{"id":3126,"date":"2024-08-12T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaden.com\/blog\/?p=3126"},"modified":"2024-08-09T16:20:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T21:20:30","slug":"what-sizing-means-for-a-new-ac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaden.com\/blog\/air-conditioning\/what-sizing-means-for-a-new-ac\/","title":{"rendered":"What \u201cSizing\u201d Means for a New AC"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"HOME_SERVICES-commercial-517x278\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When it\u2019s time to get a new air conditioning<\/a> system for your home, one of the most important steps in choosing the right model is to size it. This doesn\u2019t refer to the physical size of the AC, but to how much cooling capacity it has and the amount of heat it can remove from a space. It\u2019s essential that an air conditioner is sized accurately or it will struggle to cool your home, waste power, and run down early. Let’s go into more detail on sizing and why it\u2019s so vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How the \u201csize\u201d of an AC is measured<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The cooling capacity of an air conditioner is measured in \u201ctons.\u201d This doesn\u2019t mean the weight of the AC. It\u2019s a measure of the amount of heat it draws from the house. One ton of heat is the amount necessary to melt a ton of ice in 24 hours. A one ton AC can remove 12,000 BTUs of heat per hour from a space. Most homes will need an AC between 4 to 8 tons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too small?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have an AC installed that\u2019s undersized for the home, it won\u2019t be able to provide enough cooling for comfort. The compressor will run and run as it attempts to remove enough heat from the house to reach the thermostat target\u2014a target it can\u2019t reach. This means a house that\u2019s still too hot and energy bills that are too high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too large?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a common error to think that it\u2019s better to have an AC that\u2019s a bit too large than one that\u2019s too small. But an oversized air conditioner is as much a problem as an undersized one. The trouble with an air conditioner that\u2019s too powerful for a house is that it will short-cycle: the AC will lower the temperature so rapidly that the thermostat will register that it\u2019s already finished the job and shut it off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AC will turn back on a short time later and repeat the process. This puts immense wear on the unit which wastes power and shortens its service life. The AC will also not stay on long enough to cool all of the house.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sizing an air conditioner<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So how can you find out the right size of air conditioner? You need to have a load calculation<\/em> done for the house. This calculation takes into account multiple factors about the house that affect how much cooling it requires. These factors include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n