The short answer is that yes, sizing absolutely matters in regards to your air conditioner. But before you take off, we want you to understand that this is not about the physical square footage that your system takes up. Air conditioner sizing is in reference to the square footage of space that your system can cool.
This is more than just choosing a small, medium, or large air conditioner. Sizing your AC unit is a somewhat complicated process that is best performed by an expert during your initial AC installation in Winder, GA. Here are some of the things you should know about sizing your next cooling system.
What “Sizing” Means
Let’s clarify what we are talking about when we discuss sizing. The “size” of your air conditioner refers to the amount of power it needs to cool one square foot of space. The larger the size the larger the amount of space it can cool.
Sizing is measured in British Thermal Units or BTUs. One BTU is the amount of energy necessary to change a pound of water one degree at sea level or the general amount of heat your system can remove from the air each hour. Most ACs will present their cooling capacity in tonnage with one ton equaling 12,000 BTUs.
On average, an air conditioner that is sized at 2.5 tons can cool up to 1,500 square feet.
Factors That Impact Your AC Size Needs
So what details go into the sizing of an air conditioner? There is, of course, the availability of space for your physical system–we can’t exactly install a unit that won’t fit! Aside from that, the more important factors involved in sizing your system include:
- The square footage of the space to be cooled.
- The number of doors and windows in the house.
- The quality of the ductwork in the home.
- The number of floors and rooms in the home.
The Wrong Sizing Can Ruin Your System
The sizing of your air conditioner is best done by a professional so it doesn’t end up undersized or oversized. You may not have realized that having a system sized too big or too small was a problem. In fact, an incorrectly sized AC can encounter more trouble, have a shorter lifespan, and provide poor comfort at a higher cost.
If you are spending money on a new AC system, it is best to protect your investment by scheduling a professional AC installation so your system can be sized properly. A trained technician knows exactly how to calculate the necessary sizing of your new system and get everything set up and connected correctly. When you work with a technician on our team, you’ll see that they do all this and a test run too in order to make sure things are running right before they leave.
When you are looking for a helping hand to get your new AC system installed, contact American Comfort Heating and Cooling. Bringing Comfort to America, One Home at a Time.
