Things to consider when we install your furnace... Ceiling Height Most homes have 8 ft. ceilings. Heat needed rises with ceiling height and any vaulted or cathedral ceilings. Number of Floors Add the square footage of the basement and the upstairs and any other area to be heated. Windows The number and type of windows in your home is important, as it affects heat loss. The higher number of windows, the higher the heat loss. Newer windows retain heat better. Building Age Newer homes are usually better insulated and need less heat to maintain comfortable temperatures. A poorly insulated house uses up to twice as many BTU's per hour. Heating System Properly installed in-floor heating systems help reduce heating demand and can use up to 1/2 the BTU's of forced air systems. As a rule in-floor heating systems use 15-25 BTU's per square foot per hour while forced air systems use about 50. Size of Existing Furnace The size of the furnace existing in the house limits the number of BTU's the house can get. A 100,000 BTU furnace can only send 100,000 BTU's in to the house. Type of Building Shops and garages generally use more heat than homes. Distance From Furnace to Buildings As the distance from furnace to the building increases, so does heat loss. Other Considerations Crawl Spaces, Insulation used in your home, geographic location. |