The general thought that so many homeowners have is that bigger is always better. This could not be farther from the truth when it comes to central air conditioning systems. Ask any HVAC Ponte Vedra professional and they will tell you that you want to have a central air conditioner that is just right in size, rather than one that is too big or too small, as neither is going to do you any good.
Avoiding Too Big or Too Small
You always want to avoid going with a central air conditioning system that is either too big or too small. When you have a central air conditioning system that is too big, what you are going to find is that the cycle times for that system are going to be quite frequent. The system is going to be so powerful that it is going to turn on, cool your home, and turn off a few minutes later. This is not always ideal when you are trying to get an optimal temperature and comfort in the home, as it can leave behind humidity, making your home feel extremely sticky.
When you have a central air conditioning system that is too small you are going to have an alternative issue. The issue here is that the system is never going to be able to cycle off, or it will not for an extremely long period of time. When this occurs, the system is going to end up using a lot of energy and will also put a lot of strain on the motor of the system. On top of that, your home may never be able to reach that cool and comfortable temperature that you are looking for.
Sizing the System
A central air conditioning system is measured in what is known as tons. This does not mean that the system itself weighs that many tons, it is just a measure of the ability of the air conditioning system to actually cool the home. The guide that is used to get at the size of an air conditioning system you need starts based on the size of the home and the region that you actually live in.
There are five zones that central air conditioning systems are measured in and the purpose of those zones is to dictate exactly what is expected in terms of annual heat causing the system to run. HVAC Ponte Vedra professionals like us will tell you right out of the gate that Florida is the highest at zone 1.
The next step is to look at the size of your home and see where it falls. The systems can go from 1.5 tons all the way up to 5 tons. A home that is between 600 and 900 square feet can go with a smaller 1.5-ton unit. A bigger home, though, such as one that is around 1,500 to 2,000 square feet, needs a unit that is around 3 tons. The bigger homes, 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, are when you begin to get into the 5-ton range.
There is a lot that goes into deciding what size of a central air conditioning system you actually need. It is going to require an analysis of the size of your home, its layout of it, where the air ducts are going, the state of things like your insulation, your windows and roof, and so on. Once all of these factors are taken into account, we at J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing, as your HVAC Ponte Vedra professional, can calculate for you what that ideal size is going to be.
