Is Your Air Conditioner Size Right for Your Kansas City Home?
August 23, 2023
Unless you had your home built from the ground up or have had a new air conditioner installed since you purchased your Kansas City home, you probably aren’t really sure if your cooling system is the right size for your needs. At Hamilton Plumbing, Heating, A/C, Rooter, we know that having a system that’s either too big or too small can impact your family’s comfort, as well as your bank account.
Could your air conditioner be oversized? Here’s what you may notice if your A/C is too large for your needs.
Indoor air is humid. Today’s air conditioners not only cool your home, but remove humidity from the air as well. If your system “short cycles” (which we describe below), it may not run long enough to lower humidity levels.
Short cycling. It seems that if your air conditioner only runs for a short period of time and shuts off, that’s a good thing, right? Not necessarily. A unit that is oversized will reach the desired temperature set on the thermostat because it pumps out too much air too quickly.
Shortened life expectancy. Because an oversized air conditioner short cycles, or kicks on and off too often, it causes wear and tear to your cooling equipment. This will substantially shorten the life expectancy of your unit, and result in higher energy costs. Generally speaking, if your air conditioner runs for less than 10 minutes on a hot day before shutting off, it may be too big for your home.
Could your A/C system be too small for your home?
Absolutely, especially if it's an older model. A unit that is not big enough for your home will struggle to keep up with your desired temperature, meaning it will run constantly. While it may make you feel nice and cool (or not, if it’s way too small for your needs), the costs to cool your home could be astronomical, as you can imagine when a cooling system runs all day long.
Ultimately, it’s better to have an air conditioning system that is slightly undersized than one that is oversized, as an oversized cooling system operates in short bursts, and does not have the opportunity to remove humidity from the air in your home. With an oversized unit you will be less comfortable, feel the humidity or “stickiness” in the air that your system fails to remove, and pay higher utility costs.
There are several factors that work to determine the proper air conditioner size air conditioner including the area or square footage of your home to be cooled, which way windows face, type and amount of insulation in your attic and walls, height of the ceilings, and more.
Whether you need to have your cooling system checked or your air conditioner repaired out or are in need of installation of a new system, count on Hamilton Plumbing, Heating, A/C, Rooter for unsurpassed products, quality, and service! Call us today at (913) 227-4943 or schedule your service online!