Rules of thumb are good for things like changing your car tires or gardening. What they aren’t good for is installing a heating system into your home. Multiple factors need to be considered when you need to install a new heating system, and square footage is just one piece of the puzzle. One of the best ways to ensure that you install a heating system that is right for both you and your home is to work with a trained professional from start to finish. The experts at APC Plumbing & Heating have installed multiple heating systems over the years, so if you are ready for a new home heating system, call us today!

Calculating Heat Load

Heat load is the amount of heat energy that a space needs in order to maintain a temperature in an acceptable range. Put simply, the heat load of your home tells you how much heating you’ll need to be comfortable during the winter months. This calculation includes the following factors:

• Orientation of your home
• Level(s) of insulation
• Type and number of windows and doors
• Floor plan
• Number of stories
• Daytime heat gain
• Number of rooms
• Number of occupants
• Square footage

There may be other factors to include, such as working fireplaces, lighting, etc. But as you can see, calculating heat load isn’t just about the square footage of your home. Why is it important to correctly calculate heat load? So that you install a heating system that is the right size for your home.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is another factor to consider when you need to replace your existing heating system. Odds are, your current system isn’t achieving great energy efficiency. One of the benefits of a new system is increased energy efficiency. To understand how energy efficient a particular heating system is, it’s important to review its AFUE rating. AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency and it measures a combustion heating system’s efficiency in converting fuel to energy. If you are considering a heat pump, you’ll want to look at the SEER rating and the HSPF rating. The more energy efficient a system is, the more expensive it can be, so it’s important to review these ratings to see just how energy efficient you want your new heating system to be.

Choosing a new heating system for installation takes time, and working with a trained expert can help ensure that you choose a system that is a great fit for you and your home. To schedule the installation of a heating system in Denver, Call APC Plumbing & Heating!