The Importance of Proper Air Conditioner Sizing

One of the most important factors in how effectively a central air conditioner will cool a house is how well it is matched to the size of the home. It’s not the physical size of the condenser unit, but rather the air conditioner’s ability to produce cooled air as measured in BTU (British Thermal Unit) per hour and in tons.

In air conditioning, too few BTUs is never enough while too many will lead to less comfort. When a new air conditioner is installed your HVAC technician will carefully consider the air volume in the home to calculate how many BTUs the system will need to provide in order to maintain the right balance of comfort and efficiency.

If the AC unit is undersized, it will have to run continuously, or cycle on and off repeatedly on hot days to keep the house cool, increasing your electric bill and shortening the lifespan of the unit. On the other hand, if the unit is too large it will not run long enough to remove moisture from the air. The result will be cool, clammy air that feels like a chilly fog.

A correctly sized central air conditioner will run through the required amount of cycles to keep your house comfortable, but will not run so much that it looses its efficiency.

Central air conditioners come in many different sizes to fit a wide range of applications. An experienced HVAC technician will be able to properly size the unit to cool your home with the most comfort and efficiency. They will also take in to account other factors, such as climate, the height of the ceilings and the level of insulation.

If your air conditioner is running too long or not cooling effectively, it may not be properly sized. Give ABC Southwest Plumbing & Air Conditioning a call. We can help determine if the system is sized properly to perform at its best.