Installing a Furnace in Pittsburgh – When Installing a Furnace Remember that Sizing Matters

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Before installing a furnace in your home, make sure the furnace has been properly sized for its space. Finding an appropriately sized furnace for your home or property can be challenging. Individual furnaces come in a wide range of sizes and can be either too small or too large for a particular space.

The home’s size is the first determining factor of what size furnace will be needed. However, it’s not the only factor to consider. The “heat load” of the space to be heated must also be taken into consideration. This means knowing the required amount of heat needed for a desirable comfort level. Things that factor in here are whether or not the home is an open space with a few large rooms or a closed space with many small rooms.

Another consideration is the home’s build and construction. If the home is brick, it will be more insulated more than a home with siding. The home’s orientation must also be considered – for example, if the home faces south it will generally get more heat from the sun in winter months. A townhome nestled between neighboring properties with little space between each house will be better protected from winter winds.

Properly sizing your furnace will make a substantial difference in how effectively it works. Balance is needed.

If Your Furnace is Too Small…
Obviously, if a furnace is undersized, it won’t properly heat the space. Certain rooms will be colder than others since an inadequate level of heat is being supplied. To reach the chosen thermostat setting, the furnace will practically have to run constantly, which doesn’t necessarily make an undersized furnace cost-effective.

If Your Furnace is Too Large…
Going big isn’t the solution to everything. While it may be preposterous to think you could have “too much” heat, a furnace that is too large will elevate the interior temperature so rapidly that the unit will shut down before it completes a full heating cycle. This is known as short cycling. A furnace that short cycles is overstressed and will generally have a much shorter lifespan, incur more repairs, and raise electric bills since it will drain more power seeing as furnaces use the most energy when they first kick-on.

Why You Need a Pittsburgh HVAC Company…

Avoiding this Goldilocks dilemma is easy when you work with a reputable Pittsburgh HVAC company with professional installers that will size your furnace utilizing a procedure known as a heat load calculation. Through this method, the HVAC technician will determine your home’s heat load and match it to an appropriately sized furnace. They’ll then swiftly and effectively complete the furnace installation while you relax.

Let TopNotch Heating and Cooling be your dependable heating service provider in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh-area residents have trusted Bill Reilly and his team of HVAC professionals for over 20 years and we have an A+ rating on Angie’s List. Contact us at 412-381-0598 or 724-693-0598 today.

Furnace Air Filters Pittsburgh – Start Breathing Better By Improving Indoor Air Quality

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We can’t see it, but it’s all around us. It’s a critical component to our day-to-day lives, yet it’s all too easy to never think of it or completely take it for granted. We’re talking about the air we breathe – both outside and indoors.

The air we breathe impacts both our health and overall quality of life. We feel better and healthier when we’re breathing in air that is pure and clean. Nobody gets any relief when they step outside for a breath of fresh air only to be smacked in the face by emissions from a passing truck, bus, or a nearby factory. Yuck.

Nobody knows this more than life-long Pittsburgh residents who still remember a time when today’s “Most Livable City” had the dubious distinction of being known as the “Smoky City.” And, if you’re new here, or too young to understand, all it takes is one look at an old black-and-white photo of a downtown Pittsburgh street so smoky that its street lights are on in the middle of daylight. Need further proof? Look at the still soot-stained old buildings in downtown Pittsburgh for further evidence.

But air quality isn’t something that only affects us when we step outside. It’s also something we have to consider when we’re at home or our workplace. Newer buildings today are airtight because they’re built to be energy efficient. This means fresh air outside can’t get in and bad air indoors stays inside. This is why it’s important to consider the quality of our indoor air, too. There are a number of air filters and cleaners available that significantly reduce pollutants and improve indoor air quality.

Limiting indoor pollutants is especially important if anyone in your home suffers from respiratory ailments, allergies, or similar illnesses that complicate breathing. Make sure any air conditioning or furnace unit has good filters. There are even UV lights that can be installed that purify indoor air, improving indoor air quality tremendously.

Call TopNotch Heating and Cooling at 412-381-0598 or 724-693-0598 if you’d like to hear about our solutions for improving indoor air quality.