Air Conditioner Size: Things Every Homeowner Should Know

You’d be surprised how many people have the wrong size air conditioner in their homes. They aren’t a one-size-fits-all type of appliance. You should know exactly what you need in order to save money on your electric bill and cool your house in the most efficient way possible.

Keep reading because, in this guide, we’ll share six key facts about air conditioner size that every home or property owner should know.

What is the Proper Air Conditioner Size for Your Home?

When it comes to your central air unit or window AC, bigger does not always mean better. This is because ACs are measured by British thermal units or Btu for short. Btu measured the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of water.

Essentially, it is the power level of the appliance. The higher the Btu rating, the more energy the air conditioner expends to remove heat. Using Btus, you can calculate the size and performance rating you need in an air conditioner.

Air Conditioner Size and the Size of Your Home

Your cooling needs are reliant on a few different factors. The most important one is the size of the room you are trying to cool down. To properly measure this, you should measure the room the air conditioner unit is in and convert it to square feet.

If the room is 100 to 150 square feet, the typical size of a small bedroom or kitchen, you’ll need an air conditioner with a Btu rating of 5,000.

Your energy needs can be adjusted depending on things such as how much of the room is in shade, how many people occupy the room, and the use of the room the AC is in.

An HVAC specialist can help you determine your needs and find the best air conditioner for you.

Troubleshooting

If your current cooling system isn’t performing the way it should be, you could have a few potential issues on your hands. Here are two common problems:

An Oversized Air Conditioner

Buying an AC unit with a high Btu rating than you need may seem like a good idea. However, it won’t actually help cool down things any quicker than an average-sized unit. In fact, you could run into a few issues with an oversized unit.

  • You could see a significant spike in your energy bills
  • The unit will not remove moisture from the air efficiently
  • It may automatically shut off soon after you turn it on, causing wear and tear on the machine

An Undersized Air Conditioner

Similar to an oversized unit, an undersized unit poses problems as well. If your air conditioner is too small, you may notice these issues:

  • The unit is always on but the house is never quite cool
  • Airflow is reduced
  • Temperatures fluctuate widely throughout your home
  • Your energy bills are higher

A properly sized AC is the proper way to go.

Beat the Heat

Don’t suffer in the heat and humidity. Finding out the correct air conditioner size for your home is your key to comfort. If you need help installing the best AC unit, we here at A1 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning have you covered.

Our HVAC technicians are experts in all areas of maintenance, repair, and installation. If you’re in the Jasper and The Great Lakes, TX area, schedule with us today.