Why A Bigger Unit Is Not Always Better Despite what many believe, installing a bigger air conditioning system does not always equate to a higher comfort level or better performing system. Installing properly sized equipment requires that certain factors be considered.  Jon Wayne comfort advisors understand this and can perform various calculations to build you the perfect cooling system. When considering a new system, your AC contractor should always perform a Manual J Load calculation on your home before recommending new equipment.  Going by the size of the previous system can be unwise as the previous system might not have been calculated properly.  It's also possible that changes to the home have increased or decreased your homes efficiency. Your Jon Wayne comfort advisor will also inspect other aspects of your system including the condition of your ducts and attic insulation.  Dealing with problematic issues in this area will ensure that your new system will operate and peak efficiency and provide you with the most comfortable environment possible.

Problems That Can Occur With Oversized Systemwhat is the best home ac unit to buy The follow are symptoms of systems that were not properly calculated before being installed.correct size ac unit for house As an air conditioning system cools the air in your home, it is also drying the air.  price for a new ac unitHumidity in the air is removed and sent outside which helps you feel more comfortable.  This drying process occurs while your unit is running.  Over-sized units do a great job of pumping a lot of cold air into your home but they do so too quickly, which means your air conditioning system does not run long enough to remove the humidity from the air completely. This leads to a wet, sticky environment which can lead to other problems listed below.

Also keep in mind that oversizing a newer high efficiency system is more likely to create high humidity issues than it did with the older equipment being replaced. High humidity can lead to mold growth in your home.  According to the EPA, the American Medical Association and the American Lung Association, to ensure that mold growth is kept at bay, it is important that indoor humidity levels are kept below 50%.  As we explained in the previous section, an oversized system just can't do that. Those who suffer from allergies are usally also allergic to tiny dust mites and their droppings.  Since dust mites thrive in damp environments, you are more likely to have allergy issues if you have an oversized unit. In addition to poor humidity control, an oversized system will lead to poor air distribution and uneven temperatures throughout your house.  When your air conditioning system short-cycles, the farthest rooms in your home don't get enough cool air because the unit does not run long enough to move all the air through the cooling process.

An oversize unit is more expensive in several ways.  It's more expensive to purchase.  Excessive cycling (the process your unit goes through when it starts and stops each time) is hard on system and can lead to repair issues.  It also takes about 12 minutes for your system to reach its rated efficiency.  You are also likely to lower your thermostat to deal with the excessive humidity.  A smaller AC unit (properly sized for your home) running for longer periods of time will actually use less energy and save you money. Bigger units push around a larger volume of air which is likely to cause your ducts to not be able to handle the increased air flow.  This reduces efficiency and increased noise.  A properly sized unit runs quieter and is much less noticeable. More Breakdowns and Repairs Like any machine, the more often it has to start and stop, the more wear and tear it experiences.  Oversizing your air conditioner will lead to more frequent breakdowns, higher repair bills and a shorter lifespan.

Are you considering a bigger AC unit because some rooms are too hot? The better solution is to have a Jon Wayne Comfort Adviser perform a Complete Home Evaluation to determine the exact cause of the problem and the most economical solutions available.  Special tests like the Blower Door Test and advanced equipment like thermal imaging technology make it possible to properly diagnose these kinds of issues and then resolve them properly.. Does your unit run non-stop? If it does, that's ok if it's really hot or cold outside and your comfortable.  If it's running non-stop and it never seems to get to a temperature you desire, then you may need a larger system.  Again, a Jon Wayne Comfort Advisor will be able to assist you with the process.  They will look for simple issues like improper Freon levels and then inform you of your Repair vs. Replace Options. If you are experiencing these types of problems, you definitely want to have a Jon Wayne Comfort Advisor come to your home and give you a free estimate on what it will take to resolve them.

The Blower Door Test Jon Wayne is proud to be affiliated with these fine organizations: Schedule AC Service NowFor Baltimore resident Katie Myers, living in a home without central air conditioning, even in the mid-Atlantic’s notoriously humid summers, is no reason to lose your cool. “It’s really not an issue,” said the 43-year-old private school teacher. “People have lived without central AC for a very long time, so it’s doable,” she said. To that end, Myers has a set routine since she’s lived in her four-bedroom, one-bathroom single-family house for the last several summers. “We keep the shades and windows shut during the day, and open everything after dark when it cools down,” she said. Myers runs floor fans as they use less electricity than air conditioning and doesn’t cook indoors on the hottest days, only outside on the barbecue grill. She’s also pulled up all her floor coverings in the house. “The hardwood feels cooler than the carpet,” she said.

