Too Small of Furnace?

[tigerdunes]

Surprise

I ran a fuel comparison calculation using your rates that I like to use for a guide only.

Using your rates, I used 80% efficiency on your furnace and a 2.4 COP which would be typical for 13 SEER heat pump heat. Here are the results. And to emphasize only a guide.


Cost per 100,000 btu of useable heat

Electric baseboard: $2.37
Heat pump: $1.10
Natural gas: $1.21

IMO

[heaterman]

You need to check the "envelope" integrity of the structure and in particular the crawlspace area(s) that contain your duct system. If ducts are located in unconditioned spaces, they need to be insulated. The firing rate of the furnace needs to be verified and the temperature rise adjusted accordingly for better comfort levels. While the size of the unit seems a bit small at first glance, it is possible that it is sized properly given your design temps depending on envelope parameters. Sized properly and set up properly are not synonymous.

[Surprise]

I went around my house and took temperature measurements of all of my registers. They ranged from 97 to 94 degrees with the colder ones being the ones farthest from the furnace. I also crawled around the crawl space and could find anything blatantly obviouse with the ducting, everything looked to be insulated. Outside tperature was 38 degrees. It looks like its time to call the HVAC company out so they can check the envelope and attemp to increase the temperature rise.

[tipsrfine]

I went around my house and took temperature measurements of all of my registers. They ranged from 97 to 94 degrees with the colder ones being the ones farthest from the furnace. I also crawled around the crawl space and could find anything blatantly obviouse with the ducting, everything looked to be insulated. Outside tperature was 38 degrees. It looks like its time to call the HVAC company out so they can check the envelope and attemp to increase the temperature rise.

Get a company that has someone who is BPI certified to perform an energy audit of your home. They are better suited to test & evaluate your homes envelope for air leakage & insulation issues.