The design is the single most important factor in determining the comfort
level and your cost of comfort in heating and cooling your home.New
home, remodel, or total restoration, the heating & cooling of your home
will be one of the top five most expensive items in your home. It will pay
you to properly design a system that not only meets your home's need but
will take advantage of the climate for which you build your home in.
HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) options are numerous.
Gone are the days when we were confined to gas, electric, or steam forced
air systems. Today, the options are almost limitless. Gone too are the
days of restricting your ceiling height to eight foot because all the heat
wound up at the ceiling. Today, we have in floor radiant heating and
cooling. This is a system whereby a liquid is circulated through tubes
that are installed in your subfloor. The liquid is heated and cooled and
the air is allowed to float to the comfort zone of your home.
I have seen and heard of many local HVAC companies that over design and
under design HVAC systems for residential use. Though most local HVAC
companies have the capability to do a heat loss calculation, few do and of
the ones that do, many still get the calculations wrong. Pay attention to
the specifications that your HVAC company provides you with. If you are
like me and are a high tech junkie, check the heat loss calculations
yourself. Several pieces of software are available on the world wide web,
many of them at no cost to you.
