Does your AC cool your home in 10 minutes or less on a hot afternoon? If so, that may indicate you have an oversized air conditioner. Since an oversized AC is too powerful for your home, it will quickly cool your home then shut off, which can raise your energy bills and wear out your AC (from all the starts and stops).
If your air conditioner has short cycled since you installed the system, have your home measured for the proper size. If your air conditioner is too big, you'll have hot spots – or inconsistent cooling – throughout your home. Hot spots occur most often when cold air doesn't disperse through the home efficiently enough.
Larger unit may be more efficient (larger condensers generally are), but make sure you don't oversize it. If the unit is oversized it'll cycle more frequently, which is hard on it. Oversized can also cause some issues with humidity if you have any outside air connections.
However, the truth is an oversized system will not do a better job of cooling the house or provide any extra comfort over a properly sized unit. Air conditioner size is calculated in BTU (British Thermal Units) and tons, and measures how much heat the system can remove from the home in one hour.
Homes measuring 1,000-1,500 square feet: You'll need a 2-ton unit, which corresponds to a cooling capacity of 24,000 BTUs per hour. Homes measuring 1,500-2,000 square feet: You'll require a 3-ton unit, equivalent to 36,000 BTUs per hour. Homes measuring 2,000-2,500 square feet: A 4-ton unit is necessary.
If your A/C is oversized, it will pump out cold air at a quicker rate, rapidly lowering the temperature. This may sound like a good thing, but it cuts the A/C cycle short and prevents your home from being cooled properly. If your A/C runs for less than ten minutes at a time, you might have an oversized unit.
Higher Utility Bills
A bigger unit simply gobbles more power than a smaller one. To make matters worse, your oversized air conditioner will likely never reach its promised level of energy efficiency. Just as it is cycling up to its most efficient level, the thermostat will tell it to shut off again.
The average cost of installing a new central air conditioner in 2024, including equipment and labor costs, is $5,750 for a 3-ton unit in a 2,000-square-foot home. On average, a new AC unit cost will fall between $3,300 and $7,800.
If you purchase an air conditioner with a higher BTU than needed, you will waste a lot of excess energy and the air conditioner will cycle off too quickly. Thus, an air conditioner with a higher BTU will not cool a room faster.
If your air conditioner is too small, it won't be able to cool your home adequately and will run in longer cycles to compensate for the area being too large. If your unit is too large, on the other hand, it will run in short cycles, turning off and on in quick bursts that bring your home's temperature down too fast.
An undersized AC will still work but not to the degree you want it to cool your house. Even though it works tirelessly, it will fail to deliver the right comfortable temperature. It means that you must keep it on all the time, yet the house will never feel cool enough.
Increased Capacity: Larger AC condensers can cool more air, thereby boosting its cooling capacity. Performance: With larger condenser coils, AC units can ensure stable and consistent performance under varying loads and conditions.
Is It Better to Oversize or Undersize AC Unit? Neither oversizing nor undersizing your AC unit is ideal. Both scenarios can lead to issues with efficiency, comfort, and longevity of the system.
But when an oversized unit is in place, it cools far faster and limits the cycle, which causes muggy, damp conditions in many cases due to high humidity. This can also lead to mold formation and a musty, uncomfortable smell.
As a guide, consider 5,000-BTU models for rooms 150 square feet or smaller, 8,000 BTUs for medium-size rooms (340 square feet), and 12,000 to 14,000-BTU models for rooms with square footage from 550 to 800. Having the correct power is imperative.
Key takeaways: Homeowners insurance covers HVAC systems when the damage is due to a covered peril or disaster. A standard homeowners insurance policy won't cover an HVAC unit if the damage is due to general wear and tear, owner neglect or old age.
Several HVAC manufacturers have officially declared upcoming price hikes for 2024, garnering attention as a new wave of increases takes effect. There is a noticeable industry-wide trend of manufacturers elevating the prices of equipment, parts, and supplies.
Since an oversized AC is too powerful for your home, it will quickly cool your home then shut off, which can raise your energy bills and wear out your AC (from all the starts and stops).
Air conditioners can be a big driver of your electric bill in the summer. There are still a few weeks of summer left, which means we'll have to battle against the heat a little longer. It also means higher electric bills. It happens every year: Summer weather starts, the AC kicks on and your electric bill shoots up.
Larger AC units may cool your home faster, but that means the cooling cycle will end faster and they will shut down faster – only to cycle back on again before very long. This rapid cycling creates a lot of wear and tear on the system, shortening its life and increasing the maintenance needed to keep it running.
Central AC Size Based On Your Home's Square Footage
1,400-1,600 square feet: A 24,000 BTUs (2 tons) AC unit is recommended. 1,600-1,800 square feet: Look for an AC unit with 27,000 BTUs (2.25 tons) for effective cooling. 1,800-2,000 square feet: A 30,000 BTUs (2.5 tons) unit is ideal for this square footage.
Keep in mind when pairing a condenser and air handler, it's okay for the air handler to be a bigger size than the condenser, but never the other way around.
Most times, we believe that a mini-split system is worth the cost. Not only can it be an affordable and versatile alternative to a traditional HVAC system, but they can also save money in the long run with how efficient they are.