Air Conditioning: Ensuring the Right Size and Fit for Your Home

When it comes to Phoenix air conditioning systems, size matters. Installing a unit that is the right size for your home is the first step in ensuring you stay cool for years to come and that you don’t pay more in energy costs than you need.

Importance of Installing the Correct Size

To understand the importance of proper sizing, you should first know the basics of how an air conditioner works. Your Phoenix air conditioning system keeps you and your family comfortable by adjusting internal temperatures, mixing air in rooms and maintaining humidity levels.

Yes, air conditioning systems pump cool air into your home. But it’s not quite that simple. Air conditioners also remove heat and moisture from the air. A system that is too large may reach your desired temperature quickly, but you will be left feeling uncomfortable because it won’t adequately remove enough moisture from the air. The result is a sticky, humid feeling. In addition, a larger system with more capacity than is needed will run in numerous short cycles, turning on and off repeatedly. The stress of the short cycles will shorten the life of your equipment and increase your energy bills.

On the other hand, a system that is too small will not be able to get the job done. The air conditioner will run constantly in the summer and the heater will run all winter, resulting in an overtaxed system.

How to Pick the Right Size

Air conditioning systems are sized according to their tonnage. One ton equals 12,000 BTUs (British thermal units). Residential systems usually range from one to five tons, or 12,000 to 60,000 BTUs.

First and foremost – don’t size a new system based on the old system’s capacity. It’s possible your home’s heating and cooling needs have changed since the last system was installed or that the original system was not properly sized to begin with.

Determining the right size can depend on the type of construction used to build your home. Depending on the construction, one ton of air conditioning can cool between 300 and 800 square feet. The best way to ensure that the size of the system will be large enough to cool your home, but not any larger than you need, is to have your Phoenix air conditioning and heating needs evaluated by a licensed professional like one of the technicians at Chas Roberts. A licensed technician will complete a professional load calculation and system design.

For all things air conditioning, turn to Chas Roberts

Don’t make the mistake of installing a system that doesn’t fit your home cooling needs. Contact the air conditioning service experts at Chas Roberts. Contact us to experience what sets us apart from countless others in the HVAC industry.