You may have heard the term “load calculation” used before, but you may not know how it relates to your HVAC equipment. Load calculations are an important measurement tool that experienced HVAC installers use to accurately determine the equipment capacity needed to heat or cool a home.
Load Calculations 101
In the past, HVAC contractors sized new equipment using an approximate rule-of-thumb method. They took the square footage of a home, then added on a few hundred square feet more just in case. Due to the inexact method used to choose equipment capacity, many homes have older HVAC systems that are substantially oversized.
Today, knowledgeable HVAC professional don’t employ such outdated sizing methods. Instead, they use software that accurately calculates capacity using Manual J, the industry sizing standard. The calculations are based on factors like indoor and outdoor design conditions for the local climate, along with data the contractor puts in that relates specifically to your home, like:
- The orientation and square footage.
- R-values of installed insulation.
- The window types, sizes and locations.
- Air infiltration.
- Heat-generating appliances.
- Number of occupants.
Detailed Load Calculations Prevent Problems and Provide Benefits
Having your new HVAC components sized accurately lets you avoid the numerous problems caused by running oversized equipment, and brings you some key benefits that relate to:
- Equipment cost. You’ll pay more for higher-capacity equipment, so you can save on the up-front cost when it’s sized correctly with a detailed load calculation.
- Health and comfort. Equipment that’s too large for your home will short cycle, which can cause temperature and humidity control problems that adversely affect comfort and lead to health issues like mold growth.
- Operating costs. HVAC equipment that properly sized is able to heat and cool your living space more efficiently, so you avoid unnecessary energy waste that inflates your operating costs.
- Equipment longevity. Short cycling is not only inefficient, it also puts wear and strain on your HVAC components that can shorten their expected lifespan.
To learn more about properly sizing new HVAC equipment for your Dayton home with a detailed load calculation, contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Clker-Free-Vector-Images/Pixabay”
