There are a lot of things that need to be considered when purchasing a new furnace, and most of them receive the attention they deserve. One factor that seems to go unnoticed all too often, however, is the size of the furnace. Far too many homeowners think that as long as the furnace can physically fit in the space they have available, it will work just fine. This is not the case. An improperly sized furnace can actually cause all sorts of problems. Let’s take a look at what can happen if you install a furnace that’s the wrong size.
Undersized Furnaces
Furnaces are designed to operate in cycles, putting out a certain amount of heat over a certain amount of time and then resting until they are needed again. A furnace that is too small for the home in which it is installed will have to stay on for far longer than it is designed to do. This dramatically increases the strain on the system, leading to more frequent breakdowns and shortening the lifespan of the furnace as a whole.
Oversized Furnaces
A furnace that is too large will generate so much heat that the thermostat will shut it down before it has the chance to complete its cycle. This sort of hard shutdown puts just as much strain on the furnace as if it were forced to operate longer than normal. Prolonged bouts of starting up and shutting down early, also known as short cycling, will both make the oversized furnace less efficient and eventually cause it to break down. If you don’t install a properly sized furnace in your home, you’re almost certainly going to have to replace it sooner than you would like.
If you need help finding a properly sized furnace for your home, call Roadrunner Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration. We offer a full range of furnace services throughout Las Vegas, NM.
