Summer is progressing right along, and we’re dealing with hot temperatures daily. If you’ve lived in this area for even just a year, you know just how uncomfortable it can be when temperatures soar to their highest. This means that if you’re looking for an AC installation right now, you’re likely in a hurry to get a new one, right?
We understand that sense of urgency, but we really encourage our customers to slow down and make their decisions about home comfort carefully. Failing to do so can leave you with an inefficient and ineffective solution for your home cooling.
One component of this is sizing. We’re not talking about the volume of the air conditioner itself, but rather how many “tons” of cooling it can handle (that is, how many tons of ice would be melted by the heat drawn out of your home per hour–which is measured in British Thermal Units–BTUs). An “oversized” system can be just as detrimental to your comfort and home efficiency as an undersized one. Read on to learn more about this.
Why Size Must Be Considered
The first step in purchasing a home comfort system of any kind is to find the one that best matches your specific home, and we mean that literally. Properly sizing your cooling system is the only way you’ll be able to meet your home’s unique cooling needs.
As we said above, when we talk about an air conditioner’s “size” we’re not talking about the volume of the system itself or how much space it takes up in your home. We’re talking about the amount of energy output in comparison to the relative size of your home, plus other factors of your home.
Bigger isn’t always better, and this is especially true when it comes to your air conditioner. An air conditioner that isn’t properly sized will cause inefficiency through wasted energy, and therefore wasted money.
An undersized air conditioner simply won’t be able to effectively cool the space it is installed in, while an oversized air conditioner will go through a process called “short-cycling” where it cycles on and off rapidly instead of going through regular cycles as it meant to.
An oversized air conditioner can also lead to inadequate humidity control. By cooling the space too quickly, it doesn’t run long enough to effectively remove moisture from the air, resulting in a clammy and uncomfortable indoor environment. Proper sizing ensures balanced humidity levels, enhancing overall comfort.
Short-cycling doesn’t just impact the lifespan of your system—it also affects indoor air quality. When the air conditioner fails to complete its full cycle, it can leave excess humidity in the air, making your home feel clammy and uncomfortable. This can even contribute to the growth of mold or mildew in more humid regions, compounding health risks and maintenance costs over time.
An air conditioner is designed to run its compressor in 15-minute increments, 2-3 times an hour. Short-cycling increases wear and tear on the system, which in turn increases repair needs and decreases overall lifespan.
To avoid this, our professionals do what’s called a cooling load calculation, where we look at the square footage of your home or space you’re cooling, but also how many windows and doors are in the space, how high the ceilings are, and what kind of insulation is in the space.
In addition to the factors mentioned, it’s essential to consider the orientation of your home and the local climate. Homes with significant sun exposure or located in warmer regions may require systems with higher cooling capacities to maintain comfort. Conversely, homes in shaded areas or cooler climates might need less capacity. Tailoring the air conditioner’s size to these specifics ensures optimal performance and energy efficiency
Once we determine the proper sizing for you, then we can go about having it installed in your home. But the sizing is what makes it so important for you to hire a professional! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
For professional and reliable AC installation in Woodstock, GA, contact DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing.
