Determining the Right Size of Your Surrey Heating System

Determining the Right Size of Your Surrey Heating System

Do you often feel cold at home even with the heater on? For that matter, do you even feel any heat from the furnace or boiler at the basement? If you answered "yes" to either or both of these questions, there's a good chance that you don't have the right heater size.


Experts say it's not easy to determine what furnace or boiler fits the bill since several factors come into play. Still, it's necessary to get a clear idea of how much heating capacity you need for your home. This doesn't only apply to heating Surrey homes use, but also to air conditioning and plumbing. It's for this reason that sizing should be done by a professional.

Windows, siding, and roofing

Most of the time, the heater doesn't do the heating alone; rather, it works alongside other things that provide insulation. To note; windows, sidings, and roofs contribute to the collective effort of keeping the home at a comfortable temperature.


If you have quality windows, sidings, and roofs, you won't need a bulky or powerful heater because they help retain the heat for longer periods, reducing the need to operate the heater frequently. Statistics Canada reports that the average temperature for homes ranges between 20 to 22 degrees Celsius when the occupants are awake and 16 to 18 degrees Celsius when they are asleep. You shouldn't need a very powerful heater for that.

Manual J and Manual D

Manual J and Manual D are two familiar terms in the Surrey heating industry. These are used by heating contractors in load calculation and duct design for specific buildings' HVAC systems. Due to the complexity of such calculations, contractors today use computer software, rather than pen and paper to get an accurate assessment.


Both Manual J and Manual D are required by most building codes to determine how much heat should be supplied to the home. Nevertheless, many contractors still prefer the "rule of thumb," like one ton of cooling or heating for every 400 square feet. As a result, most of the heating and cooling systems in many North American homes are oversized by 30 to 200 percent.


Determining heat load isn't easy; and the consequences of an undersized or oversized heating system are critical. Furthermore, energy costs are notably higher than they were a few decades ago, such that many Canadians cannot afford to pay more than what is actually needed. Heating Surrey BC homes should be done with as much accuracy as possible; and using software may prove necessary. Consult with a reputable firm such as Milani on how to properly go about this.