Heating and Cooling Load Analysis

Personally considering the cost of an error, I would rather have someone who knows their trade do the measuring and hopefully notice any unusual situations to factor in, than to rely on myself. I would also want whoever was going to install it to do the numbers for me. I would question anyone who would install it without doing the numbers thenself.

I wish him luck finding a HVAC "pro" who takes the time to do the numbers. I had to call up 6 guys to find one. The first 5 said, something like, "in this area, with this size house, you need about a 3 ton system".

Well then it sounds like this is an excellent way to weed out the hacks before you ever spend a dime.

As Matt said, you just found out you don't want to do business with any of those five. That is sure worth the question.

Actually more like IRA intimidation through terrorism.........

I will have the person doing the installing do an analysis, but I would like to have an idea of what it should come out to before I just take their calculations at face value. In this area, there are only two dealers that handle the type/brand of heat pump I want. Not much choice.

Dick:

Try here:

The Gas Appliances Manufacturers' Association (GAMA) has tool that consumers can use to estimate their annual heating requirements and compare the operating costs of different models:

Chris

Dick wrote:

For an approximation, you just multiply the surface area of all the walls, doors, windows, ceilings, etc. by the relevent U values (1/R), and multiply that by biggest temperature differential you're going to want between the outside and the inside.

--Goedjn

Thanks everyone for the good ideas.

Dick

Hmmm, you'd be looking a long time in my area. I had three estimates for a new furnace in 1997 and none of them bothered to do the calculations, if they did they must've done them really fast where I didn't see it. I'll be a lot more careful nex time.

Never knew that daveinIllinois (aka DNandB) had 5 different phone numbers