Furnace In New Construction Home Too Small

Added March 5, 2004 by Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin

Print Articles

Summary: Owners believe a new construction home has a furnace that is too small. Having the furnace checked out by a heating contractor will help assess if it is an adequate size for the new construction home. A home inspection on this new construction home would have ensured any problems were found up front.

Q: I just bought a new construction house and the furnace is too small. Can we make the builder replace it with the proper one? We have only lived here for six months.

A: How do you know that the furnace is too small? Is your house cold? Are there parts of your home that simply won't warm up?

You should have your furnace checked out by a licensed heating contractor who can assess how big the furnace is relative to the size of your property and whether it is adequate to heat the home.

If the furnace is the right size, the heating contractor may need to balance the system. Sometimes heating systems require seasonal changes that can send more hot air to certain parts of the home during the winter and send cold air to other areas in the summer. The problem could be something as simple as your vents in some rooms may be partially or completely closed, or installed incorrectly.

If the furnace is the right size, but one room is cold, you might simply need a space heater or perhaps additional insulation to keep the area at the right temperature.

If the furnace is too small for the home, and the builder should have installed a larger size, you should consult with an attorney who specializes in construction litigation. The attorney can advise you whether you should sue the builder or pursue him in small claims court.

A final thought: Did you have your new home professionally inspected before you closed? A good home inspector should have caught the problem of a too-small furnace before you actually put your money down on the table, and you would have had a lot more leverage to force the builder to replace the inadequately sized furnace unit.

March 5, 2004

See more articles on this topic by clicking on the "RELATED ARTICLES" above and to the right.

We have over 5000 articles on Real Estate Advice, Personal Finance Advice and Consumer Advice on our site. We encourage you to look at these articles. As always, if you have a comment on our articles, don't forget to post your comment below. We thank you for coming to ThinkGlink.com.

© Ilyce R. Glink. All rights reserved. This content may not be used, distributed, syndicated, compiled or excerpted in any medium or form without written authorization from Think Glink, Inc. For information on syndicating ThinkGlink.com please contact us.

Previous article Next article