She has a Plan B for her AC: Myers’ still has just one creaky window AC unit, but she uses it only when she has to. “The house has old wiring so even if I run a window unit I can only run one at a time and the house is so big so it doesn’t help much,” she said. Scott Harris, a 43 year-old public school teacher makes do with much the same in his four-bedroom three-bathroom home, built in 1913 in the Montclair neighborhood of Denver. “We have window units for the two hottest rooms, but we open up everything in the early morning so the house cools off, then shut it all down, close the windows and draw the shades then head to work,” he said. Harris said his electric bill in the summer typically isn’t more than $70 a month, compared with the average electric bill in summer in Denver of $106. To be sure, new construction is making homes without AC a rarity. (Modern AC was developed by Willis Carrier who designed the first AC system in 1902 after observing a misty Pittsburgh train platform that humidity could be controlled by passing air through water to create fog.

Carrier went on to found his self-named company that was later bought by United Technologies ) In 1973, 49% of new homes had no air conditioning, while in 2015, just 7% of new houses have no AC , according to the U.S. Census. Multifamily homes built in 2015 without central AC were slightly higher at 10%. While a wall unit is far less expensive, on average about $300, they can be expensive to run, especially 24 hours a day during the summer months. Depending on your area, running a single 900-watt wall AC unit continuously during the summer months can add about $50 a month to your electricity bill, based on the national average of electricity costs of 12.8 cents a kilowatt/hour. So it’s never a bad idea to learn how to cope just in case your central AC goes out and how to keep your electric bill under control in the summer. To that end, sealing your house in the early morning with cool air is actually the best way to keep the temperature low throughout the day, said Jason Kliwinski, chair of the the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) for New Jersey.

As long as the house is properly sealed, insulated and shades and blinds drawn, the cool air will stay in the house the whole day, Kliwinski said. “It’s like the house taking a giant breath of cool air and holding it in,” he said. Even a 100-plus year-old farmhouse, like architect Jason Kliwinski’s home here in Flemington, N.J., can stay cool without central AC. Kliwinski has to practice what he preaches too. He lives in Flemington, N.J., north of Trenton, in a 106-year old farmhouse with one window AC unit and single-pane uninsulated windows. But with the shades drawn and all exterior openings closed or sealed, he said the temperature in his house never goes above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, even if it’s more than 100 degrees outside. “You need to know how to operate your house to get the best effect,” he said. Ironically, said Kliwinski, outside of double-pane insulating windows and blown insulation in the walls and attic, older homes built before central air conditioning are sometimes better than newer homes when it comes to keeping cool.

For example, many turn-of-the century homes had double-hung windows that allowed cool air to enter at the bottom and hot air to escape at the top, he said. Plaster walls that are often cool to the touch are often far better than drywall for keeping rooms cool, he added. “Drywall lets heat right through it while heat transfer through plaster is very slow,” said Kliwinski. Same too for masonry or brick walls compared to wood shingle or vinyl siding, Kliwinski said. “Using brick or other masonry materials can give a building passive solar qualities,” he said. “Thick enough masonry causes a thermal lag and it takes longer for temperature to transfer through masonry than other materials.” The best-designed houses are ones with the largest windows on the north-south orientation, which let in light, but not heat. Ceiling and attic fans too, which use far less electricity than air conditioners, also help move air, regardless of its temperature. “When you’re moving air, you’re creating an air current and removing sweat from your skin,” Kliwinski said.

Other designs that enhance cooling are those that have courtyards or long-narrow shapes that encourage cross-ventilation, as well as those with high ceilings so that the hot air rises above the living spaces, he said. In addition, the orientation of the house is critical for cooling, Kliwinski said. While being able to watch the sun rise and set from your home might be a plus, picking a house that has a north-south orientation, rather than an east-west orientation, will likely mean lower air conditioning bills. “The wrong orientation can add 20% to 25% to your cooling load,” he said. If your house does have an east-west orientation, ultraviolet (UV) tinting on windows that face the sun as well as well-designed landscaping and tree planting will help lower cooling costs. Kliwinski recommends planting lush trees for the southwest side of the houses allow for shade in the summer and sun in the winter while coniferous trees should be planted on the northeast side of the house to assist with insulating the home.

Scott Harris, the Denver school teacher, counts on one such large tree in his front yard, a 40-foot silver maple leaf, to help cut his cooling costs. “I call it our AC,” he said. In addition, here are some tips from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions of Arlington, Va. for cooling your home without AC: Use a radiant barrier: Shaped like the pitch of a tent covered in reflective foil, the insulation blocks the transfer of heat from the roof and attic into your house and vice versa. If your ductwork is in the attic and insulation is minimal, this barrier can reduce cooling costs by 8% to 12% according to the Florida Solar Energy Center. Add soffit vents or a roof ridge: Proper attic ventilation will also reduce the cost of cooling. Many houses have soffit vents located on the side of roofs that allow air to move and ventilate the space, while a roof ridge creates space at the top of your attic allowing natural air to flow in and out. Build a trellis: Horizontal trellises for east and west-facing windows and vertical trellises with climbing foliage can all block summer sun.