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How to Choose the Right Size of Furnace for Your Home

furnace size

For a furnace to provide the heat that you need in your home, it must be the correct size. Not only will a properly-sized furnace be more efficient, but it will also help keep your family comfortable during the cold months of the year. Cates Heating and Cooling is here to help you understand how to choose the right size of furnace for your home.

Geographical Climate

The first thing you need to do is consider where you live. In warmer parts of the country, you likely won’t need as large of a furnace as you would if you lived in a colder part of the country. The Kansas City area tends to be in what is considered the second coldest region in the United States, which means that you will need a larger furnace than you would in places like Louisiana, Texas, and Florida.

Know the Size of Your Home

Your home’s square footage is also important in determining the size of your furnace.  It is important to understand that the size of furnace that is appropriate for the square footage of your home is a range, not a specific number. This is due to the other factors such as the climate and the style of home (ranch, split level, etc.).

Most HVAC companies will only include rooms that will be heated in the square footage of your home for this calculation. For this reason, the square footage that the technician comes up with might be different than the overall square footage of your home.

Know the Other Factors to Consider

While the most important aspects of sizing a furnace are the climate and square footage of the home, there are so many other things that you need to take into account when you are determining the size of furnace that you need. You should think about how many floors you have in your home. A single-level home is going to have different needs than a two-story home.

The age of your home is also an important consideration, as well as the condition and thickness of your insulation. These factors all play into how well your home will retain the heat produced by your furnace. The number of windows and how well they are sealed can also play a large role in the size that your furnace needs to be to properly heat your home.

Understand BTU Capacity

Furnaces are sized by the BTU-per-hour input and output capacity. A BTU, or British Thermal Unit, is equal to the amount of heat that is required to raise a pound of water by 1°F. The input capacity is the amount of gas that is burned. The input capacity does not take into account the percentage of heat that is lost through the flue. The output capacity is the amount of total usable heat generated by the furnace.

Typically, sizing is measured with BTU ratings that measure the input capacity. Most furnace types come in a variety of models are produced in multiple sizes to allow for more people to use them in their households.

Why Is Proper Furnace Size Important?

There are so many different reasons that it is important to get a properly-sized furnace placed in your home. Oversized and undersized furnaces can cause problems.

If your furnace is too large for your home, you may notice the following problems:

  • Discomfort is common with oversized furnaces because certain areas of your home are likely to heat up too quickly and become too hot for comfort. Uneven temperatures are more common throughout your home if your furnace is the wrong size.
  • Oversized furnaces are inefficient and will cost you more on energy bills because they turn on and off frequently.
  • Wear and tear caused by the frequency of your system turning on and off will also cause your furnace to go out more quickly than a properly sized model.
  • Repairs will be more frequent on a furnace that is too big for your home, which means that you are going to spend a lot more on the system throughout its lifetime.

Furnaces that are too small for your home can cause several problems including:

  • Discomfort is also a problem in homes with undersized furnaces. A furnace that is too small won’t be able to keep up with heating when it is cold outside, and you will be left feeling chilly all winter.
  • High energy bills are common in homes with too-small furnaces, because the system will be running nonstop, which drives up your energy bill significantly.
  • Since your furnace will be running constantly, you’ll be replacing a new furnace sooner than one that is properly sized for your home.
  • Uneven heating is another common problem for homes with undersized furnaces. Are some rooms too hot, others too cold?  You may have an undersized furnace.

With a furnace that is the right size, the system will run more efficiently, which will save you energy and money. Plus, when your system is running efficiently, it is less like to be overworked, so you are likely to save money on repairs and service calls if you have a system that is the right size, not to mention increasing the working life of your furnace.

For homeowners in the Kansas City Metro Area, Cates Heating and Cooling can help determine the perfect furnace for your home to help you save money in the long-run. To have an expert technician come to your home for a free consultation and estimate, contact Cates today at 913-888-4470.

