As an Energy Survey is conducted.
Heat loss and heat gain in a building is designed for both manual calculations (Manual J) or with the help of a computer software program. We have done hundreds of these calculations for new buildings. Read on to find out why it is difficult to make one out of an existing home or building. It is about all the insulation values of the building, measuring the length, width and volume of all rooms, measure and record all the windows and glasstheir composition (for example: the parameters for single, dual field of low value "E" and others).
The amount of glass, their orientation, and the number of sky lights have a big impact, especially on the cooling calculations. Overhangs over the windows will also affect this calculation. The sealing of the building permit must be less than building more outside air to enter the building and enjoy the heated or cooled air can escape the same way (to be calledInfiltration). There are many other factors in a complete loss of heat gain calculations including heat, until the number of bathroom exhaust fans outside the building. The complete calculation is called for most HVAC Energy Survey. It 'a long time to do it correctly. Beware of a company only to measure the area and say they have a "poll" conducted.
A survey of real need of help from the customer to answer questions. For example, only oneExample is how most people who own a house with vaulted ceilings, which were completed with plasterboard know, really, what insulation behind the sheet rock? We know that if it were our home and we were not there when it was built, we would have to "guess" was. This makes the survey inaccurate and not really much better than with a rule of thumb that most entrepreneurs used as 600 square feet for each ton of air conditioning or 30 BTUH per square meter of effective capacity outsidefor heating.
On existing homes or buildings that already have a heating system, the blower size of the furnace and the ductwork installed in the building will dictate what size system can be installed. It is of little value to do an Energy Evaluation to find that even though a 5 ton air conditioner is needed, the building only has a 3 ton blower in the furnace or the duct work can only handle 3 tons of air conditioning. To put a 5 ton ac in under these circumstances will result in major equipment failures and it still won't cool any better than a 3 ton would have in the first place! The same things happen when we are talking about installing a " bigger " furnace.
If however, you want a true survey and are willing to take the time it requires to find all the answers needed, any GOOD Heating and Cooling Contractor can do a Energy Survey for you at a reasonable cost. This survey should spell out the exact heating and cooling needs of your building based on your requirements for the building. You will sometimes receive a printed report of all aspects of the building. One of these surveys should be done especially on new construction while the building is being built. Some of our local clients ask us to do one to determine if the system in an existing building was ever sized correctly to begin with.
