If you’ve decided that it’s time to purchase a new air conditioner this time of the year, then chances are you’re in a bit of a rush to get one. But this is one decision you don’t want to make in haste, as doing so can leave you with an ineffective and inefficient cooling system.
For instance, what if you get the wrong size unit? You may not realize this, but having too large or overpowered of an air conditioner can be just as detrimental as having too small, or underpowered of a system. We’ll explain why below… please give it a read, and when you’re ready to make an HVAC purchase, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for professional and reliable installation.
When a Cooling System Is Too Small
When an air conditioner is too “small” it’s actually too underpowered. As a result, you can expect poor performance. Ultimately, you’ll find yourself paying for energy consumption and getting nothing out of it. If your air conditioner is too underpowered for your home, even if it’s high quality, it won’t be able to effectively circulate conditioned air and cool down the whole home.
Essentially, the air conditioner will just keep running, trying to reach the desired temperature on your thermostat, without ever being able to. So the compressor will keep starting up–this uses the most energy–wearing down your cooling system that much faster.
This excessive strain on your underpowered AC can also cause it to break down more often. Repeated repair attempts might be able to temporarily get it up and running, however, you’ll only find it failing with continued use.
When a Cooling System Is Too Large
Air conditioners that are too large for the space in which they’re installed can be just as much of a problem as systems that are too small. You may think that bigger means better, but this simply is not the case with an air conditioner. Oversized AC equipment simply cannot perform the way an air conditioner is meant to.
Being too big, or too overpowered, for its space, an oversized air conditioner will reach the desired temperature setting on your thermostat too fast, causing the system’s compressor to cycle off before actually completing a full cooling cycle. This process is known as short-cycling, and causes strain on the system, increased energy consumption, and subsequently higher energy bills.
If your AC system is too big, then the only way to improve your energy consumption and your comfort is by replacing it with an appropriately sized system. This is, understandably, a hassle if you’ve just bought a new air conditioner! But a properly sized unit will bring you better performance, greater savings, and a longer lifespan.
Trust the Pros for Installation
When you contact our team for your air conditioning installation, before we even start talking about which system is best, we’ll do what’s called a cooling load calculation in your home, determining the right size of system for your space based on the square footage, how many windows and doors you have, what kind of insulation is in your space, and even how high the ceilings are.
Clawson Heating & Air Conditioning is your trusted local resource for professional air conditioning services and more. Contact us today!