Upstairs Bedrooms Are Cold
Today’s Power Trip, The Furnace Is Too Small And The Upstairs Bedrooms Are Cold
by Don Ames
Like any school, the quality of the education has more to do with the quality of the teacher(s) and less to do with the location of the school. I am always a little surprised to visit a home in the middle of the day and find school age kids present. The first thing I think about is the little devils are home sick from school and I should just excuse myself and stay in the car.
I am relieved to find out that they do not have swine flu or some other life threatening vampire disease and they are home because they are home schooled. Funny there is not more books lying around, if home schooling is going on, where are all the books.
Today’s power trip takes place in a home build in 1931. From the street, I can see that the home is in good condition. If the newer paint is any indication, the home has seen a few upgrades over the years.
Hope there are no dogs being home schooled to learn how to bite Energy Auditors. I like dogs; I just do not like your dog. You can tell me a hundred times that Fido has never bitten anyone, but all I can think of is – there is always a first time.
Cannot think of which I dislike the most, the big dog with big teeth that sticks his nose between your legs or the little dog that you cannot touch but will not stop barking. Why can’t homeowners hear their own dogs barking? “Please little doggie, stop barking so I can talk.”
So, why am I here? I am not strong enough in math or world history to give a lesson or correct a paper.
The main concern the homeowner has about their house is yelled to me over the yapping of the little precious canine. “The furnace runs all the time so our gas bills are really high and we are cold upstairs.”
A Heating and A.C. Contractor had visited the home the previous week and told the homeowner that the reason the furnace seemed to run all the time is that it is undersized. Too small for the house. The BTU (British Thermal Units) output of the furnace was not high enough to effectively heat the home.
After looking in the closet where the 80% efficient gas furnace was stuffed, I concluded an undersized furnace was installed because that is the biggest furnace you could fit in the closet. Fill the closet and just let the little fella run all the time – now that is efficient. Reminded me of the darn dog. Maybe the dog has been home schooled by the furnace to operate non-stop.
Several contractors have been by the house this week and described how they can get a new bigger high efficient gas furnace in the same spot as the old one. After providing an initial bid, one Contractor returned a second time and changed his plans. Scratching his head, he yelled over the barking dog, “Maybe we ought to put a second small furnace in the attic to heat just the upstairs!”
I will let you know what happens with this heating system, I know I do not like the second furnace idea because it leaves the 80% furnace in the tiny closet with no real indication that its run time will be decreased.
To learn more about high efficient gas furnaces, watch this video with just a click right here.
Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, this has been yet another “Today’s Power Trip”, Come back soon, but I will not leave a light on for you. Don Ames