Bigger is not better with heating and cooling. When the right size for your home is in question, we measure it room by room instead of guessing.
A heat load calculation figures out how much heat your home gains in summer and loses in winter, so the system can be sized to match. The industry standard is ACCA Manual J. Instead of a rule of thumb based on square footage, it looks at the home itself: insulation levels, windows and which way they face, air leakage, where the ductwork runs, ceiling heights, the number of people living there and the local design temperatures.
The result is a room-by-room load, which tells us what size equipment the house needs and how much air each room should get. It is the starting point for choosing equipment (Manual S) and designing ductwork (Manual D).
Getting the size wrong costs you comfort either way.
An oversized system cools the house fast and shuts off. Frequent starts wear parts and waste energy.
Short cycles do not run long enough to pull moisture out, so the house feels clammy in our humid summers.
An undersized system runs nonstop on the hottest and coldest days and still falls behind.
When airflow is not matched to each room's load, some rooms stay hot or cold no matter what the thermostat says.
If your current system has kept the house comfortable and nothing has changed, we confirm the size during your estimate. When sizing is in question, we calculate it.
We would rather spend extra time on your estimate than install a system that never feels right. If the size is in doubt, we do the math.
Often you can, if it kept the house comfortable. But many older systems were oversized, and homes change. When there is any doubt, a load calculation settles it.
We measure rooms and windows and note insulation, ductwork location and how the house is used. Bring up any rooms that have always been uncomfortable.
Manual J calculates the load, Manual S selects equipment to match it, and Manual D sizes the ductwork to deliver the right airflow to each room.
A correctly sized system is. It runs longer, steadier cycles that are more efficient and remove more humidity than an oversized one.
No. When sizing is in question, the Manual J is part of your free estimate.
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