There are many sources of heat in your home. Electronics, lights, sunlight, the people that live there and ventilation from opening and closing doors and windows all contribute to the heat inside your house. On the other hand, there are many ways that your house can experience heat loss. Opening and closing windows and doors can let warm air escape and poorly insulated walls will allow heat to leak out on cold days. The heat load calculator is a measure of all of these things. It measures everything that has an impact on the final temperature inside your house.
What is the heat load calculation?
The heat load calculation is used to determine how much heat gain and heat loss your house will gain and release throughout the year. You can put in the variables and it will give you a number which will tell you the heat load of your home. An HVAC professional will use this number, along with others, to help them design and optimize a HVAC system that suits your home perfectly. Below, we will go over the variables that the heat load calculation takes into account.
Location
Your location will play a large factor in the heat load calculation. Depending on the climate that you live in, you will need a greater or lower amount of heat from your HVAC system throughout the year. The warmer the climate that you live in is, the lower the heat requirements you will have. If you live in southern California, for example, you home will have a lot less need for heating than a house in Minnesota would over the calendar year.
Windows, Walls and Ceilings
The type of walls and ceiling in your home will affect your house’s ability to retain its interior temperature. Having more windows will allow more sun into your house, which increases the heat. If your windows and glass doors have the proper shading over them, it will lessen the affect that they have on the calculation.
Other Variables
There are many other variables that play a part in the heat inside your home. You can use a heat load calculator to enter in these variables and learn how well your house retains heat.
