Everything is good in moderation and that includes your home’s air conditioning system. A unit that’s properly sized to your home’s cooling needs delivers unbeatable home comfort. Unfortunately, contractors often install oversized systems on the mistaken belief that extra capacity is a good thing. Some try to rely on “rule of thumb” instead of properly sizing systems based on the Manual J load calculations, resulting in a system design and installation that’s not right for your home’s needs.
There are a couple of notable consequences to having an oversized unit installed in your home:
- An oversized air conditioner satisfies cooling demands quickly and then shuts off. This causes the unit to cycle on and off constantly to maintain a particular level of home comfort. This causes more wear and tear on the fan motor, compressor and other system components.
- Since the system cycles constantly, it’s never on long enough to properly dehumidify the cooled air. Excess moisture ends up back in the air, causing home comfort issues.
- Oversized air conditioners have a slightly higher energy cost than properly sized systems.
- To get a rough estimate of your current system’s cooling load, all you have to do is see how long it runs under current conditions. Whereas an oversized air conditioner usually shuts off after five to 10 minutes of run time, a properly sized unit will run for over half an hour at design conditions.
Keeping things “just right” when it comes to your air conditioning system is the best policy for maintaining superb home comfort. The next time you need your air conditioner upgraded, be sure your contractor helps you select the right system for your home with the proper load calculation and sizing techniques.
Learn more about the drawbacks of an oversized air conditioner when you contact us at James Lane Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. Homeowners all over Wichita Falls, Graham and Iowa Park know who to turn to for their home comfort needs.
