When it comes to keeping your home warm and cozy in chilly weather, you have a variety of heating systems to choose from. If you're mulling a furnace installation, you should know not all furnaces are created equal, and therefore, not just any furnace will do.

To ensure you're making the correct choice for your home, do these things before your residential furnace installation.

Calculate Your Residential Heating Load 

One of the biggest mistakes many people make when sizing a residential furnace is making a decision based on the square footage of their living space only. While the size of the home that needs to be heated up is an important consideration for sizing a residential furnace, several other factors come into play when making heating load calculations. These include: 

• The orientation of the building
• The type and quality of insulation used in the building
• The type and size of windows installed
• How airtight the building is 

While there are many handy calculators that you can use to determine your home's heating load, it's recommended you let a fully trained technician do the math for you. A properly sized furnace will adequately heat your living space while keeping your heating bills as low as possible.

Figure Out What Type Of Furnace Fuel You Are Going To Use

Unlike residential air conditioners, which cannot work without electricity, furnaces come in many fuel options. However, gas, oil, and electricity are the standard choices for home heating applications.

Although each fuel type is viable, it may or may not be suitable for your domestic heating purposes depending on its availability and cost in your specific area.

Choose An Efficient Furnace Model

No matter what type of fuel you choose for your home's furnace, you'll be presented with models that vary in terms of their energy efficiency. The energy efficiency of a furnace refers to the amount of fuel it will use to deliver the desired heating output. 

Furnace products with higher energy efficiency ratings generally cost more upfront but tend to pay for themselves over the long term due to their lower fuel consumption. Low-efficiency units, on the other hand, will cost less to buy but may require you to spend more on heating bills.

Furnaces come in many shapes and sizes to meet the heating needs of different homeowners. Don't hesitate to consult an HVAC specialist if you need someone to help you select the right furnace for your home heating needs. 

For more information on furnace installation, contact a professional near you.