You wouldn’t purchase shoes that are too small or large for you—the same idea applies to purchasing an AC unit. If your air conditioner is too small or large for your home, you’ll experience discomfort, poor cooling, and uneven temperatures.
You can’t relax in uncomfortable shoes, and you certainly can’t relax with an uncomfortable air conditioner—especially in Las Vegas, where functional cooling is worth its weight in gold. Choosing a properly sized air conditioner will ensure your home stays cool and energy efficient.
Since 2016, BEST Air Conditioning Plumbing Repair has helped Las Vegas residents choose the perfect AC units for their homes. Our award-winning team works with you to increase home comfort, lower energy bills, and prevent system shutdowns.
When thinking about purchasing a new air conditioner, your first question should be, “What size AC unit do I need?” We’ll answer this question and more in the following blog.
Why AC Size Matters for Comfort and Efficiency
Choosing the right AC size is highly important. An improperly sized AC unit will raise energy bills, have a short lifespan, and struggle to cool your home. It makes sense to assume that bigger = better. That would mean more cooling power, right? This is not the case. Let’s look at the shortcomings of AC units that are too small or large.
When Your Air Conditioner is Too Small
An undersized air conditioner will struggle to keep up with your home’s cooling demands. Your unit will constantly be overworked, leading to high utility bills, uneven cooling, and a shorter lifespan.
When Your Air Conditioner is Too Large
Oversized air conditioners constantly cycle on and off because they reach the desired temperature too quickly. Overcycling causes excess wear on your system and wastes energy. This leads to high maintenance costs, excessive humidity, and frequent breakdowns.
Understanding Cooling Capacity: What Tonnage Means for Your AC
You may have heard the term “tonnage” when talking with an HVAC professional or doing online research. But what does it mean? Tonnage may sound like the weight of an AC unit, but this isn’t the case. Tonnage measures the amount of heat an air conditioner removes from a home each hour.
Tonnage is measured with British thermal units (BTUs). 12,000 BTUs = one ton of cooling power. This means that a 3-ton AC unit would remove 36,000 BTUs of heat from your home per hour. An HVAC professional from BEST can determine your required tonnage by measuring your home size and analyzing other home comfort factors.
Selecting the Right HVAC System for Your Home
Three main types of HVAC systems can be installed in your home: split-system ACs, ductless systems, and packaged units.
Split systems are the most common type of cooling system, using an indoor and outdoor unit to balance your cooling costs and efficiency. Ductless systems are commonly used to cool small areas of a home, giving homeowners unparalleled customization options if they have multiple systems. Packaged units are directly connected to ductwork, being a great choice for homes with limited space for large systems.
Determine the Best Type of Air Conditioner for Your Home
Talk with an HVAC professional to determine which type of air conditioner is best for your home. Most homeowners opt for a split-system unit, but if customization is important to you, a ductless system might be a great fit. If you have a smaller home with limited HVAC space, a packaged unit might be best.
Assess the HVAC Size You Require Based on Ratings
Once you have a system in mind, you must know how to determine the size of your heating and air conditioning system. You should start by familiarizing yourself with two types of ratings: seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) and British thermal units per hour (BTUh).
What is a SEER Rating?
SEER ratings divide an AC unit’s average cooling capability by the amount of energy it uses. Lower energy usage = a higher SEER rating. High-efficiency units may reach up to 25 SEER or more, but the average SEER rating is between 15 and 20. SEER ratings are not 100% accurate, as they represent a unit’s highest possible efficiency.
What is a BTUh rating?
A BTUh rating measures how much heat your AC unit removes from your home each hour. Air conditioner tonnage ratings increase by increments of 0.5, typically maxing out at 5 tons. For example, a 1,000 sq. foot home may require an air conditioner with a tonnage of 1.5 or 2.
Consider an Energy Audit and Perform a Manual J Calculation
BEST Air Conditioning Plumbing Repair can perform a home energy audit and Manual J calculation for you. This inspection determines your home energy needs, taking the following into account:
- Your home’s square footage
- The quality of your insulation and ductwork
- Your home’s construction materials
- How many people live in your home
- Number of windows and doors in your home
Compare Your Home’s Size with an HVAC Sizing Chart
An easy way to learn your AC unit’s recommended tonnage is to compare it with your home’s square footage. Looking at a chart is helpful, but exact measurements can only be made by an HVAC professional.
This H3 probably requires an HVAC sizing chart
How to Calculate the Ideal AC Size for Your Home
You can make a DIY estimate of the ideal AC size for your home, but air conditioning unit sizes depend on specific factors that can only be measured by an HVAC professional. A professional technician will look at your home’s square footage first, but they will also consider the following:
- Las Vegas’s climate challenges
- How sunny or shaded a room is
- If your AC unit will be used in a kitchen
- Where the unit will be installed
Contact BEST Air Conditioning Plumbing Repair to Ensure the Right Unit Size
Our HVAC experts can help you select the right unit that saves energy costs, performs well, and is properly sized for your home. We account for your cooling preferences, your home’s square footage, and more, ensuring you enjoy year-round comfort with low energy costs.
The last thing you need this summer is a broken AC unit. Professional sizing is crucial to consistent cooling in Las Vegas’s scorching heat.
Avoid These Common Errors When Choosing Your AC Size
Since choosing the correct AC size requires you to examine many factors, it’s easy to overlook some important considerations and make a few critical mistakes. Remember not to fall into these traps:
- Ignoring home insulation quality
- Forgetting to account for room size and layout
- Underestimating heat-generating appliances
- Not considering the number of home occupants
- Solely relying on sizing charts
- Neglecting your local climate
- Avoiding a professional assessment
Quick Response for All Your HVAC Emergencies
If you suffer a cooling emergency, contact BEST Air Conditioning Plumbing Repair immediately. We offer 24/7 emergency service, bringing you peace of mind when you need it most.
One day without cooling can seem like the longest day of your life, especially in Las Vegas, where the sun is your worst enemy. Our EPA-certified team will respond quickly and restore your air conditioning so that your home feels like a desert oasis.
Call BEST Air Conditioning Plumbing Repair for Reliable Air Conditioning Services in Las Vegas, NV
You deserve year-round comfort at an affordable price. When you contact BEST Air Conditioning Plumbing Repair, you receive highly-rated service from a team that truly cares. We are here to help with all things cooling, including installation, repair, and maintenance.
For such an important service trust the BEST. Contact us today for exceptional cooling services in Las Vegas, NV.
