With summer officially here, we’re going to assume that if you’ve come upon a blog post about AC installation, you’re likely in a bit of a rush to get one in your home. Maybe your old system broke down, or perhaps you’ve never had central air conditioning and have decided to make the upgrade. Either way, we commend your decision—but do want to discourage you from rushing!
The thing is, too many homeowners rush into their air conditioner purchases and/or installation without really thinking through all the considerations there are to make. The AC you choose should perfectly fit your home and specific needs. Without adequate installation, you could wind up with an air conditioner that works inefficiently throughout its entire lifespan, breaks down early, or has numerous repair issues.
There’s one factor in particular that’s missed when homeowners don’t invest in professional AC installation. That’s the size of their air conditioner and the difference that makes to efficiency and performance. Read on to learn more!
Why an AC Must Be Correctly Sized
Properly sizing a new air conditioner involves balancing its power levels against the needs of your home. Whether your air conditioner is too small (underpowered) or too big (overpowered), it will not work the way it’s meant to unless it fits just right.
You can probably guess what the problem is with an underpowered system. It simply will not be able to cool down your home enough, but will keep running as it tries to meet the desired temperature on your thermostat. Air conditioners aren’t meant to run for this long, therefore this will expedite wear and tear on the system, leading to excessive repair needs and eventually a premature breakdown.
But an overpowered system is just as harmful to efficiency and AC operations! There is actually such thing as cooling down a home too fast. Air conditioners use the largest amount of energy cycling on, and cycling off. They use more energy during these two times than they do simply running. Your cooling system also undergoes a lot more wear and tear this way. Ideally, a cooling system should run in 15-minute increments.
When an AC system is overpowered, it will shut off and turn on in rapid succession—a process known as short-cycling. What happens is the air conditioner cools the home too fast and shuts off, only to turn on again a few minutes later due to the resting heat in your living space. This is hard on the air conditioner and will raise your monthly energy bills higher than they should be as your air conditioner consumes excessive energy.
An incorrectly sized cooling system will shorten that system’s lifespan, which means you’ll find yourself purchasing a new air conditioner sooner than you would have had to otherwise.
DB Heating & Cooling, Inc serves the heating and cooling needs of customers throughout Rockland County, NY as well as Bergen County, NJ and surrounding communities. You can count on us for expert services. Contact us today for professional AC installation in Bergen County, NJ.