If you have grown up hearing that bigger is better, you must be wondering, will a bigger AC unit cool my house better? While a bigger unit might be ideal for other industries, air conditioner repair services providers report that it doesn’t apply with air conditioners.
What are the dangers of having an appliance that is too big?
There are plenty of dangers that come with it:
You spend more on your cooling bills: During summer, you end up spending a lot of money cooling the house. The amount you spend is even higher with an oversized appliance as an oversized air conditioner works harder to cool the house.
You experience increased humidity: When you run an appliance of the right size, the system runs long enough to remove most of the excess humidity from the air. With an oversized air conditioner, the system runs for a few minutes then switches off.
This isn’t long enough to remove humidity; therefore, your house remains humid, which makes the house uncomfortable.
Air conditioner cycles too often: When the air conditioner is functioning optimally, each cycle lasts 7-10 minutes. If a cycle is shorter than this, it’s considered as short cycling. Any time the air conditioner short cycles, you face the danger of the air conditioner overheating.
This is because the air conditioner is overworked during the short cycles due to the constant on/off sequences.
A large appliance has a short lifespan: Due to its overworking, an appliance that is too big tends to have early death due to premature wear and tear. Part of the reason for the premature death is the short cycling we discussed above.
Your home has hot spots: A big air conditioner leads to hot spots or inconsistent cooling. The hot spots occur when cold air doesn’t disperse efficiently enough. Telltale signs of hot spots are some rooms that are cool and comfortable, while others are hot and humid.
The air conditioner tends to be too loud: While you are supposed to hear the air conditioner, the sound is supposed to be white noise. If the unit is too loud such that you have to turn up your television or you have to speak louder for your family members to hear you, you most likely have an oversized unit.
How do you avoid buying an oversized unit?
To avoid buying an air conditioner of the wrong size, you should work with an experienced air conditioning technician. The technician will help you do a load calculation and determine the right size of air conditioner you need.
The professional considers plenty of factors such as:
- Size of each room
- Condition of the air ducts
- Shading around the house
- Insulation
- Building materials
- Home’s orientation towards the sun
- Regional weather conditions
After collecting the information, the technician calculates the recommended tonnage for the new HVAC system.
How do you know you have the right-sized appliance?
If you are new with air conditioners, the only way to know you are using the right appliance is to consult a licensed HVAC professional.
If you are yet to buy the unit, the professional will come to your home, suggest the proper unit and explain the pros and cons of each. It’s after this that you should now make an informed decision.
Is your current AC system oversized?
If you are worried your current appliance is too big, and you aren’t sure about it, you should keep track of how long the unit has been running during a normal cycle. If the appliance is running 10 minutes or less, the appliance is most likely running in short cycles. This can drive up your electrical bill and also add the amount of wear and tear,
You can also use an inexpensive humidity meter to test the level of humidity in your home. If it’s high, your system might be too large.
Conclusion
An oversized air conditioner won’t cool the house faster, so you should avoid it at all costs. If you aren’t sure about the right size of appliance you should go for, ask an air conditioning repair services Vienna VA provider to help you out. The professional will not only help you choose the right sized appliance, but also help you with the installation.
