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Whether you're retrofitting an older home with no central HVAC system or if you're building a new home, correctly sizing the system to the size of your home during a new HVAC installation ensures the system will regulate temperatures properly for optimal comfort all year round. 

A properly trained HVAC professional will be able to precisely measure the square footage of your home, either from a blueprint or by measuring all the rooms in the existing home, as well as consider other important factors like the number of occupants in the home, the number of windows and doors, the home's climate and orientation to the sun, and placement of the ductwork.

The process for determining the right size HVAC system to install in your home is a complicated one best left to the professionals at White Mechanical Contractors, Inc.. 

How To Determine Your Home's Square Footage: 

If you're working with an architect or builder, they can provide you with the home's overall square footage. You can also obtain it from the blueprints of your new home. If you're retrofitting an older home, you'll need to measure it yourself. Use a tape measure to determine the overall length and width of a room. Multiply those together for the approximate square footage of that room. Repeat this process for each room in the home, including all habitable spaces like finished basements, closets, hallways, and stairways. Add them all together. This is the total square footage you'll use for estimating purposes. 

How To Determine The Size Air Conditioner You Need:

An air conditioner's size in 'tons' refers to its cooling capacity typically measured in BTUs, or British Thermal Units. A central air conditioning system needs about 20 BTUs of energy per square foot of living space to adequately cool that space. So multiplying your home's total square footage by 20 will supply you with the number of BTUs needed to adequately cool your home. If your home's ceilings are higher than the typical 8 feet, you'll want to multiply your base BTUs by at least 1.25 or 25%, maybe more. There are a whole list of other factors that can adjust the number of total BTUs up or down but this will give you an approximate number to start. A one-ton AC unit removes 12,000 BTUs of heat per hour so if you divide your total BTU number by 12,000, you'll know the approximate tonnage unit you'll need for your new AC installation.

How To Determine The Size Furnace You Need:

Besides the total square footage of your home, the other factors needed to calculate heating BTUs include which climate zone your home is located in and the furnace's efficiency rating. Again, there are additional considerations, like insulation, the home's age, and the number of windows which a professional HVAC technician can and should factor into their calculations when quoting a new furnace installation.

But where your home is located will impact the size furnace you'll need to install. Naturally, colder climates will put more demands on the furnace than warmer ones. In some warmer climates, you might not need a furnace at all and may be able to control the home's heated temperature with a heat pump instead. But generally speaking, the heat factors for climate zones in the U.S. are as follows:

• Zone 1: 30-35 BTUs per sq. ft 
• Zone 2: 35-40 BTUs per sq. ft 
• Zone 3: 40-45 BTUs per sq. ft 
• Zone 4: 45-50 BTUs per sq. ft 
• Zone 5: 50-60 BTUs per sq. ft 

You'll want to multiply the total square footage of your home by the high and low BTU ranges listed above. This will give you a starting range for the total number of BTUs needed to properly heat your home. 

You'll then need to factor in the furnace's efficiency rating, which indicates how effectively the furnace can pump out heat. Furnaces have a BTU input rating and an efficiency rating percentage. This percentage indicates how effectively the furnace can convert the air it takes in into the heat it puts out. Gas furnaces must have a minimum 80% efficiency rating in the U.S. but can go as high as 98% efficiency. Also, keep in mind that a furnace's efficiency will decrease with time and usage so it's important that a new furnace is regularly maintained to yield the best efficiency over the equipment's lifespan. 

Other Considerations With A New HVAC Installation

If this is a brand new comfort system for a new home or retrofit, you'll have additional things you'll want your system to address. You can have a properly sized ac unit or furnace but if the ductwork is too small, your heating and cooling system will have to work very hard to keep your home at its desired temperature. Too big and the velocity of the air will also be compromised. White Mechanical Contractors, Inc. will calculate the required duct sizing and how many vents are needed for each room based on its size. 

Humidity control is another consideration that ensures the conditioned air in your home also 'feels' comfortable too. Depending on where you live, you may benefit from adding a humidifier to your HVAC system to control the level of dry air during winter. Others may need a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture which can be a problem in hot, humid climates. Adding these additional components onto your system at the start safeguards your home against potential moisture issues later on.   

If you or your family struggles with allergies, you may also consider additional air filtration components that can help clean the air circulating throughout your home. Air purifiers can be equipped with higher MERV 10 to MERV 15 filters or even a HEPA filter for those with severe allergies. Another recommended option is UV Lights which use UV light to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses in your home and ductwork. 

Using A Professional For Your New HVAC Installation

Of course, these calculations and considerations are meant to give you an idea of what to budget. It takes a professional with decades of experience like White Mechanical Contractors, Inc. to take into account all the various factors that need to be considered for a new HVAC installation. Let our technicians help you determine which system makes the most sense for your home and recommend a properly sized HVAC system that will keep you comfortable in any weather. Call us today at (573) 364-1005.  

If you're experiencing higher than normal energy bills, uneven home temperatures, unusual noises, excessive dust, or if your HVAC system is older than 15 years, it might be time to replace or upgrade your home's heating and cooling system. There comes a time when it is no longer feasible to keep repairing an old HVAC system and a replacement or upgrade is necessary. And while you may have been a homeowner for many years, this may be the first time you're facing this type of project and you may have a lot of questions. White Mechanical Contractors, Inc. can walk you through the process and assist in making the best decision for you and your home. 

How Much Will Replacing An HVAC System Cost?

