Many homeowners buy a too-large AC unit because they believe it will cool their home more quickly and efficiently. While bigger is better in some cases, the adage doesn’t apply to your home’s air conditioner. A unit that’s too big for your home can raise your energy bill, while doing a poor job of removing heat and humidity from your home. In this article, you’ll learn what you need to know when hiring Springhill Heating and Cooling to replace your home’s cooling system.
What you Need to Know About Square Footage
Your home’s size is closely related to the size of the AC unit you’ll need. Your AC technician can measure each room, if you’re not up to the challenge. If your rooms are square in shape, simply multiply length and width to get the square footage. When each room’s square footage has been measured, you can move on to the next step: BTU numbers.
Explaining the BTU
A BTU (British Thermal Unit) indicates how much heat it takes to raise the temperature of a pound of water by one degree. The BTU is the unit used to designate cooling capacity of home air conditioning units, and it’s directly proportional to the home’s square footage. If you’re only cooling a small area, you can ask for a smaller air conditioning unit.
Other Factors
While your home’s square footage is the best way to determine what size air conditioner you need, there are other factors to consider when having a unit installed. If your rooms are amply shaded, you can reduce the required cooling capacity by 10%. If your home gets a lot of sunlight, you’ll need a unit with a higher cooling capacity. The size of your household, the traffic through your home, and your home’s windows, doors and ceilings will all play a part in AC unit selection.
Whether you’re installing a central AC unit in a new home, or upgrading your existing home’s Heating and Air Conditioning in Franklin, TN, choosing the right unit is a job for a professional. Your local heating and cooling contractor can recommend a system that’s the right size for your home, and for your budget.
