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View Full Version : How do you know if your Forced Air Furnace is BIG enough?


wildstarrman
Nov 4, 2009, 08:31 AM
We purchased a 10 year old home last fall. Since it was build, the lower level was finished off, and two years ago the two-car garage was turned into a mother in law appointment with two rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

It doesn't seem like the existing furnace is forcing enough air out of the vents, and it only come out at about 80 degrees?

How can I tell if the furnace is big enough for the whole house and the addition?

Should the air be coming out at a higher temperature when heating?

Thanks for the help!

hvac1000
Nov 4, 2009, 10:06 AM
The only TRUE way to tell if the equipment has the capacity to heat your home is to do a manual J to size the home.

wildstarrman
Nov 4, 2009, 10:18 AM
Hvac1000, you Rock! Again, your are on top of these questions, thanks for your help! However, as you probably expected, I have no idea what a Manual J is. Any way for the Average Joe to accomplish this?

I see you are from Ohio, are you located any where near Perfect North Slopes Winter Recreation Area? Its in the SE Corner of IN.

hvac1000
Nov 4, 2009, 10:48 AM
Kevin I usually have a problem posting the guessing game figures because it contains about 50% human error. LOL I hope no one uses this to try and calculate a exact figure. This is used in class actually as a demo to prove how wrong improper calculations can be but for the sake of argument I am posting the one sheet here. There are 6 of them in total but the others do not have heat calculations you could use. I have a second home (camp) in Indiana and my daughter goes to Northern Slopes for fun once in a while.

dac122
Nov 4, 2009, 10:57 AM
A Manual J is an intricate calculation that tells you how big a furnace you need. Unlike the "rule of thumb" hvac is posting a Manual J goes into detail about insulation values, door and window counts and types, living volume, etc. - you get the picture.

But once you have a rough number or an exact from Manual J the next issue is whether your ductwork is up to the task of deliver it as needed. A Manual D will determine that.

Since you've had a great deal of remodeling done it might be worth your time to pay to have both done. Otherwise you're just guessing.