Springtime is officially here, and soon enough temperatures will start soaring. This means you want to make sure that your air conditioner is well prepared for the heat. In most cases, this means ensuring that you have professional maintenance done. Maintenance allows our technicians to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust components of your cooling system. All of this helps it work as effectively and efficiently as possible!
In some cases, though, this is the time of year that homeowners realize they need a new air conditioner. If you’re one of these folks, you may be tempted to go out and buy the biggest air conditioner you can find within your budget.
We really want to discourage you from doing this though, as bigger does not always equal better. In fact, an air conditioner that’s too large can be more detrimental to system efficiency than one that’s too small. And that’s what you should know about central AC installation—that size matters!
Read on to learn more.
When an Air Conditioner Is Too Small
As you probably already understand, an undersized air conditioner, also referred to as an underpowered air conditioner, won’t be able to keep up with the desired temperature on your thermostat. As a result, your air conditioner will be forced to run longer than it should have to, and therefore inefficiently. This will create exacerbated wear and tear and even shorten the lifespan of the system.
Additionally, an undersized air conditioner simply can’t keep your household comfortable as you would like. During one of the hottest days of the year—of which we have a lot of around here—you probably get why this is problematic. It’s best to ensure that you have a properly sized air conditioner installed. But like we said above, bigger isn’t necessarily better!
When an Air Conditioner Is Too Big
An oversized—a.k.a overpowered—air conditioner is a problem that not many homeowners are familiar with. Sure, you might think that an oversized air conditioner is better at keeping a household cooled down, but it actually will operate quite inefficiently. This is because optimal AC efficiency occurs through continued operation and regular cycles.
When a cooling system is too large for the home, the desired temperature on your thermostat will be reached too fast, before your system even has the opportunity to complete a full cooling cycle. This problem is known as short-cycling.
Short-cycling isn’t something you ever want your air conditioner (or heater) to go through. Not only is this inefficient, but it also causes strain on the system and exacerbates wear and tear. The only way to “fix” this kind of problem—that is, short-cycling due to incorrect system sizing—is to replace the system altogether—which is understandably a premature expense you don’t want to incur if unnecessary, right?
When you’re reading for your air conditioner installation, look no further than our team. We’ll help you not only size it correctly, but ensure that a central AC system is the right choice for your home.
For expert service on your central air conditioning in St. Augustine, FL, contact Climate Masters! Serving St. Johns County since 1988 with quality, hometown service.
