How Do You Find The Best Air Conditioner Size For Your Home?

You are planning on investing in a new central air conditioner for your home, and you know about what your options are as far as types. The only problem is, you are not exactly sure how to figure out what size air conditioner you need to efficiently keep your house cool and comfortable. If all the labels on BTUs and cooling capabilities leave you feeling a bit confused, don't get overwhelmed; this stuff can be a little hard to understand. Here is a little guidance to help you better narrow down the right size air conditioning unit for your home. 

A/C Units Are Measured in Tons 

This part will sound a little strange when you first see it listed on a home system. If you find an air conditioner that is advertised as a one-ton model, you may feel a little puzzled about how that ton applies to your house. What this actually is referring to is how much thermal energy the unit is capable of removing from your home in one hour. A one-ton A/C can actually remove 12,000 BTUs of thermal energy from a space in an hour. What are BTUs? BTU stands for British Thermal Units. The larger your house is, the more BTUs there will be to be removed in a given hour, so you will need a larger system. 

General Temperature Is Important

Just because you have a huge space to cool, it will not always mean you need the largest system to accommodate your desires. There is one other big factor to consider: the general temperature of the space without air conditioning. For example, if you have a large basement that will need to be cooled, the basement probably already stays at a lower temperature than the upper floors, so the largest system will not really be all that necessary. 

Consider Home Layout 

The layout of your home can also affect the size of the A/C that you need to keep it cool. If you have a sprawling house with an odd layout that has many sanctioned off rooms, floors, and areas, you are probably going to need a rather large and powerful system even if you do not have a large amount of floor space. On the other hand, a larger home that is more open in its design may not have to have such a large system to keep it at a comfortable temperature. 

Contact a service, like Dependable Heating & Cooling, for more help.

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