnace, but there are some instances in which the extra investment is worthwhile. If you aren’t sure what type of furnace you’d like to get, talk to an expert.

Sizing

Sizing is one of the most important aspects of your new furnace. A furnace that is too small may cost less up front, but it will have to work harder to heat your home, and you’ll end up spending a lot more on your monthly bills. An overworked system also won’t last as long as one that’s properly sized for your home. Save yourself a lot of headaches and future expense by purchasing a furnace that’s the correct size for your home.

Rebates and Incentives

A furnace is a major investment, so it’s always advisable to do your homework and get the best deal. Manufacturers frequently offer cash rebates that will put a portion of the purchase price back in your pocket. If you’re upgrading to an energy-efficient furnace, you may also qualify for valuable tax rebates and other incentives.

Furnace Installation in Hagerstown

When you need furnace installation in Hagerstown and the surrounding areas, depend on the heating experts right here at Larry & Sons. We offer some of the best furnaces on the market, and we’re always here to help you choose the one that best suits your home’s needs as well as your budget. To find out more about our heating system installation services, give us a call now at 301-733-5428.

A Tip from Harpers Ferry: Signs of an Oversized Furnace

Posted on by Larry & Sons

Most people, when they choose a new furnace, think that “bigger is better”. However, an oversized furnace can present just as many if not more problems in your Harpers Ferry home than an undersized furnace. So, if you feel you may have overdone it in the past or you want to avoid making a mistake in the future, here are some signs that your furnace may be oversized.

Short Cycling

The most common sign of oversizing is short cycling. Short cycling occurs when your furnace turns on and off frequently because it reaches the thermostat setting so fast. Basically, your furnace is so powerful that it can produce what you need rapidly and then shuts off. But, because it does this, the temperature in your home is likely to cool much faster as well since the furnace isn’t on all the time.

Additionally, the on and off short cycling has a negative effect on your furnace, causing excess wear and tear on the system and eventually leading to extra repairs and in some cases early replacement.

High and Low Temperatures

When your furnace is turned on for a comfortable indoor temperature like 70 degrees F, the high and low temperature between cycles should be relatively close to that temperature. In an ideal situation, you shouldn’t even notice a fluctuation.

So, if the high temperature gets close to 75 degrees F and the low temperature is around 66 degrees F, you have a furnace much too large for the size of your home.

Furnace Room Issues

You might find that the space and exhaust given for the furnace are not sufficient either, especially if your previous furnace was replaced with this oversized unit. Backflow of a gas or oil smell or excess heat in and near your furnace room are both common signs that the furnace is much too large.

So, what should you do about your oversized furnace? If you have had that furnace for some time or just moved into a new home, it’s a good idea to have a new one installed. Have a proper load calculation done and then get a new furnace installed so you don’t have to worry about the system cycling on and off so often. If it’s a newer unit, call your heating technician and discuss possible options to reduce the negative effects of the miscalculation of its size.

What Size Furnace is Right for My Home? A Question from Funkstown

Posted on by Larry & Sons

When it comes to your Funkstown home’s heating equipment, the right size is very important. If your furnace is sized correctly, you will enjoy a high level of indoor comfort, which you should. However, an incorrectly sized furnace may result in many cold spots in your home, an overworked furnace, or higher utility bills.

An undersized furnace will turn off and on frequently, which is called short cycling. Short cycling can lead to moisture in the system, causing less efficiency and damage to equipment from accumulating moisture in the heating system. The constant cycling adds to wear and tear on equipment, too. An oversized furnace may not be able to keep up with the demand for heat during the coldest days. The furnace may be constantly running and unable to keep up – adding to higher utility costs. So size really does matter when it comes to selecting the right heating equipment for your home.

But a big furnace does not mean it is right-sized. Have you ever seen a “five-way” gravity furnace? It was manufactured in the mid-1900’s and took up a lot of room – as much as half of a basement – while being extremely inefficient. The key here is efficiency. A furnace that works right is sized to the space it is heating, which does not include attics, crawlspaces, or uninsulated rooms (porches, mud rooms, etc.).

A furnace must make efficient use of its Btu’s, which is abbreviated for British thermal unit. Btu is used to measure a furnace size. Furnaces are often rated by input Btu, which is the amount of energy consumed when running. The output Btu may be different based on the system. And output Btu is the best way to select a furnace, since this is the actual heating capacity.

When sizing a furnace, the first thing to do is to determine the inside space that will be heated. If you are looking to heat your home, you can measure the square footage of each room (multiply width by length). The rooms should include bathrooms and hallways but exclude attics and crawlspaces. Add up the totals and match up the Btu output to the total square footage. If you aren’t sure of your calculations, call a qualified heating and cooling contractor.

There are many factors that go into heating a home and today’s energy efficient furnaces give homeowners many more choices. Whatever furnace you choose to purchase, make sure you do your homework and hire a qualified professional HVAC contractor to determine the best size furnace for your home.