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Cates Heating & CoolingExcellentCates Heating & Cooling4.7★★★★☆ Based on 399 reviews fromSee all reviews review us onjarhead771jarhead771 ★★★★★ Had a new furnace installed. Vince and Noah did a great job! They were informative, very pleasant, and courteous! Cleaned up the work area very well! Highly recommend them and Cates!Peg N.Peg N. ★★★★★ Can't count the number of years we have relied on Cates, spring and fall, to keep us hot or cold, depending on the season. Cates people are always polite, respectful, calm, have plenty of time to answer questions. In all these years we only had to call once because of an emergency, and someone came right away. Cates is the best.David L.David L. ★★★★★ Dillin was very professional, charming and hard working. I hardly noticed them working, they were very quiet and kept the house clean. 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We were shocked with disappointment after being told by a different company that we "should" replace our entire system for $9k, but to get our AC working again, we needed to replace the AC compressor for $4k.Enter Cates:We had called Cates to get an estimate for a new condenser unit and/or system. The man who answered the phone reassured us that they were interested in helping us make the best decision for our needs. This was already feeling much different than the first company we called. Cates estimator was not only able to diagnose the actual problem with our condenser (something the other company "overlooked"), but he FIXED the issue (photo of problem) and inspected the rest of our HVAC, in under 1 1/2 hours and for under $100! The rest of our HVAC was in good condition and he recommended we have a tune up done for the summer. If you're curious who the other company was, feel free to check out my other reviews. Thank you so much Cates!Tyler J.Tyler J. ★★★★★ Awesome customer service. Fantastic tech!!! Our service tech, Dan, walked me through all the trouble shooting. Made a few adjustments to our noisy furnace. Now it runs quiet and worry free. Even took the time to give me an in depth tutorial on all the crazy functions my thermostat can do (ie heat pump, delay, even change the color on background and font). He also made sure that all the sensors settings were correct and programmed to optimal efficiency. Now my thermostat is as excited for the Super Bowl as I am! GO CHIEFS!!!Cameron N.Cameron N. ★★★★★ Ben was courteous and professional in his time in my home. Diagnosed a relatively simple fix for our issue, and took care of it quickly and efficiently. Thanks Ben!Lee H.Lee H. ★★★★★ We have used Cates for our furnace and air condition services for over 25 years. In addition to yearly maintenance service they have also done repairs to them and replaced them. 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The technician, Mark, was super friendly, triple checked everything, and took the time to explain things to me. I highly recommend Cates Heating & Cooling.Michael and Lynn B.Michael and Lynn B. ★★★★☆ EXCELLENT SERVICE.. ON TIME, 2ND GUY WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.. HOWEVER, STILL WONDERING WHY AN 11 YEAR OLD FURNACE WITH THEIR NAME ON IT NEEDS A $780 PART THIS YEAR AND NEEDED A $350 PART LAST YEAR??Pam O.Pam O. ★★★★★ Cates Heating & Cooling-these folks provide excellent service year-round. I have used them for over 20 years and recommend them to everyone !Karl O.Karl O. ★★★★★ Technician was right on time and spent some time cleaning and adjusting our system during our bi-annual service visit. He got it ready for winter.Joe H.Joe H. ★★★★★ I've been a customer of Cates heating & cooling for over 20 years. In my opinion they are one of the best in their business. Good customer relationship and they have the knowledge and expertise to handle the situation. The employees are professional and completely helpful in explaining to the customer if either having new ac/Htg install or repair work done. I depend on Cates to get the job done right the first time. Good dependable company and a 5 star rating.Robert S.Robert S. ★★★★★ I'm a veteran and they bought and installed a window unit for me thanks guys your the best!!!Matt T.Matt T. ★★★★★ I have used the services of Cates for the last several years and it has been a great experience. They come to my house each season and inspect the heating and A/C and make sure they are functioning properly and give an idea of potential problems that may occur in the future. The techs and office staff are always friendly and their response time is great. I recommend Cates anytime I am asked about a heating and A/C company.Travis B.Travis B. ★★★★★ Have used Cates for many years and have been very pleased. Excellent service with very professional service techsTony D.Tony D. ★★★★★ We have tried many HVAC companies in the past. Cates is head and shoulders above the competition. Our service tech Chris was highly competent and professional. No need to look any further, Cates is the best!Regina T.Regina T. ★★★★★ This is the most reliable company that I've worked with in a long time. Greg Schmitt did the bid and was great, very forthcoming and explained all the options. His service man was timely and overly polite. He took out the old replaced all new and cleaned up all the mess. Great company.Reid L.Reid L. ★★★★★ Matt has taken care of us our last two calls. He is extremely knowledgeable and professional. We have been extremely happy with the service we have received!DeAnn G.DeAnn G. ★★★★★ Matt came to check out my C/A.He was very efficient & helpful.I asked about the inbalance of heating my home due to the placement of the thermostat at one side of my home instead of centrally located which caused the other side of my home to be much colder in the winter.He gave me a couple of ideas which would help. I will consider one before fall.Matt represents Cates is a very positive way.Linda T.Linda T. ★★★★★ I have been a client of Cates for 20 years now both at my retail store and also at my residence. Although every technician I have met in these past years have been great, I want to say that Ben H. has been so wonderful! I appreciate him explaining the problem and taking care of what needed to be done with such efficiency. In my situation my furnace went out on a Friday and Ben got it running over the weekend waiting to pick up a part on Monday morning to actually fix the problem. I was so impressed the Ben took the time to check with me during the weekend to make sure all was still running and warm. Thanks Cates and THANKS BEN H.!!!!! You are so Great!js_loader

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