Heating

What Size Furnace Does My Home Need?

ApsosMedia — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:18:40 +0000

What Size Furnace Does My Home Need? ApsosMedia Tue, 01/21/2020 - 01:18

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With winter in full swing, most Philadelphia-area homeowners have switched their HVAC systems to heat. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to make sure your furnace is working, so your family can stay warm and comfortable for the rest of the season.

If you’re planning to replace your furnace, you need to choose one that provides enough heat for your home. Working with an experienced HVAC contractor is one way to make sure your home gets the right size furnace installed.

How Can You Tell What Size Furnace You Need?

Determining the size of your furnace requires a little more than choosing small, medium or large, but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. A basic rule of thumb is that it takes 30 British thermal units, or BTUs, for every 1,000 square feet. However, there are several other factors to consider, as well.

The age of your home: Older homes are usually less energy-efficient and may require more BTUs to stay warm.
How well-insulated your house is: If your home has poor insulation, you may need a larger furnace.
The age and number of windows you have: If you have outdated windows, they will allow more heat to escape. Newer windows will be more airtight, with better weather-stripping.
Size of your home: Larger houses require more energy to heat.
Energy-efficiency rating of the furnace: Newer furnaces will come with a tag that shows how energy-efficient they are. It’s best to choose a furnace with the highest ranking within your budget. Even if your home isn’t especially energy-efficient, having an efficient furnace will keep your bills as low as possible while you stay warm.

Figuring Your Furnace Size

If you don’t know the square footage of your home, it’s a straightforward calculation. Multiply the length and width of each room. Add these numbers together, and your result will be the square footage of your house. Then, multiply the square footage by BTU. Remember, the standard number for BTU is 30, but your number may be higher based on the factors above and how cold your home gets in the winter.

When to Call a Furnace Contractor

Reliable HVAC companies like Nu-Temp Heating and Cooling are experts on all the latest technological advances, and can recommend the most energy-efficient furnace for your budget. They can also determine if it’s time to replace your furnace, or if you can get by with an expert repair.

Working with an HVAC contractor will also help guarantee you get the best furnace for you and your family’s needs. In addition to providing you with an excellent installation, a contractor will present a few furnace options and explain the pros and cons of each type. After installing the furnace, they will suggest essential maintenance tips for prolonging your new furnace’s life.

Don’t get left in the cold this winter. Contact the professional team at Nu-Temp Heating and Cooling for all your furnace repair, maintenance and installation needs today! We offer free estimates and a variety of financing options to help you upgrade when it’s time.

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Schedule Your HVAC Tune-Up Before Fall Arrives

Nu-Temp — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 21:17:53 +0000

Schedule Your HVAC Tune-Up Before Fall Arrives Nu-Temp Fri, 09/07/2018 - 23:17

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While it may be another month or two before you need to think about switching your thermostats from cool air to heat, it’s never too early to start planning ahead for fall and winter weather. In fact, autumn is the perfect time to find and repair any heater problems before Old Man Winter arrives and brings the cold air with him.

From thermostat malfunctions to air flow issues, Nu-Temp Heating and Cooling has you covered. The best thing you can do to prevent a potentially costly heating repair is to start by scheduling a proactive fall tune-up with us. For a fair price, one of our friendly, trained and certified technicians will clean and inspect your heater for anything that could jeopardize your home comfort before cold weather arrives.

What Will You Get With Your Tune-Up?

Our tune-up checklist includes the following services:

Clean and adjust burner assembly
Clean ignition assembly
Replace oil filters/nozzle as needed
Monitor flue draft
Adjust operating pressure
Monitor Starting capabilities
Test safety controls
Clean or replace filters
Clean and adjust blower components
Measure for correct air flow
Tighten electrical connections
Measure volts/amps on motors
Lubricate all moving parts
Adjust thermostat calibration
Clean evaporator coil, if accessible
Clean condenser coil
Measure temperature difference

After your tune-up, our technicians can implement or schedule any small heating repairs, if needed. The idea behind preventive seasonal maintenance is catching and making small fixes before they snowball into problems that require major repairs or a total heater replacement.

What You Can Do

There are also several proactive ways you can keep your heater working safely and efficiently all winter long. As always, make sure to check and replace your air filters on their regularly recommended schedule – usually this is monthly, but sometimes it’s every three months. Clogged filters can force your system to work harder just to keep up, leading to burned-out motors and premature heating replacements. If you have trouble remembering to switch out your air filter, add an alert to your calendar or an alarm on your smartphone.

Another way you can lend your heater a helping hand is with proper thermostat management. This task is especially easy when you own a programmable thermostat. As an easy rule of thumb, program your thermostat for a comfortable 70 degrees for the times when you wake up and return home. When you’re asleep or at work, remember to drop the temperature about eight degrees. This will not only give your heater a rest, but you’ll finally have an opportunity to wear those ultra-cozy pajama pants. It’s a win-win situation!

When it’s almost time for the crisp breezes of autumn, don’t forget to ensure your heater is ready for the cold weather ahead. When that time comes in the Philadelphia area, reach out to the pros at Nu-Temp Heating and Cooling for the best in tune-ups, heater repairs and heater replacement. We’ll help keep you warm and comfortable all winter long with our seasonal maintenance.

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Energy Saving Tips

Nu-Temp — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 19:40:43 +0000

Energy Saving Tips Nu-Temp Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:40

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An air conditioning or heating system does much more than simply cool or heat the air. They actually condition the air by removing dirt, dust, mold spores and pollens as the air is drawn through a filter. Your air conditioning system also lowers the humidity making the air much more comfortable at any temperature.

So running your air conditioning and heating system has great benefits. But it can account for up to 50% of the expense on your household budget.

Here are some energy saving tips that can save you money and help you "GO GREEN" environmentally just by properly maintaining and carefully operating your air conditioning and heating system.

Lower the temperature on your thermostat in the winter, or raise it in the summer, during the daytime when you're home. You could save up to 5% on energy usage for every degree you either lower the temperature in winter or raise it in the summer. Instead of making your system do all the work, wear an extra layer in the winter to help keep warm, or wear lighter, well ventilated clothes in the summer to help keep cool.
Lower your thermostat to 65 degrees in the winter, or raise it to 80 degrees in the summer, while you're away from home. However, if you have a heat pump, only lower it by 2 or 3 degrees from your typical setting to avoid making the auxiliary heat kick on when you turn the thermostat back up.
Even better, install a programmable thermostat to adjust temperature settings according to a preset schedule. This way you can warm up your house just before you wake up, or warm it up or it cool off before you get home.
Repair leaky faucets. Even a small drip can be the equivalent of wasting a bath tub full of water each month. If it is hot water... even worse!
Find and plug those leaks. Seal leaks between a door and its frame with weather stripping and fill leaks between window frame and wall with caulking.
Seal light switches and electrical sockets with low-cost foam gaskets.
Make sure your fireplace is properly vented to prevent your chimney from drawing heated air out of your house.
Remove window air conditioning units in the winter time to prevent them from drafting in cold air.
Insulate hot water pipes to prevent wasting heat to unconditioned spaces.
Install low-flow showerheads.
Lower the temperature on your water heater. By reducing it only a few degrees, you will lower your utility costs while still enjoying the hot water you want.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs) to save energy and have them last six to 10 times longer.
Install lighting controls like dimmers, timers or motion sensors.
Install a ceiling fan in rooms you spend the most time in, with an option to reverse the air flow. Most models will allow you to set the direction the motor turns so you can blow the warm air back down into the living space.

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