This year is the year, and you’re finally going to upgrade your home’s air conditioning unit. In fact, you’re going to go the distance and get an even bigger AC unit! Bigger should mean better, right?
Believe it or not, this is not necessarily the case. There are a few reasons why getting your AC unit size just right is important.
Overall Costs of AC Unit Size
The first and most obvious reason not to get an oversized AC unit is that they cost more, and of course, you want to save money, right? A bigger unit costs more to purchase, but you’ll also see increased operating costs. Bigger AC units cost more to run, even if they don’t run for as long. In fact, as we’ll see next, not running for as long can cost you more down the road, too.
Mechanical Wear and Tear
The mechanical wear and tear on the HVAC system is another reason why getting the air conditioning unit size right is so important. Larger AC units may cool your home faster, but that means the cooling cycle will end faster and they will shut down faster – only to cycle back on again before very long. This rapid cycling creates a lot of wear and tear on the system, shortening its life and increasing the maintenance needed to keep it running.
Cooling System Effectiveness
While perfect and even cooling throughout the house is not always possible, an oversized AC unit is bound to make these patterns even worse than before. When a cooling system is too big, it cools the house too rapidly, which results in the system running only for very short periods of time. These short cooling cycles also mean that the system doesn’t have a chance to properly circulate the cool air throughout the house, resulting in some areas being better cooled than others.
AC Dehumidifying
Phoenix AC service professionals deal with this less than those in more humid areas, but it’s still worth mentioning that the shorter air conditioning cycles also result in the AC doing a less effective job of dehumidifying. Moisture is removed from the air when it condenses on the cold evaporator coil, eventually dripping into the drain pan and flowing out of the house. The shorter cycles of an oversized AC unit don’t provide enough time for this to happen effectively or completely.
What Size Air Conditioner Should I Get?
The best way to find out what size air conditioner you need for your home is to call a professional like Day & Night for superior AC installation services in Phoenix, Arizona. We offer free estimates on system replacements inquires. During the assessment, we complete a Manual J calculation on the home to make sure we properly size the system for the customer’s home and temperature requirements. Give us a call today if you’re interested.
