Like the porridge in the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, your home needs an air conditioning solution that's just right for its overall size and cooling needs. Choosing anything bigger or smaller than what your home actually needs can have plenty of unwanted consequences, especially when it comes to overall comfort and efficiency. Nevertheless, many homeowners convince themselves to buy A/C systems that are too large or too small for what's actually needed.

The following offers three very good reasons to consider size when choosing your next A/C system:

The Wrong Size Can Make Your Home Uncomfortable

One of the big issues with getting your A/C system's size wrong is that could end up robbing you of your overall comfort. Take an oversized air conditioner, for instance. An oversized A/C unit that offers more cooling performance than your home actually needs can bring indoor temperatures down in a hurry. What it can't do, however, is regulate your home's humidity as well as a properly-sized system can. The end result is an environment that feels clammy and damp.

Meanwhile, undersized A/C systems often struggle to keep the summer heat at bay, resulting in an environment that usually feels a bit too warm in spite of your A/C system's efforts.

Poor Sizing Can Shorten Your Equipment's Lifespan

Undersized A/C systems must run constantly in order to maintain your desired temperatures. For a system that's designed to run periodically, this can add a lot of wear and tear on your blower fan motor, compressor, and other essential A/C components.

For oversized A/C systems, there's the problem of short cycling. This often occurs when the A/C system has to stop and start constantly just to keep temperatures at a particular set point. This can cause plenty of cumulative wear and tear on the compressor and, if left unchecked, lead to an eventual breakdown. Overall, these problems can take years off of your A/C system's lifespan.

Poorly Sized Systems Use More Electricity

Improperly-sized A/C systems also have the tendency to consume more electricity than comparable systems that are correctly sized. As a result, you could end up spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on energy costs throughout the life of your A/C system.

In short, you're better off choosing an A/C system that's just the right size for your home. You can accomplish this by having your HVAC contractor use a Manual J load calculation instead of the traditional rule of thumb. This way, you'll get an accurate picture of your home's cooling needs. 

Contact an air conditioning installation service for more information and assistance. 

Share