Now is the time of year when people in the Portland, OR area start assessing their heating systems, and determining if they should replace it with a new one in the spring. Winter has been going for months now, and older furnaces can definitely feel the strain. In some unfortunate cases, you may not be able to wait until spring if a system on its last legs finally gives up the ghost. But whatever the circumstances, there’s a common fallacy that you need to be aware of: purchasing a heating system that’s too powerful for your space.
“I don’t get it,” we hear you say. “Don’t you WANT the most powerful furnace you can afford?” In point of fact, you don’t. Furnaces — and specifically components like the fan motor — undergo a great deal of strain every time they turn on and turn off. It takes much more energy to start the furnace up than it does to simply run, which is why your furnace should run at least 15 minutes at as time in order to get the best value out of it.
If the furnace is too powerful for the space, however, it will engage in a process known as short cycling: turning on, running briefly, and then turning off again, only to start up shortly thereafter and continue on and on throughout the day. That increases wear and tear considerably and can lead to serious repair issues down the line. It also wastes a tremendous amount of energy and forces you to pay more than you should in monthly costs. That’s why it’s important to get your home analyzed by a trained technician before you settle on a heater size, so that your new furnace is neither too large nor too small but just right.
Call The Clean Air Act today for high-quality furnace installation!