No two houses are built the same – therefore it would be foolish to assume that the same type of HVAC unit would fit in all of them. For newer homes, this is not an issue, as they are built with complete awareness of complying to building codes.
However, this might not be the case for older homes, especially those that were constructed before HVACs flooded the market. If you reside in such a home, there could be a chance that your AC unit is not the right size. This could be indicated by the following:
- The rooms in your home are uniformly warm or cool
- Your home is general might not be comfortable, even if your HVAC is running
- Your power bills are generally higher for no apparent reason
If you are facing any one or more of these, even if you have a new and well-functioning HVAC unit, it might be time for you to contact a professional to check the sizing; if it is an emergency then we would suggest contacting a 24/7 Emergency HVAC service. When doing this, there are certain factors that should be taken into account. Below, we shall help you better understand the process of how you can determine the right size HVAC for your house:
Having the right-sized HVAC is of utmost importance for your home – a too large HVAC would be a waste of money and energy. On the flip side, a too-small HVAC would be inefficient to maintain your home’s temperature and humidity levels, and might cause a spike in your electricity bills.
Calculate your BTUs
One key way to avoid such a situation is by calculating your home’s British Thermal Units (BTU) – this is a specific unit for measuring energy that is used to calculate the ideal size for an air conditioning system for any given place. They work by measure the amount of energy require to cool (or for heating!) a pound of water using 1 degree Fahrenheit.
When it comes to BTUs, the best thing to do is to use an HVAC that can service those higher than your home’s requirement – for instance, if your house needs 35,000 BTUs, you should opt for a unit which produces at least 45,000 BTUs – this shall give you the best possible comfort, be easy on your energy bills, and prevent your HVAC from wearing out sooner than intended.
Calculating BTU is fairly easy – you can do it yourself (there is a set formula for this) or use any one of several online calculators available on the web. Simply searching the terms “BTU calculator for HVAC” or something similar should work!
Factor in your climate
HVACs function by keeping the temperature and humidity levels of your home comfortable compared to the atmosphere outside. So, the general type of climate you have would largely determine the size of the HVAC unit you use. If you are living in an area which has mild temperatures, a smaller HVAC unit should work easily. However, if your local climate is one of extremes, it is best to use a larger HVAC.
According to All things HVAC, allthingshvac.online/, margins of error exist… the HVAC unit – and their sizes, are no exception to this. There might be a chance that your existing unit might not be ideal for your home in terms of size. If this is the case for you, you should contact your nearest HVAC technician immediately. These are trained professionals who can help you find the ideal equipment for your house.