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When installing an HVAC system in your home, it is important to consider your overall heating and cooling needs to determine the correct HVAC size. If your HVAC is incorrectly sized for your specific home, it might not regulate temperature well enough to heat and cool the space effectively. Choosing an HVAC system size that is appropriate for the whole house is an important consideration for homeowners.
Before installing a new HVAC system in your home, you need to determine how large or small the residential heating and cooling equipment needs to be for your space. To understand this, you need to speak with your HVAC installation contractor; an experienced, competent contractor can calculate the cooling and heating capacity needed to keep homeowners comfortable. Several factors must be considered when looking for a properly sized HVAC system—the height of the ceilings in your home, the type of insulation used, and the number of windows will impact your options, as well as the orientation of your home, the surface color of your roof, and even the occupancy. You and your contractor will be able to determine the correct size to bring about the most comfortable interior temperature and humidity level and to save on HVAC operating costs, as the size of your HVAC system is key for physical comfort and energy efficiency.
MAKING THE CALCULATIONS
The size of a heating or cooling unit is determined by calculating the rate at which the unit supplies heating or cooling; heating “size” is presented as British Thermal Units per hour (BTU/h); while cooling “size” is presented as tons, where 1 ton is equal to 12,000 BTU/h. Your contractor should offer to perform these calculations as a service, or defer to calculations made by your local utility company (if that is an option in your area) because it is done via a complex professional process called a Manual J.
WHAT DOES SIZE HAVE TO DO WITH EFFICIENCY?
A correctly sized HVAC unit will be efficient, which means it will save you money in operating costs; when its size is based on the professional calculation process in combination with any efficiency measures integrated into the home (e.g. solar panels, upgraded windows, etc.) will optimize your savings. If your HVAC system is oversized, not only will initial costs be higher, but costs over time also will increase. An oversized system regulates the ambient air temperature quickly but does not decrease humidity well because the system runs for a short time; and adjusting the thermostat so that it runs for a longer period to address the humidity problem decreases the overall efficiency, resulting in greater utility bill charges. If your system is too small, it will not be able to effectively regulate the temperature throughout the home in general.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Having an HVAC system that is sized incorrectly can lead to various negative issues. The issues of poor temperature and humidity regulation and excess costs arise from oversizing, while general ineffectiveness results from having an undersized system. A correctly sized HVAC system will eliminate these issues, allowing you to be comfortable and to lower your utility bill.
The Coolest is an Austin-based HVAC service and installation company, with experienced HVAC technicians committed to providing excellent customer service as efficiently and effectively as possible. Contact The Coolest via their website or by phone at 512-468-6140 for more information about the most appropriate HVAC system size for your home, or for answers to any other questions you have regarding the options you have for heating and cooling your home.
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