Your Oversized Air Conditioner: When Bigger Isn't Better

Your Oversized Air Conditioner: When Bigger Isn’t Better

When you’re having a new air conditioner installed, there is much to consider including the brand, price and size you want for your home. However, you should not fall into the trap of thinking that bigger is better. In fact, oversized air conditioners can cost you more both upfront and in the long run. This is why it’s important to take the appropriate steps to accurately size your air conditioner before you spend money on something that will ultimately disappoint you.

Interfering With Your Comfort Level

In addition to helping you maintain an ideal temperature within your home, your A/C provides dehumidification. It accomplishes this by condensing moisture on the evaporator coil and then expelling it outside through a drip pan and drain underneath. An oversized air conditioner cannot cycle long enough to properly remove condensation from the air. Instead, it evaporates and re-enters your airspace. As a result, an oversized air conditioner will struggles to dehumidify your home, making it feel warmer and more uncomfortable.

Shortened Lifespan

The number one problem that causes HVAC equipment to wear out long before its time is the process of constantly shutting down and starting up. An oversized air conditioner will meet any thermostat set-point faster than smaller systems, and because of this over-efficiency, they are far worse at simply coasting to maintain a constant temperature. The frequent cycling wears out components much faster than with a properly sized A/C.

The Bottom Line

A correctly sized system will save you money on your monthly energy bills and as long as it’s maintained properly, give you a longer service life. Meanwhile, you will save a lot upfront on installation, as well, since smaller systems cost less than larger ones. To get the right-sized A/C for your household, a trusted professional should conduct a proper load calculation to determine the precise cooling load for your home.

By contacting the pros at Ernst Heating and Cooling, you will have the benefit of dealing with experienced professionals who have been serving customers in the Metro-East area since 1951 and can help you enjoy a more comfortable home. We serve many communities including Hamel, Edwardsville, Troy and Bethalto.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamel, Alton, Glen Carbon, Highland, Greenville, and Troy, Illinois and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about oversized air conditioners and other HVAC topics, visit our blog. 

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