Summer is officially upon us, so, if you haven’t already, now is the time to make sure that your air conditioner is fully equipped to handle the heat. Of course, for some homeowners, this may mean having to invest in a new air conditioner altogether. If this is the case, you’ll want to make sure your new cooling system is the right fit for your home.
We understand that your first instinct might be to buy the biggest, most powerful air conditioner on the market, particularly if you’ve spent previous summers sweating bullets. But we are here to guide you in the right direction and let you know that bigger isn’t always better. When it comes to selecting the right system, what size central AC you need is essential to ensuring both comfort and efficiency.
Read on as we uncover what goes on with not only undersized/underpowered air conditioners, but oversized/overpowered cooling system as well. And give us a call when you’re ready to install!
The Problem with an Undersized Air Conditioner
As you can probably guess, an undersized, or underpowered, air conditioner simply won’t be able to keep up with your home’s cooling demands. It will force the system to run longer and essentially work harder than it should to do its job, and as a result you can expect a rise in energy costs.
In addition, an undersized system won’t be able to keep your home as comfortable as you’d like. During one of our hottest summer days, you can certainly see why this would be problematic! It’s better to ensure that you install a properly sizes air conditioner right from the start.
The Problem with an Oversized Air Conditioner
This is a problem that homeowners are a little less familiar with. While you may think that an oversized unit is better for keeping a home cool, it’s actually really inefficient. This is because optimal air conditioning efficiency happens through continued operation and regular cycles.
When an air conditioner is too large for the home, desired temperatures will be reached too quickly, before the system has the chance to complete a full cooling cycle. This is a problem known as short-cycling. If your current system is struggling, consider whether it’s time to replace your AC to avoid unnecessary energy waste and wear and tear.
Short-cycling is not something you ever want to deal with. Not only is it very inefficient, but it also causes strain on your air conditioner, and causes a faster accumulation of wear and tear. The only way to “fix” this problem—short-cycling due to an oversized system—is to replace the system with an appropriately-sized one.
“How Do I Find the Right Sized Air Conditioner?”
This is a great question! The answer is—by calling an HVAC professional. We will do what’s called a cooling load calculation, which is when we look at a number of factors. Yes, the square footage of your home is important, but we’ll also look at how high your ceilings are, what type of insulation and building materials your home has, and even how many windows and doors are in the home. If you’re curious about other essential installations, learn how a professional furnace installation happens for optimal comfort all year.
From there, we determine what the right size and fit will be for your space, and can guide you in your air conditioner purchase!
When you’re on the lookout for “The Best Care for Your Air,” contact Cool Care Heating and Air Conditioning! We provide professional AC installation in Houston, TX and much more.