What is a modulating furnace?
I answer that question just about every day and I have been for the past four years or so…
I believe I am pretty good at “painting a picture” with my words, but there is nothing better than actually showing people. Given that it’s simply not practical to install a single stage furnace in someone’s house, a week later come back and change it for a 2 stage, then another week later, change it out for a modulating furnace… all to show people the difference between them and how your house would actually feel… well you get what I’m saying.
Myth: “I don’t need a modulating furnace because my house is not very big.” I hear this all the time. The fact that it modulates provides better temperature distribution, and the best comfort level and efficiency you can buy. “Modulating” has nothing to do with size.
About a year ago, I was running about 20 minutes early for an appointment. I had some time to kill and I had an idea. So I pulled out my phone, and started recording a video.
Using the climate control system in my car, I explained the difference between the single stage furnace, the 2 stage furnace, and the modulating furnace. Although at the time, my mind was focused on furnace (given that it was the winter time) this explanation also explains the difference between single stage, 2 stage, and modulating sir conditioners.
For the nominal cost difference between a 2 stage furnace and a modulating furnace, would you not want the newer, better technology?
Sizing a furnace is extremely important… not too big and not too small. If a furnace is improperly sized (too small or too big) it will have a short lifespan. CMHC, Natural Resources Canada, and HRAI all strongly recommend that a heat loss heat gain calculation is performed before installing a new heating or cooling system. They cannot mandate it though, because there are not enough certified heat loss advisors to handle the demand.
It’s amazing what you can do with a phone these days. Please tell me what you think about this video: What is a modulating furnace and why on earth would I want one? Any feedback is most appreciated!