Why a Manual J Heat Loss Calculation Matters for Your Heating System

Quick answer: A Manual J calculation sizes your heating system to your home’s actual heat loss. An oversized system short-cycles, burns more fuel and leads to unnecessary service calls. ACCA-accredited Manual J sizing is required under Maine Fuel Board rules, and we perform one on every installation.

What Is Design Temperature, and Why Does Sizing Matter?

Did you know that heating contractors are supposed to design a system(s) layout to a certain temperature for both heating, and cooling applications? Lets use Cumberland County for an example. The Cooling design temps are 84 degrees F and Heating design is 2 degrees F. Your heating system operates at these temperatures for 15% of the year, so averaging 2,000 hours a year on a heating system that is roughly 300 hours the system runs in its designed temperature! If your system is oversized, it will short cycle causing frequent starts and stops that can create problems leading to service calls that aren’t warranted, cause you to burn more fuel, and make your living space uncomfortable. Who wants that!? I know I wouldn’t!

Is a Manual J Calculation Required in Maine?

Your Contractor should perform a heat loss calculation using Manual J software that is accredited by the ACCA, this is actually code for the State of Maine and is written in the Maine Fuel Board rules and laws and is of the assurance that your heating system is sized for the years to come, and that your making a sound investment in your comfort! Many town’s don’t perform an HVAC inspection so its in your due diligence to know this as a business owner or a homeowner.

Why Not Just Use a Rule of Thumb?

We perform a Manual J every time! The rule of thumb method, can cause you thousands in energy usage, service calls, and other unplanned downtime in your system.

Allow us to keep your money in your wallet where it belongs! Are you thinking of a boiler replacement? Oil, or Gas or even a Heat pump! Call the trusted folks at Local Energy, LLC today!

Oil vs. Propane: How Much Heat Per Gallon?

FYI : A gallon of #2 fuel produces 144,000 BTUS of heat, and a gallon of propane is 91,500 BTUS! On average it takes 1.4 gallons of LP gas to get the same heat! Theres no heat quite like oil heat!