Okay, so I'm trying to figure out if most folks here actually sit down and do the math when sizing their heating and cooling systems, or if you just kinda eyeball it based on square footage and gut feeling. I admit, I've done both... once I got lucky winging it, another time—not so much, lol. Quick poll: Do you carefully calculate your home's heating/cooling needs or just go with your gut? Curious how many of us are number crunchers vs. guessers.
I learned the hard way that eyeballing it can bite you later. Now I always start with a proper load calc—takes a bit more time upfront, but saves headaches (and cash) down the road...
"takes a bit more time upfront, but saves headaches (and cash) down the road..."
Couldn't agree more—just went through this myself. Thought I could eyeball it at first, but quickly realized numbers don't lie. Smart move doing the load calc first...wish I'd known sooner.
Went through the same thing a couple years back—thought I had it nailed down, but ended up with a system that cycled way too often. Had to redo the math and swap out the unit, which wasn't fun (or cheap). Curious if anyone's found a sweet spot between the official load calc numbers and real-world comfort? Sometimes the math feels a bit conservative to me...
Curious if anyone's found a sweet spot between the official load calc numbers and real-world comfort? Sometimes the math feels a bit conservative to me...
I've seen both sides of this plenty of times. Here's my take:
- Official load calcs are a solid starting point, but they're not gospel.
- Real-world factors like insulation quality, window placement, and even homeowner habits can shift things quite a bit.
- I usually run the numbers first, then adjust slightly based on experience and the specifics of the build.
- Pure gut feeling rarely works out well—seen too many oversized units short-cycling or undersized ones struggling to keep up.
