Home Guides Home Home Improvement Troubleshoot, Fix and Repair Two & a Half Ton Vs. Three Ton Air Conditioner Email Reddit Calculate your cooling needs before selecting an air conditioner. The cooling capacity of an air conditioner unit -- how much heat it can remove from a home in an hour -- is measured in tons. Choosing a unit the right size is important. Selecting a unit too large will result in the unit turning on and off frequently while selecting a unit too small will result in the unit running too often and not being able to adequately cool your home. Differences in Air Conditioner Size The unit of measurement used for air conditioners is the British Standard Unit -- with each ton equal to 12,000 BTU's -- and units typically ranging in size from one to five tons. Let's compare the cooling capacity of a two-and-a-half ton unit versus a three ton unit in San Francisco, which is located in Zone 1 of the country, according to AC4Life. A two-and-a-half ton air conditioner has 30,000 BTU's and can cool a home sized 1,201 to 1,500 square feet while a three ton unit has 36,000 BTU's and is designed for homes 1,501 to 1,800 square feet.

These figures will range depending on which zone of the country a house is located in, as well as the home's age and energy efficiency. moving central air conditioning unitReferences Home Depot: Air ConditionersAlpine Home Air Products: Choosing Air Conditioner SizeAC4 Life: System Sizing Help Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a Correction What Is the Fitting Allowance for Plumbing ... portable ac units price in indiaThe fitting allowance for plumbing fittings will vary ... how to move hvac ductIs It Normal for Pipes to Leak a Little When ... It is definitely normal for pipes to leak when ... Can a Wood Burning Stove Save Money? A wood burning stove can definitely save money, so ... How to Choose a Stainless Steel Sink Choosing a stainless steel sink requires you to ...

I am replacing a 30 year old AC unit and I have had 4 estimates. 2 of the 4 people did not even take any measurements and the other two took a lot of measurements. I am leaning towards the ones that took measurements, but they are giving me two options. I live in Florida. Here are the two options: 3.5 tons 13 seer straight cool 3.5 tons 13 seer heat pump What is the difference between the above two? Does anyone know some important questions I could ask the installers to see which one maybe more qualified or knowledgeable in installing the unit I found paperwork on the house and it indicates that a 3.5 ton was installed in 1984. The two people that did not measure apparently were salesmen. One from sears told me this: OK great give me a call or send me an email when you ready. You currently have a 2 Ton and I can see going to above 1/2 ton more or a max 1 Ton more not 1 1/2 Tons more. I will install what you want, and our system and service will be better than any company out there.

When you contract with Sears you don't get a lot of plastic and thin metals you get a good quality system that will last. I don't understand how Sears can tell me I have a 2 ton when I have a 3.5 ton. Something smells fishy here? The heat pump can move heat indoors to outdoors ("air condition") as well as from outdoors to indoors (heating). The cooling only unit can only air condition. If the house already has heating or you rarely need heat, you can save some money by getting a cooling-only unit, and maybe supplement that with portable electric heaters as needed. As to brand comparisons, I strongly recommend you review the Consumer Reports reader reliability report of air conditioners and heatpumps: that can be done online by paying a fee, or visiting a library. As for some installers carefully measuring and the others not, the latter could be fine if your dwelling is not especially unique: an experienced installer has run the numbers so many times that they know what the result is.

That experience is helped by there being a coarse choice of capacities: 2 ton, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, 10, 12.5, etc. On the other hand, not measuring could be a sign of an unknowledgeable installer. Do they also propose a 3.5 ton unit? As far as questions to ask, I like to elicit being assured that if anything goes wrong for X years, they will fix it for free. If they can say so confidently, that is a very good sign that they don't think anything will go wrong. It might be useful to ask an installer why they choose 3.5 tons and not 3 or 4. There is a certain degree of assumption about worst case and average case conditions. If the a/c can't quite keep up on the 5 hottest days that is one thing, but if it can't keep up on 30 of them, that is quite a different matter. Likewise, an oversized system can chill the air so much that it doesn't have to run much, making the air stagnant and possibly muggy. Questions asking about how they balance those factors are good for you to understand and for the installer to reflect upon.

Differences: none and probably made by the same, or comprable, manufacturer. 13 SEER is the lowest efficiency HVAC system a contractor can install. There are much better systems out there that would significantly reduce your electric bill. 2 ton or 3 1/2 ton? there is a nameplate on the outdoor unit that will have a model number. Something like xxx24xxx etc,. the 24 means 24,000 BTU/hr or 2 tons (12,000 BTU/hr per ton). I have a freind that has a variable speed system the runs on low speed all the time and he has a $90 electric bill, in FLORIDA! I sell Ameristar and have for several years. Very good equipment almost no warranty work ever needed. A lot depends on your installer and his competence. The problem with both Ameristar and Goodman is that anyone that has a licsence can buy them at the local wholesale shop, that doesn't mean they know what they are doing when it comes to installing them..trust me when I say there is a reason that I get paid 80 bucks an hour to fix those screw ups.