A good furnace can make all the difference when the winter in Austin turns ugly. It’s important to understand that the process of selecting a good furnace involves far more than simply selecting the best brand and calling Totally Cool Heating & Air to install the furnace for you. Properly sizing the furnace to your home will ensure that you optimize heating capabilities and energy costs. Here are a few ways to ensure you get a “Goldilocks” furnace that’s “just right.”
Consider Your Location
When it comes to heating a home, not all locations are created equal. Across the country, different locations have different heating requirements based on how much cold weather comes to that location during an average heating season. If you live in Austin, you live in climate zone five, which is the least-demanding climate zone. For an average home, you will need a furnace that can provide 30-35 BTUs per square foot of livable space. This will give you plenty of heating capacity for average days with an extra cushion for especially cold days.
House Size Is Important
Another vital metric to consider when choosing your furnace is the size of your home. It’s important to take time to accurately measure your home so that you don’t get a furnace that’s too large or too small. The main measurement you’ll need to take is the square footage of livable space in your home. If you choose Totally Cool Heating & Air to install your new furnace, we will take care of all the measuring, and other calculations needed to ensure that the furnace you pay for is the furnace you truly need.
What Type of Furnace Do You Want?
Once you determine your heating needs and house size, you’ll need to determine the type of furnace that you want Totally Cool Heating & Air to install. Different furnaces have varying efficiencies, meaning that you may need to look at different heating capacities depending on the type of furnace you install. Ground-source heat pumps are the most efficient type of heaters, while a single-stage gas furnace is the least-efficient. You also need to consider energy costs to help control the lifetime operating costs of your furnace. In general, gas furnaces are less expensive to operate because the cost of natural gas is lower than electricity.
Optimize Efficiency
After your new furnace from Totally Cool Heating & Air is installed, it’s important to continue to take steps to use it efficiently. This will help ensure that you don’t end up cold when the temperatures dip below average. One of the best ways to optimize your furnace’s efficiency is to use your thermostat wisely. Make sure to utilize a programmable thermostat so that your furnace will only operate when absolutely necessary. You should also keep a close eye on the cleanliness of your furnace filter. A dirty furnace filter will significantly reduce your furnace’s efficiency. To avoid this problem, make sure to replace your filter at least every 90 days.
Zoned Heating
If you have a larger home, you may want to consider zoned heating to help make the most of the furnace that you choose. There are two types of zoned heating systems that you can use. One type uses two or more separate furnaces to provide heating to certain areas in your home. This allows you to buy smaller furnace units and target the heat where it’s needed most. Another option for zoned heating is to include dampers at key points in your ducts. This helps to route heated air to specific areas to help keep your home warm and comfortable in every room. Typically, this will help to reduce the time that your furnace has to operate, thus improving its efficiency.
Your HVAC Experts
When it comes to keeping your home warm this winter, Totally Cool Heating & Air has got you covered. We offer a full range of maintenance, repair, and installation services for furnaces of all types. When the weather warms up, you can also take advantage of our maintenance, repair, and installation services for air conditioners. We can also take care of duct cleaning, indoor air quality, commercial HVAC systems, weatherization, hybrid heat, and much more. In business for over 35 years, we take pride in offering our customers top-notch customer service in everything we do. That’s why we consistently receive five-star customer reviews. To learn more about your options for a new furnace, be sure to contact us at Totally Cool Heating & Air today.
