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Does the Size of Your Heater Matter?

You know what everyone says–everything’s bigger in Texas! However, this doesn’t necessarily mean, that if you’re in the market for a new heater, you should rush out and buy the biggest one in your budget.

Although it seems logical that a bigger furnace would be more powerful, and therefore betting, the size of your furnace relative to your unique heating needs can actually be a detriment to the performance of your heating system, negatively impacting its overall performance.

A furnace installation is no small job, which is why it’s particularly important that you work with a professional before you make any final decisions. A trained and experienced heating professional will assess the size of your home so they can determine exactly which furnace will be the right choice for you. Trust us, you don’t want to have an oversized or undersized furnace in your home–read on as we explain why.

The Problem with An Oversized Heater

Homeowners like yourself are often tempted to buy and install the biggest furnace they can find because they think it will help keep them the most comfortable throughout the winter. However, an oversized furnace is actually susceptible to operational problems, with the biggest one being short-cycling.

Short-cycling is when a heater cycles on and off rapidly without ever actually completing a full heating cycle. Furnaces are designed to run in 15-minute increments, about 2-3 times an hour. If your furnace is cycling on and off more often than this, it’s definitely short-cycling, and the sizing can very well be a culprit if your system wasn’t professionally installed.

The Problem with an Undersized Furnace

Of course, you’re probably more familiar with this problem–the problem with an undersized furnace. The fact of the matter is, it will simply be unable to provide you and your family with the warmth and comfort that you desire.

The system will have to work harder than usual to keep up with your household heating demands, which is clearly problematic. An overworked furnace is going to require frequent repairs and will wear down faster than an appropriately sized heating system.

An undersized heating system will end up costing you more money than it’s worth in the long run since it will be very overworked. This wastes a lot of energy and puts extra strain on the mechanical components of your furnace.

“What If My Current Furnace Wasn’t Properly Sized?”

A common question we get is “What can I do if I found out my furnace wasn’t properly sized?.” Well, we have some bad news, but also some good news.

The bad news is that if you want to resolve the operational problems that come with having an improperly sized furnace, you’ll need to replace the system with a professionally-sized heating system, which will ensure that it will operate as effectively as possible for the years to come.

The good news is if you trust our team for the job, you don’t have to worry about any mistakes with the installation process!

For professional service on your heating in Houston, TX, contact Cool Care Heating and Air Conditioning!

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