AIR CONDITIONING SIZING
Why it matters
CORRECTLY SIZING A UNIT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU MAY REALISE.
You need your air conditioner to have enough cooling power to keep your home at the right temperature, but an AC that is too powerful cause long term and efficiency problems.
WHEN AN AIRCONDITIONER IS TOO SMALL
​AC options that are too small for the space may seem like a cost-effective idea at first, however they will fail to meet the related cooling or heating needs.
The AC unit will work endlessly to try to reach the desired cooling or heating temperature, which it might not ever reach. This results in producing uneven air distribution, and the possibility of hot spots. The AC unit running longer than it should and in constant operation this will not only age and damage the
system rapidly, waste energy, but produce higher than expected energy bills!
WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS TOO BIG
It may seem odd that an oversized air conditioner can present problems. Why not just turn the fan speed down?
See how an oversized HVAC installation could produce any of these issues.
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Too Hot or Too Cold Air
An HVAC system with excess capacity can heat or cool your space faster but may do so producing unevenly distributed hot or cool air spots.
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Shorter Cycling Issues
Oversized HVAC units blast your space with cool or hot air instead of cooling or heating it gradually. The temperature yo-yos up and down causing your HVAC system to start up and shut down in quick succession,
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Shorter Lifespan and higher energy bills
A correctly cared for and sized AC unit will last 15-20 years. Unfortunately, oversized AC units do not make it that long usually due to the short cycling issues.
WHAT SIZE DO I NEED?
How are heating and cooling systems are measured?
AC furnaces are typically measured in British thermal units, or BTUs for short. This measurement basically describes the amount of work needed to raise the temperature of a pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, air conditioners are usually rated in tons, with a single ton of nominal cooling equaling 12,000 BTUs. A 4-ton A/C unit produces approximately 48,000 BTUs of cooling capacity.
Every space requires a particular amount of heating and cooling capacity for optimal comfort.
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See the BTU calculator guide below to gain more of an understanding
BTU size calculator
We recommend that you buy an Air Conditioner with a minimum of 8000 BTUs, as this is the minimum required to cool a small room (340sq.Ft 18sq.m)
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Medium rooms (450sq. Ft 37sq.m) need around 10,000 BTUs and larger rooms and office spaces (700sq.Ft. 55sq.m) require around 14000 BTUs.
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Two or more Air Conditioners may be used together if your requirements are over 15,000BTUs.
The guide is based upon a room with two windows, a door and 8ft ceiling. Other variables would also need to be considered, e.g large windows, sky light, room use and number of occupants etc..
