Is it time for you to change your air conditioner and upgrade it to a new unit? When choosing a new air conditioner, many people make the mistake of going for a larger unit, thinking that it will be better for their home. Unfortunately, bigger doesn’t always mean better.
Choosing the right sized air conditioner can make a world of difference in keeping your home cool and comfortable. A unit that is too large for your home might not be as good at keeping your home cool without giving you any problems as you might think. It could result in doing more harm than good to your cooling system and burn a hole in your pocket with all the extra costs.
We have prepared this guide to help you understand the importance of choosing the right-sized air conditioner for your home. And if your current air conditioner just needs repairs instead of a replacement, you can always call us for air conditioning repair in Chalfont, PA, to come and fix it for you.
Understanding Tonnage
Tonnage is a term professionals in the HVAC industry use to describe the amount of cooling an air conditioning unit can provide for the space where it’s installed. Tonnage does not mean the actual weight of the air conditioner.
The cooling power of an air conditioner is measured in units of how much heat it removes from the air. The cooling process of an air conditioner involves removing heat from the air. Tonnage refers to the amount of heat a cooling system can draw from home in an hour. The unit is called BTU.
An air conditioning unit of one ton means that it can remove 12,000 BTUs of heat from the building in an hour.
How Much Tonnage Is Necessary to Cool Your Home
Figuring out how many tons your air conditioner should be can help you match your home’s cooling requirements with the right AC unit. While many homeowners just rely on calculating the square footage of their homes to find the right unit, it is a lot more technical than you might think.
Professionals consider several other factors while determining the right tonnage necessary to cool your home, including the number of windows, doors, and the type of insulation used in your home. You can call our team to help you determine the right tonnage necessary for your home or rely on the tonnage of your older unit if it was doing a good job of keeping your house cool.
Too Much Tonnage Is Bad
Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to your cooling needs. A small air conditioner is no good because it is not powerful enough to provide your home the cooling it needs to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. However, getting too large an air conditioner can be just as counterproductive.
An AC that is too large will be more powerful, but it can start short-cycling. This is when your cooling system goes into a cycle of turning on and off without completing its cooling cycle. Short cycling can cause it to use more power and wear down your air conditioner much faster.
We hope that this guide helps you choose the right-sized AC for your home. If you need additional help to choose the right air conditioner, you can always get in touch with us. We have the expert knowledge to understand your home’s requirements and match them with the right air conditioner.
Contact Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling for AC replacement services today.