Is Your Furnace Ready for Winter in Bozeman, MT? At Comfort Systems of Montana, we want to ensure your family is comfortable and cozy in your home when the temperature turns cold outside. Winter is almost here, and furnaces are already switching on for homeowners in Bozeman, MT, and the surrounding area.

You want your heating system running at peak performance. Some furnaces, however, aren’t ready to do the job, especially if they haven’t received an annual pre-winter inspection and tune-up. It can be dangerous if your furnace breaks down when it’s freezing outside. You can avoid inconvenient and costly emergency repairs with an annual furnace tune-up.

HVAC systems are complex, and many things that can cause them to malfunction. One common furnace problem is short cycling, or when your furnace starts and stops too quickly and too often.

The primary reasons why your furnace might be short cycling are:

1). THE FURNACE IS OVERSIZED

If the furnace is oversized, it will consume too much energy while heating your home to your thermostat setting. As a result of this overpowered process, the furnace may be forced to turn on again after too short of an interval due to a lack of proper distribution of warm air.

2). THE FURNACE IS OVERHEATING

The furnace may shut down prematurely to prevent overheating damage. The heat exchanger can crack when a furnace overheats. Carbon monoxide can leak into the home through cracks in heat exchangers, posing an immediate danger.

Overheating is usually due to restricted airflow, which can trap hot air in the area closest to the heat exchanger. Overheating can also be caused by a dirty air filter, blocked interior vents, or a blocked exhaust vent on the roof.

3). A MALFUNCTIONING THERMOSTAT

Your furnace can short cycle, remain on all the time, or refuse to start altogether due to a malfunctioning thermostat. If the thermostat is installed close to a significant heat source, such as a stove or large sun-facing window, it may cause the furnace to short cycle. It may be registering that the home is too hot and kicking off a series of short cycles.

Short cycling is a severe energy efficiency problem that can increase your monthly energy bill and cause additional wear and tear on HVAC system components. If you’re struggling to get this issue under control, give Comfort Systems of Montana a call today at (406) 522-1114.

Our experienced Nate-certified technicians can inspect, diagnose and fix the problem. If your furnace is nearing its lifespan and needing major repairs, now is the time to consider replacing it. Hiring a trained and certified technician to install your new heating system is critical.

FURNACE REPLACEMENT: SIZE MATTERS FOR COMFORT AND SAVINGS 

Sizing a furnace to a home is a technical process that requires special knowledge; getting the calculations wrong can be costly for homeowners. An oversized furnace doesn’t run long enough to bring the temperature in your house to a comfortable level.

This wastes energy because the furnace will turn on and off more frequently, increasing wear and tear on components such as blower motors and controls. You’ll notice an increase in your monthly utility costs because you’re using more energy than necessary to heat your home.

If the furnace is too small for your home, rooms may not heat up sufficiently, and you’ll have to set the thermostat higher than usual to compensate for this. You may have to warm up one or more rooms, even when the rest are comfortable. You may also find that your furnace is always on with the thermostat set at a constant temperature. This means it’s working harder than necessary.

With so much riding on your furnace’s performance, getting the size right is critical. The size of a furnace is based on how much heat it can produce in an hour, as measured in BTUs or British thermal units. The higher the BTU rating, the more warmth a furnace can provide. In general, larger homes will require more BTUs to heat.

Listed below are the furnace BTUs required for certain-sized homes:

• Furnace for a 1,200-square-foot house: 36,000 to 72,000 BTUs
• Furnace for a 1,500-square-foot house: 45,000 to 90,000 BTUs
• Furnace for a 1,800-square-foot house: 54,000 to 108,000 BTUs
• Furnace for a 2,100-square-foot house: 63,000 to 126,000 BTUs
• Furnace for a 2,400-square-foot house: 72,000 to 144,000 BTUs

Since the recommended BTU usage for each house size is a broad range, more than square footage alone is needed. Several other factors must be considered. An experienced HVAC specialist can calculate the right furnace size for your home by measuring and taking into account the following:

• Square footage
• Cubic feet of indoor air space
• Number of floors
• Ceiling height
• Shape of house
• Ductwork efficiency
• Number of dwellers
• Sunlight exposure
• Climate zone
• Type and amount of insulation
• R-values and U-values of windows, doors, and other elements

Professional HVAC specialists have the expertise and equipment to provide a detailed analysis of your home to ensure you have the correct size furnace installed.

COMFORT SYSTEMS OF MONTANA – YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL HVAC COMPANY 

Now is the time to get a pre-winter furnace tune-up to prepare for the cold months ahead. If you need to change out your furnace, our technicians will properly install the right equipment for your home or business. You can rely on our professional team to get the job done right. Veteran and family-owned, Comfort Systems of Montana is a factory-authorized Carrier dealer that services all make and models of HVAC equipment.

Our Nate-certified technicians have extensive experience repairing, retrofitting, installing, and maintaining heating and cooling systems. We offer upfront, flat-rate pricing and guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. Schedule your appointment today! We happily service Bozeman, Big Sky, Belgrade, Livingston, West Yellowstone, and the surrounding area.