What Is An HVAC Load Calculation?

Date Published: March 19, 2019

“It is so hot in this bedroom.” “The heat runs all the time and it is still cold in here.” “It always feels so humid in this house.”  “The furnace is only ten years old, how can it need replacing already?” These are phrases heard all too often and all could point to an improperly sized Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning System. Is your system too small? Too Large? Or just right?

For most of us, the largest investment we will make in a lifetime is our home. We will spend hours researching neighborhoods. We will agonize over the color of the bathroom tile. We will stare at paint chips for what seems an eternity. Yet we give little thought to the most important factor in our future comfort, the HVAC system.

The foundation of a properly designed home comfort system is a process known as a Manual J Load Calculation. Based upon scientific principles, a Manual J factors eleven key elements of your specific home into a calculation of how much heating and cooling load your specific home will generate.

This data is then used to select the proper equipment (Manual S) and to design the distribution (duct) system (Manual D) to ensure your comfort for years to come.

It all starts with a Manual J Load Calculation.

hvac load calculation

What are the 11 key elements of a Manual J Load Calculation?

  • Design temperatures – What is the outdoor weather like in your area? What indoor conditions are ideal?
  • Windows and glass doors – How many and how large? Are the windows single pane? Triple Pane? Low-e? What about blinds and shading? And which direction do they face?
  • Skylights – Not all homes have them but if yours does it can be like a window pointed to the sun.
  • Doors – Are they wood? Metal? Insulated? Shaded?
  • Walls – What is the insulation R-Value? Is it brick? Wood? Sealed tight?
  • Ceilings – What is the square footage of the roof? What is the ceiling insulation R-Value? What color is the roof?HVAC Load Calculation Manual J
  • Floors – Is the slab insulated? What about that room over the cold garage?
  • Infiltration – is the home constructed to modern standards and sealed tight or is it an older home with drafty areas?
  • Internal Loads – How many people occupy the home? Is there a dishwasher? A steam shower? All of these can place a huge load on a comfort system.
  • Ducts – Are they in the cold attic or in the warm ceiling of the floor below? Are they insulated and sealed tight?
  • Ventilation – Does the home have a heat recovery system? What about a humidifier?

All that and a lot more go into an accurate Load Calculation. These elements are inputted into approved software that helps perform the calculation.

Two seemingly identical homes can have very different Manual J Load Calculations and as a result, should have very differently sized HVAC systems. Look for a future article where we compare two seemingly identical homes.

Conclusion

Because an HVAC Load Calculation can be a complicated task, it’s best to leave it to the experts. Scott Home Inspection provides Manual J & D calculations, which will help determine the proper size heating and cooling equipment for your home. Trust the professionals, your comfort depends on it!

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About the Author: Mark Scott

Mark is the "Old Guy" learning from the youngsters every day. He is the Manual J/D and REScheck Specialist at Scott Home Inspection.

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