Sizing your central air conditioning unit can be one of the most frustrating parts of the process of installing a new air conditioner. Customers that solicit price quotes from multiple companies are routinely given different sizing recommendations and different reasonings for those sizes. So how are you supposed to know what size air conditioner you actually need? I’ll give you some simplified guidelines for how central air conditioning units are sized here in Denver, but... The bottom line is that it’s not your responsibility to try and figure out what size your central air conditioner should be. Find a company you can trust, make sure they offer 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee in writing, and let them take responsibility for sizing the unit properly! The company you choose to install your new ac unit will use a long-form calculation called a Manual J Load Calc to determine the optimal size of your new unit. But it’s understandable to want a general idea of the approximate size your central air conditioner should be without going to an engineering class, and that’s actually a pretty simple equation.

Here in Denver, you can get a rough approximation of how many tons your central air conditioner should be by dividing the square footage of your home by 600. It’s important that you not include any square footage in the basement in this calculation, regardless of whether your basement is finished or not. Dividing your home’s square footage by 600 does not work for homeowners outside the metro Denver area. The 600 figure is higher than the figure that would be used in other parts of the country because it has been adjusted upwards to account for Denver’s higher altitude. Approximate Sizing Equation For Central Air Conditioners In Denver Example: 1,500 s.f. / 600 = 2.5 ton ac unit 1,800 s.f / 600 = 3 ton ac unit 2,100 s.f. / 600 = 3.5 ton ac unit 2,400 s.f. / 600 = 4.0 ton ac unit Over 2,4000 s.f. / 600 = 5.0 ton ac unit Newer, more energy efficient homes can sometimes require slightly smaller units than the approximate sizing equation would suggest, but that depends on a number of factors related to the construction and style of home.

Please keep in mind, this gives you a general approximation on sizing for your air conditioner. Your heating and air company should attempt to fine-tune the size by performing a Manual J Load Calc. cheap ac repair chicagoThe load calculation may confirm that your home needs the same size as the Approximate Sizing equation produced, or it could indicate that you need a slightly smaller size.ac unit for semi If you are given a quote that recommends installing an ac unit that is more than 1/2 ton smaller than what the approximate sizing equation suggests, and that quote does not include a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee, you are taking a huge risk. what to do if your ac unit freezes upIt’s pretty rare that a load calculation will suggest installing a unit that is more than 1/2 ton smaller than the size you’ll get from the approximate sizing equation, but if it happens, you’ll want the contractor to make sure you have sufficient return air to handle the extra cooling capacity.

To be honest, allowing any company that doesn’t offer a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee in writing to install your new air conditioner is like rolling the dice. You have to cross your fingers and hope that they will install the correct size ac unit, as well as doing a good job on the installation itself. Without that 100% money-back guarantee you are basically on your own if there’s a problem. If you haven’t read it yet, check out our blog post titled How Does Size Affect The Cost Of A Central Air Conditioning Unit?What size central air conditioning systemis recommended for 1200 square feet? A 1200 square foot home needs a 23,000 BTU central air conditioning system. It is very important to choose the correct capacity air conditioning system for a home. How can you estimate the cost of installing central air conditioning? What is an air conditioning condenser? How does central heating work? Air conditioners are designed to remove both heat and humidity from the air.

Many people buy an air conditioner that is much too large, thinking it will cool their house faster and therefore use less energy; however, this is not the case. An air conditioner that is too large will use more energy, and although it may cool the room more quickly, it will not remove all of the humidity in the room. If the proper size air conditioner is selected for a home, the energy bill will be lower and a house will be more comfortable. Where are the costs associated with installing a home air conditioning system? As of February 2015, the average cost of installing a home air conditioning system is between $4,000 and $6,000. This includes expenses such as labor costs... What is an air-handler system? An air handler system is part of a building or home's central heating, ventilating and air conditioning system and manages the circulation of air inside an... What is forced air? Forced air systems provide heating and air conditioning to a home using a system of ducts with air as the transfer medium.

These systems have a blower that... Where can you find the top-rated furnaces? Does Duke Energy offer rebates on HVAC installations? Where can you download a maintenance manual for a Williams furnace? How do you get manuals for Bryant furnaces? Where can you purchase a home hot water boiler? Do air purifiers work?Central Air Conditioning Unit Size (AC) Determining the Right Central Air Conditioning Size (AC) Air conditioner size is rated using the number of BTU's or British Thermal Units of heat that it can remove per hour. (1 BTU is the amount of energy to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.) You may also hear ac size referred to in "tons" which is the equivalent of 12,000 BTU's. (12,000 BTU's is the amount of energy required to melt 1 ton of ice in one day.) An average central air conditioner size would be between 3-6 ton or 36,000 - 72,000 BTU's/hr. Note: the size or capacity is not directly related to how efficient an air conditioner is.

In order to determine the correct size of central air conditioner for your home you must consider: Age and size of your home How many windows and size of the windows in your home Level of insulation your home has Level of shade that falls on your house walls, windows and roof Direction that your home faces While the above may seem like overkill it really isn't, here's why. In order for your ac unit to work as efficiently as possible it must be carefully sized to your specific house and environment. Installing an air conditioner that is too small will result in: Increased energy bills since the unit must run additional hours trying to keep up with the heat of the house. A home that is not comfortable since the unit is unable to cool quickly enough to "get on top" of the heat. If you install a central air conditioner that is too large the unit will cycle (turn off and on) too often which will result in: Less humidity being taken out of he air in the house.