Your home comfort system is most likely one of the larger investments you'll make for your home. This may prompt you to cut corners and try to save money, however in this case, don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish! Your home's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is very important in keeping the home comfortable by circulating fresh air. And it also needs to work every day of the year. It's something you don't notice when it's working well, but you definitely notice when it's not!

Prices for replacement HVAC systems can vary greatly across the nation depending on the system's size, accessibility of the old unit, transitional sheet metal work needed, and the new unit’s efficiency rating that you chose to meet your energy savings goals. So instead of giving a price range that could be wildly off-base, we recommend calling us at (573) 364-1005 to get a free estimate. It's a quick and easy way to know how much you'll need to budget for your replacement system. Or, fill out our Repair & Replace Quick Help Guide by answering a few questions about your existing unit to get our initial recommendation. 

For HVAC replacement projects in particular, there are often additional costs associated with retrofitting a new system into the old system's footprint as well as any recommended repairs to your current ductwork and/or exterior envelope to help the system function most efficiently. If your system is undersized or many years old, you may want to upgrade your HVAC system to get better energy efficiency and overall performance.

Do I Need To Replace The Entire HVAC System?

If only your AC unit is on the fritz, you might be tempted to only replace part of the HVAC system. Even though only one part of your system may need replacing, it’s generally recommended to replace the entire system all at once to maintain maximum system efficiency. Replacing the entire HVAC system means spending more money upfront but you will save money in the long run because your entire HVAC unit will be in sync. Having a properly designed and installed heating and air conditioning system will have the biggest impact on reducing your energy costs.

Can I Replace An HVAC System Myself?

Replacing an HVAC system isn't a DIY job and installing it incorrectly can be more costly than the replacement system itself. Rely on the professional HVAC technicians of White Mechanical Contractors, Inc. to ensure your system is installed correctly and according to the manufacturer's warranty. We'll make sure your HVAC replacement or upgraded system is installed according to the manufacturer's specifications, perform all necessary tests to ensure the system is functioning properly, and go over the proper operation of the new system and answer any questions. 

Once your new system is up and running, you'll want to maintain your investment with regular servicing of the unit to make sure it stays in top condition and works as efficiently as possible. Ask us about our preventive maintenance programs. Contact us today at (573) 364-1005.

With today's tightly sealed, well insulated homes, the air inside your home can be 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside.

Choose White Mechanical Contractors, Inc. for services and products to improve your Indoor Air Quality.

We provide:

• Free in-home consultation with one of our HVAC specialists.
• Air Filtration Products - Remove contaminants such as pollen, mold and pet dander that aggravate allergies.
• Humidifiers - Properly control humidity for personal comfort, to protect furniture and wood floors, and reduce static electricity that damages electronics.
• Fresh Air Ventilators - Remove cooking, pet and chemical odors by expelling them to the outdoors.
• Ultra Violet Lights - Kill airborne microbial growth of mold, bacteria and viruses throughout your home, ductwork and cooling coils.
• Carbon Monoxide Detectors - To protect your family from this silent killer.
• Zoning and Programmable Thermostats - Keep each area of your home at the proper comfort level to meet your lifestyle.

With regular maintenance you will prevent small problems from becoming big problems and ensure optimal performance of your comfort system. We also offer annual service agreements, which can reduce the cost of a Performance Tune-Up.

Regular maintenance will:

• Provide longer lasting equipment
• Reduce utility bills
• Reduce repairs
• Provide a more comfortable indoor environment
• Protect your investment

Extended warranties allow customers another opportunity to manage their ongoing costs of operations. Since your heating and air conditioning system is used 24 hours a day, year round, it requires service as it operates.

Reasons why all equipment and labor should be covered by an extended warranty:

• Plan and project your costs while protecting against increases in parts or labor.
• Factory warranties usually expire prior to the end of the equipment′s life cycle.
• Extended warranties can cover the bill for all costs, including labor, during the insured period.
• Peace of mind knowing your equipment is covered.

Ask one of our specialists to explain the extended warranties available for your new or existing equipment.

Master craftsmen build a full range of HVAC applications in the company's own shop.

In-house fabrication ensures a higher level of quality and faster installation.

Why should I have my air ducts cleaned?

• Air ducts naturally accumulate sizeable deposits of dust and other contaminants over a period of years.
• Dirt deposits can reduce the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning system and even cause physical discomfort and illness by degrading the quality of air you breathe indoors.
• Dirt deposits in your air ducts actually act as food for organisms such as dust mites.

Contaminates build up inside the return ductwork. Traditional heating and cooling systems recirculate the air in a home via supply air ducts and return air ducts. Many homes have inefficient filters, which trap less than 10 percent of the particulate that is circulated in the system. If not trapped by the systems air filter, the particulate accumulates in the duct work and on the internal components of your furnace or fan coil.

Duct Cleaning Benefits

Cleaning your duct work eliminates these contaminates with the following benefits:

• Safeguard your health by eliminating potential causes of allergies and respiratory problems.
• Eliminate the dirt that acts as food for dust mites, bacteria, mold and other micro organisms.

The maze of vents and ducts in your heating/cooling system may, in fact, be making you uncomfortable or even sick. Contaminants may be clinging to every inch of your duct system. The Rotobrush Duct Cleaning System rids your home of these contaminants. Our advanced methods thoroughly scrubs and vacuums your ducts without harsh chemicals such as sealers. You will be left with fresh, clean, virtually irritant-free air in your home or office.