Bigger AC Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better AC
A professional can help you choose the right size air conditioner system for your home.
If you’re thinking about what kind of air conditioner unit to install this summer, you may be wondering about just how big it’s going to need to be. There are different sized air conditioners, and many homeowners think that getting the biggest one they can afford is the best idea. This is not true, though, because an AC unit can, in fact, be too big for a home!
Sizing an air conditioner for a home is not a straightforward decision of what is the biggest or the best. Using an air conditioner system that is more than you need can result in spending extra money for no added benefit. The correctly sized air conditioner unit will save you and your family energy while keeping you cool throughout the house.
Load Calculations
In order to determine the correct amount of cooling power needed for your home, you’re going to need to calculate the required load. While load calculations start with the size of your home, in order to calculate an accurate load there are many other factors that you must take into account, including:
- Total square footage of your home
- Number and placement of rooms
- Number, size and placement of windows
- Types of windows and doors in your homes, and their thermal efficiency
- Number of floors in your home
- The climate that you live in
Residential load calculations involve all of these factors. Thanks to computers, this equation is much faster to compute these days. But there are still a lot of variables that need to be determined to ensure the accuracy of the calculation.
Heat Gain and Loss
The load calculation provides data on the heat gain and loss that occurs in your home. Heat gain is what is more important when it comes to picking the right air conditioner system for your home, regardless of size.
An air conditioner system that is too big for the home can lead to some problems. The purpose of an air conditioner is to remove moisture from the air in order to reduce humidity. If the AC cools the room down faster than it’s supposed to, then it will not be operating long enough to successfully remove the moisture from the air. This can result in a cold but clammy feeling in your home, which is not pleasant. In addition, a larger AC than you need may cost more and use more energy than necessary.
What Is Right For Your Home?
To get an accurate load calculation and the right air conditioner for your home, it’s best to turn to a professional. A company with HVAC experts will be able to provide the most accurate load calculation for your home. NATE-certified technicians who are trained in air conditioning installation can use this load to advise you on the ideal AC unit for your home and review the size and costs associated with it. With professional installation, you get the job done right the first time without the extra costs of errors or mistakes.
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioning system and you’d like to make sure you have the right size for your home, contact us today. Our professional team can identify the right AC unit for your home and provide proper installation and maintenance to make sure that your system runs smoothly all summer long.