If you are planning to install or replace your AC (air conditioner), it's possible that your mind is filled with different factors to consider such as efficiency and cost. Among all these factors, however, you shouldn't forget one important thing – the size of the AC to install. Both overestimating and underestimating the size of the AC can cause problems for your AC and the comfort of your home.
Problems with Undersized Units
Reduced Energy Efficiency
An AC doesn't run all the time; it runs and actively cools the house until the target temperature is reached, and then it stops. The AC starts running again when the temperature falls below the desired one that you set in the thermostat. If your AC is undersized, then it will take too long to cool your house, which means it will run for a long time and stop only briefly. It may not even stop depending on how undersized it is. This means it will be drawing unnecessarily high electricity, leading to energy inefficiency and its associated high energy bills.
Increased Rate of Wear and Tear
As described above, an underside AC will tend to run all or nearly all the time to keep your house comfortable. Unfortunately, ACs aren't designed to run that way; they should alternate between periods of active cooling and periods of rest. This means your undersized AC will be experiencing a high rate of wear and tear if it is running all the time, and this will lead to frequent breakdowns and a shortened life of the AC.
Problems with Oversized Units
Increased Wear and Tear
While undersized AC will be running nearly all the time, an oversized AC will be stopping nearly all the time. The frequent starting and stopping aren't good for your AC; it accelerates the wear and tear of its different components.
Increased Humidity
A typical AC doesn't just reduce the temperature in your home; it also reduces the humidity to a reasonable level since both are necessary for your comfort. The AC needs to run for a reasonable time to extract the extra humidity from the air. This will not be possible if the AC is oversized since it will be running only for short bursts. This means your house will not be as comfortable as it would have been with the right AC.
It's easy to preempt all these problems by relying on the advice of a professional AC technician when choosing an AC to install. The technician will do their calculations and determine the right AC size for your house. For more information on air conditioning repair, contact your local repair technician today!
Share