Buying a replacement furnace or a new furnace for a newly constructed home is a common event many homeowners experience. Initially, buying a new furnace may seem simple enough, but not only do you have to consider budget, but you have to keep in mind the efficiency, size, and more. Ultimately, it can be overwhelming to understand all of the technical information if you are in the market for a new furnace. The BTU is one term you are likely to have come across. To help you find the correct size of furnace for your home and accurately compare different brands and models, the BTU is a great place to start. Today, we at Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning would like to elaborate on the BTU.
Meaning and Importance of Furnace BTU
The BTU is an acronym for British Thermal Unit and is a unit of measurement for the heating systems capacity. In technical terms, it measures how much energy is required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1°F. The rating indicates to you how much energy a furnace or heat pump can produce in other words.
The more BTUs your system will need to effectively heat your home the larger your home is, in general. Most homes will fall into the 80,000 to 100,000 range, though residential furnaces can range from 40,000 to 200,000 BTUs. BTU is all about capacity, as we touched on earlier. Be sure to not confuse the BTU term with energy-efficiency, which is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, or AFUE regarding furnaces, and for heat pumps, it is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or the SEER.
Furnace BTU Calculator
In this situation, bigger is not always better, and it is important that your furnace is the correct size for your home. To determine the required BTUs is not as simple as looking at the size of your home, unfortunately. There are takes several factors into account that are listed below since the most accurate method is the Manual J Load calculation.
Factors to consider for the BTU:
– Tightness of the window and door
– Exposure of the sun
– Square footage
– The average number of occupants
– Grade of the insulation
– Building materials & home’s construction
Forced Air Furnace Sales, Installation, Replacement & More in Summerlin, North LV, Henderson, Enterprise, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Spring Valley, Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Green Valley Ranch, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, Peccole Ranch, Providence, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada
For most homeowners, calculating the required BTU using the Manual J Load calculation is not an easy task, as a result, it is in your better interest to hire a professional and experienced HVAC technician. When it comes to buying a new furnace for your Greater Las Vegas, NV area home, the professionals of Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning can help you with the process. Our specialist will help you calculate the BTUs as well as the AFUE in addition to helping you find the furnace that fits your budget, preferred features, and quality model. Contact Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning today to get the process started on buying a new furnace.