What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need in My Home?

Choosing an air conditioner for your home is a little more complicated than just going with the cheapest unit or picking one that you think will look nice in the backyard. To select the right unit, the one that will cool your home effectively and efficiently, you need to consider the type of cooling system you need, the kind of AC unit that will work in your home, and more importantly than you may have realized, the right size for your home.

Room Units vs. Central Air Conditioning

Your first choice may be whether you want to install a room unit, an air conditioner that cools just one room, or central air, the large unit that sits outside and cools the entire home. If it is only important to you to have one or two rooms cooled, window or other small room units may be all you need. They are easier to install and cheaper. On the other hand, although there is a greater cost up front, if you want to cool your whole home efficiently, a central unit is your best bet in the long run.

Finding the Right Size Air Conditioner for the Whole Home

When choosing an AC for central cooling, size matters. A unit that is too small will struggle to cool the entire house, will run constantly as it tries to keep up, and ultimately will cost you more money in energy bills. With a unit that is too large, the air in your home will cool down quickly and the system will shut off early. This means that the structure of your home won’t have time to cool sufficiently and heat and humidity will quickly creep back in.

BTUs and Other Factors

The size of your home alone should not determine the size of air conditioner you need. To get the best and most efficient system, you need to look at the BTU rating on units, which tells you about its cooling capacity. You also need to consider factors in your home like insulation, sun exposure and shade, the quality of your windows, and how many people live in the home. All of these determine how many BTUs you need and the size of unit that will best suit your home.

Choosing a new air conditioner unit is not as straightforward as you may have assumed. It takes a lot of knowledge about size, cooling capacity, and all the individual factors in your home to make a good choice. Let a professional from Brody Pennel help you pick the perfect AC unit for your home and for more expert information on everything HVAC, keep following the Brody Pennel blog.