It may seem as if choosing the biggest furnace you can find is the way to go for warming your Eastern Massachusetts home. However, bigger furnaces aren’t always ideal for every house and may even make your home feel colder than it should. The professionals at 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric
are here to help you get the home heating or HVAC system that’s just right for the size of your house.
A Furnace That’s Too Big Creates Heat Pockets
If you’ve ever walked through a building that has cozy, warm spots followed immediately by uncomfortable chilly spots, you may have experienced being in a house with a furnace that’s bigger than necessary.
An oversized heating unit kicks on when the temperature drops where the thermostat is located. The furnace then runs at full capacity to reach the temperature indicated on the thermostat. The area near the thermostat warms up quickly, creating a heat pocket, and the furnace shuts off without warming the rest of the house.
After the heat pocket disperses, the temperature near the thermostat drops; the furnace then kicks back on, creating another heat pocket. In the course of adjusting the home’s temperature, making heat pockets, and then waiting for the heat to spread through the structure, the oversized furnace may run many times.
Overall, this creates an experience that’s rarely completely comfortable. While your furnace needs to be big enough to keep your house warm during a Massachusetts winter, choosing a furnace that’s bigger than needed isn’t an efficient way to keep your house warm.
A Furnace That’s Too Small Costs More to Use
When choosing a new furnace, finding one that’s the right size to heat your house is the key. Getting a small furnace may seem like a way to save money, but that’s not always the case. While the initial cost of a small furnace may be lower, that smaller unit is likely to cost you money in the long run due to its increased use of energy.
A furnace that isn’t big enough to accommodate the square footage in your home might turn on frequently or constantly run when it gets cold out. When there’s an issue, professional evaluation of your heating system is important.
While running continuously is the most likely result of a furnace that isn’t big enough for your house, a too-small furnace may also create an effect similar to the heat pockets that come from an oversized furnace. A too-small furnace may turn on, run a few minutes, and then shut off only to quickly start again.
If the furnace is too small, the rooms in your home may also feel chilly even when the furnace is running. The right furnace isn’t always the biggest or the smallest, it’s the one designed to put out the amount of warmth you need in your house, and 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric is here to make sure you get the right furnace for your home.
The Better Furnace May Be the One That Fits Your Ductwork
The size of your house may be the key factor that determines the best furnace for your situation. The heating system needs to have the power to produce the degree of warmth you want to enjoy on an ongoing basis. However, it isn’t the only factor that’s important. The ductwork also needs to be the right size for the furnace.
Ductwork that’s too big for the furnace means the furnace has to work harder to push the air through the oversized ducts. This can cause the furnace to run longer than it should. If the ductwork is too small for the furnace, it can cause the furnace to overheat due to the restricted airflow.
A furnace that’s connected to ducts that are too big or too small is likely to wear out sooner than it should. The shortened lifespan of the unit means you may need to repair it more frequently than expected, or it may mean replacing the furnace sooner than planned. A furnace hooked to the wrong ductwork is also likely to waste energy while leaving your house a bit chilly.
128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric Helps You Choose the Better Furnace for Your House
When your heating unit is the right size for your house, it gradually warms the area and only runs when the temperature drops. That means the temperature you choose on the thermostat is the temperature you enjoy throughout the house. Each room stays comfortable without the furnace constantly running or kicking on and off every few minutes.
Pockets of excess warmth or too-cold air won’t occur when the furnace is the right one for your needs. The furnace and ducts, in this ideal situation, work together to let heated air spread into each room. You don’t necessarily need the biggest furnace on the market. You need the one that’s the right size for your house.
Professional input is useful when you’re faced with making a change to the heating system in your house. Your 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric HVAC technician understands how important a major decision like this is and will make sure you have the information you need to choose a furnace that can keep your Massachusetts house warm all winter.
Opt for a Furnace With Energy Efficiency and Longevity
Choosing a furnace that’s the right size for your house provides a heating solution that’s energy-efficient and long-lasting. Regular maintenance is also important after you find the right furnace. Proper furnace maintenance helps extend the life of your furnace and keeps it operating at peak efficiency, and that’s another service you can trust your 128 Plumbing HVAC technician to handle.
Our goal at 128 Plumbing is to provide you with furnaces that are efficient and sized to accommodate your heating needs. Our technicians are here to help you find the systems that are suited to your unique needs, so your Massachusetts home stays warm and comfortable when temperatures drop. Call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our heating professionals.
