Getting a New Air Conditioner? Size Your Home First

This is the right time of year to replace an older air conditioning system with a new one. The winter cold is fleeing here in Oregon City, OR and other nearby towns, but temperatures are still pretty cool and chances are you won’t need your air conditioner on a regular basis for a couple of months. That gives you lots of time to properly plan for a new air conditioning installation, including selecting a model and evaluating its features. Among the most important considerations during this process is sizing the new air conditioner’s power levels to make sure it fits your home. A trained technician can help you with the ins and outs.

Why Is Sizing Important?

Most people understand that an underpowered air conditioner is a problem: it will run constantly and drive up monthly bills (as well as the risk of repairs) without adequately cooling the home. What most people don’t understand is that something similar happens when the air conditioners is overpowered. It engages in short cycling: turning on and off at rapid intervals since it cools the home too quickly. Air conditioners use much more power starting up and shutting down, which is why short cycling is such a problem. You want your new system to run for at least 15 minutes at a clip before shutting down, which means its power levels need to match the size of your home.

What Factors Are Involved in Sizing?

A trained expert will check your home and determine the right power levels that your air conditioner needs to have. The formula is complicated, and while square footage is the start of the equations, it’s far from the end. Kitchens space, for instance, matters more because kitchens tend to generate more heat. You also need to factor in insulation levels, sunlight exposure, cross breezes and the number of additional stories, among other things.

The Clean Air Act, Inc. can help you select and install a new air conditioner!

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