A How To Guide: Sizing a Home for HVAC System Installation

For homeowners considering installing a new HVAC system in their home, nothing should be more important than properly sizing the HVAC system for the perfect fit. Let’s take an in-depth look at the reasons why and the methods how HVAC contractors match homes up with the right sized HVAC systems.

The Right Size Matters

By installing an incorrectly sized HVAC system in your home, you’ll be signing up for a costly headache.

If the system is too small for your home, it will be under great stress to maintain a consistent temperature. It’s likely your system will run much longer than an appropriately sized system would, and much less efficiently too. This in turn will shorten the life of your HVAC system, and result in needing repairs and replacement much sooner.

Systems that are too large for a home will constantly cycle on and off, which will drive up your energy costs by pulling down it’s operating efficiency.

Finding the right sized HVAC system is key to efficient and reliable home comfort.

Accurate Sizing Calculations with Manual J

While there are many simple ways to obtain a rough sizing estimation for home HVAC systems, experienced HVAC contractors know the importance of calculating HVAC loads with Manual J. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) created and outlined Manual J as a process to accurately obtain load calculations and take the guesswork out of sizing HVAC systems.

Manual J requires contractors to measure and assess various factors throughout a home to ensure accurate recommendations can be given. Contractors will be able to calculate potential for heat loss/gain, and gauge the characteristics within a home that could impact heating and cooling efficiencies.

While sizing a HVAC system for your home, a HVAC contractor will measure your home inside and outside, its windows and doors, insulation levels and quality, and even the orientation of your home. These are but a few of the factors they will assess as they seek to properly determine equipment size. To simplify this process for our contractors, we offer all Ruud contractors access to the Design Star program that will transform these measurements into a recommended system size.

If you’re considering installing a new heating or cooling system in your home, make the right choice and find a contractor that will provide you with an accurate sizing recommendation. At McCall’s Supply, our dealers have the experience and tools at their disposal to make sure your home gets precisely the HVAC system it needs. Locate our nearest dealer today or stop in one of our locations to learn more about HVAC system sizing.