One of the most common questions asked when installing a new air conditioner is, ‘what sized air conditioner or heating do I need?’ When you ask this question to a HVAC professional, you will usually get an answer with terms such as weather, load factor, home size, etc. Read on to gain an understanding of what these terms mean, how an HVAC size matters, and how they apply to your home. Calculating the right size equipment for your air conditioner is not easy. There are a number of factors involved including room size, ceiling height, number of windows, thickness of your walls, insulation, etc. These are the house factors. Another important factor to consider is the environment you live in. Each part of US is broken by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration into zones that require what is called Cooling Degree Days, and Heating Degree Days. Degree–days are climate metrics that can be used to project the energy demand required for space heating as outdoor temperatures change from reference temperatures.

The reference temperature used is 65 degrees F or 18 degrees C. Each of these zones needs different sizes of air conditioning or heating. On a broad scale, these can be slotted into a table that shows the square foot range by climate zone. This table is meant to give you a quick and broad idea of the size that is needed for your heating or cooling depending upon where you live in the US. For example, an home in NY will need a completely different size as compared to a home of the same size in San Jose, CA. HVAC is not an one size fits all business. The multiple factors we discussed before have a direct bearing on the performance of heating and cooling systems. So what happens if I have larger or smaller unit? Let’s consider a car. Take a car that is meant to carry 5 people and 100 pounds of baggage. What happens when you stuff ten people in the car and load it with 500 pounds of baggage? First, every person travelling will be uncomfortable and, two, the engine will be strained beyond it’s capacity.

An air conditioning or heating system that is too large for your house will be inefficient and an overkill. It is like using a bus to transport just 3 or 4 people. Some disadvantages of an unit that is too large are: A unit that is too small is like the overcrowded car with too many people and baggage. Some disadvantages of an HVAC unit that is too small for your home are: A right sizeed HVAC system is ideal in terms of performance, efficiency, energy consumption and your comfort level with the following advantages: As we said earlier, there are a number of factors that determine size. Let’s review the most important factors: The methods used for calculating the size is straight forward. At the same time, based on the high energy efficiency of modern heating and AC units, these calculations have become quite complicated. Professional HVAC consultants, such as the Peirce energy experts found right here, are trained to do these calculations day in and day out. Many of our contractors use a computer based program that has been designed and matured by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).

The program is called the Manual J Residential Load Calculations.who fixes window ac units If you live in Pennsylvania, call your nearest Peirce Phelps dealer. 3 ton ac unit for what size homeEach dealer on this site has been thoroughly trained to determine the best unit for home owners, and is an authorized dealer of Carrier heating and cooling systems, manufacturers of the new Variable Speed air conditioning and heat pump units. cost of home ac unitsThe Carrier Variable Speed (VS) units are smaller, quieter and more efficient. These units are available in sizes that will be ideal for you home. Use the services of our dealers to identify and install a right heating or air conditioning system for your home. Click on the Dealer Locator, and learn more about these revolutionary HVAC systems, and how smaller can be better for your home!

Your air conditioning system is among your home’s biggest energy guzzlers. So when it comes to cutting your monthly energy bills – especially in the summer – maximizing savings in your home cooling system is a great place to start. If you’re considering a high-efficiency A/C upgrade or a new cooling system for your home (if your A/C is more than 10 years old, it might be time to do that), you’ll need to take into account efficiency, size, and other factors when making your buying decision. SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the measure of an air conditioner’s efficiency rating. Think of SEER as you would think of MPG in your car: the higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit is. Today’s new home cooling systems are required by law to have a SEER rating of at least 13 (most the central air conditioning models we offer have SEER ratings between 16 and 20, but some of our ductless models go even higher). If your older A/C unit has a SEER rating of 8 (as many older units do), it will use double the energy to produce the same amount of cold air as a similarly sized unit with a SEER rating of 16.

Of course, higher SEER units cost more. Prices increase by about 8-10 percent for every 1-point increase in SEER on a similar-sized unit by the same manufacturer, so you have to consider the “payback period” for the unit. A typical 18 SEER central air conditioner will have a payback period of about 3 years over a 14 SEER model. Also remember that SEER only measures the efficiency of the air conditioner – it doesn’t take into consideration how well your home is insulated, the condition of your ductwork, or other factors that affect cooling. According to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), a properly sized air-conditioning system can reduce energy usage by up to 35 percent. If a unit is too big, it will also cost more and won’t do as good a job dehumidifying the air in your home. Determining the right size for you A/C unit isn’t just about calculating how much air you need to cool. Climate, the style of your home, the number of windows, the amount of insulation and shade and other factors all affect the size of the unit needed.