Just had a new furnace installed that came with a surprise. It seems that at least high-efficiency furnaces and perhaps all, have a very hearty appetite for cold air intake. Older homes, even those built in the 80s, don’t have cold air ductwork that match those requirements. The result is blower motors working really hard to inhale cold air, noise, and perhaps shorter blower life.
So, if you’re getting a new furnace, measure the square inches of your cold air returns and make sure they are comparable to those of the heat ducts. If not, question your HVAC contractor about the consequences. In addition, make sure your air filter fitting is of sufficient size for the new furnace.
I fell afoul of both these problems and had to install a new cold air return and a new air filter box. I’ve had a long relationship with my contractor and they have been terrific but are trying to adjust to what seems to be suddenly introduced technology across all brands. I’ve spoken with one other homeowner who randomly brought up the same problem with a different producer.
So, if you’re getting a new furnace, measure the square inches of your cold air returns and make sure they are comparable to those of the heat ducts. If not, question your HVAC contractor about the consequences. In addition, make sure your air filter fitting is of sufficient size for the new furnace.
I fell afoul of both these problems and had to install a new cold air return and a new air filter box. I’ve had a long relationship with my contractor and they have been terrific but are trying to adjust to what seems to be suddenly introduced technology across all brands. I’ve spoken with one other homeowner who randomly brought up the same problem with a different producer.