Blog

What size air conditioner should I have in my home?

The size, or cooling capacity, of your air conditioning system is important in Florida.

If your air conditioning system is too small, it will not be able to cool your home sufficiently during the hot parts of the year. You will be uncomfortable, and the constant running of your air conditioning system will result in high electric bills.

If your air conditioning system is too large, it will cool your home too quickly and not run long enough to remove humidity. This results in discomfort. Higher humidity levels will force you to keep the thermostat set to a lower temperature in order to feel comfortable. Have you ever been in a home that is cold but doesn’t feel comfortable, or in a home that has is set to a warmer temperature than yours but feels more comfortable? That primary culprit of this discomfort is humidity. A larger air conditioning system than needed also results in higher electric bills. A larger air conditioning system will use more electricity than a properly sized system (ie. a 3 ton 15 SEER system uses $100+ more per year in electricity than a 2.5 ton 15 SEER). Not only that but the electric bill can be compounded by the fact that you now have to keep the temperature lower than normal to feel comfortable.

The right size air conditioning system will result in the best comfort and lowest electric bills.

How do I know what size my Air Conditioner should be?

Have a Manual J heat load calculation done. This calculation will determine the amount of heat entering your home through the walls, windows, ceiling, etc. and tell you exactly how much cooling is required.