If an air conditioner is too big for a given space, it will cool that space down with lightning speed. Some people choose an oversized air conditioner on purpose, thinking that this is a good thing -- but they're wrong. When an air conditioner cools a room too quickly, it will cycle on and off more frequently.
An aircon unit too big for the size of your room is likely to turn on and off more frequently and in effect, consume more energy in the process. On the other hand, an aircon that is too small for the size of your room never stops running as it will continuously work to reach your desired temperature level.
Difficulty cooling large or open spaces
Small stand-alone AC units often aren't powerful enough to cool bigger rooms or homes with open floor plans. They may start “short cycling” or turn on at full blast, cooling the air directly around the thermostat and then shutting off before the entire room is cooled.
A undersized system will run more and remove more humidity in cooling, but you give up being able to keep your home at, or near, setpoint on the really hot days. A oversized system in a humid area will not run enough to remove enough moisture from the home and it could cause issues with mold and mildew.
Selecting the right sized unit is key to comfort and savings. Remember, bigger is not always better. —An over sized air conditioner will be less effective. Air conditioners remove both heat and humidity from the air, but if the unit is too large, it will cool the room, before it has a chance to remove the humidity.
You also don't want to buy a model that's too powerful for a room. Sure, a 12,000-BTU air conditioner will cool a small space (150 square feet or less) quickly. But it might cool it too quickly, preventing it from removing some of the ambient humidity from the room and leaving the room damp.
If the unit is too big, it will cycle off before humidity is removed from the air. This means that it will cool quickly but the air is still sticky. Long term, this can cause the walls in the home to sweat. This is much the same as what happens when you have a cold glass of ice water by the pool on a hot day.
Understanding AC Tonnage: 1.5 ton vs 1 ton ac
A 1.5-ton AC in a small room may lead to short cycling and higher energy bills, while a 1-ton AC in a larger room may struggle to maintain the desired temperature, increasing energy consumption. Select the appropriate size for optimal cooling and energy use.
Installing an air conditioner with too many BTUs for the size of your home will cause it to run for shorter periods of time, thereby causing less-than-ideal temperatures and humidity within your home, more wear and tear on your HVAC system, and higher utility costs.
If your room is 10'x 20' (200 square feet), you'd need to look at a 6,000 BTU unit. Once you get into 340 and 400 square feet per room, you'd need an 8,000 or 9,000 BTU air conditioner, respectively. Kitchens need more cooling power, since you'll be operating the oven, which adds heat to the room.
You'll need to know your room size too. In general, a 5,000 to 6,000 BTU air conditioner can cool between 100 and 300 square feet. Seven thousand to 8,200 BTU units are adequate for cooling 250 to 550 square feet, while 9,800 to 12,500 BTU models cool up to 950 square feet.
The idea that more is always better does not apply to air conditioning systems. In fact, having too much refrigerant in a cooling system can be just as detrimental as having too little. This is because an overcharged system puts extra strain on the equipment, ultimately leading to damage and a shorter lifespan.
Using an oversized AC in a small room can lead to several downsides. Firstly, oversized units cycle on and off frequently, leading to inefficient operation and increased energy consumption. This results in higher electricity bills and unnecessary wear and tear on the system.
A good rule of thumb to follow is that you'll need approximately 20 BTU for every square foot of floor area. However, there are also other considerations to take into account before calculating the capacity, including the height of your ceiling as well as how many windows and doors are in a specific room.
This is not to imply bigger is better, because a capacitor that is too large can cause energy consumption to rise. In both instances, be it too large or too small, the life of the motor will be shortened due to overheated motor windings.
An oversized conditioner will be overly efficient in that it will reach the desired room temperatures too fast, which results in shortened cooling cycles. The stop-start operation caused by these short cycles can put increased strain on the air conditioner, much like what happens when it is undersized.
This, in turn, can lead to the formation of mold. If you can see a lot of condensation on your windows, mold growth, or there's a slight smell of mildew in the air, it might mean that your home has an AC that's too big.
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.
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).
A 1 ton AC can cover an area of approximately 100 to 150 square feet. This capacity ensures effective cooling for small to medium-sized rooms, providing a comfortable and cool environment. How much area can a 1 ton window AC cool? A one-ton window AC can cool an area of 100 to 150 square feet.
A 1 ton air conditioner is suitable for a room or space of up to 120-140 square feet, while a 2 ton air conditioner is suitable for a room or space of up to 300-350 square feet. It is important to select the correct size of air conditioner for your space to ensure efficient cooling and energy savings.
If your air conditioning system is too big, it cannot completely cool your home. This means that you'll have hot or cold spots throughout your home. An AC system that is too large doesn't run long, so the cool air can't be equally distributed through your home. This causes some areas to be cool while others are warm.
An air conditioner with BTUs that exceed the recommended square footage in your home may also take on more wear and tear over time because it will initiate its on/off cycle more frequently. It could also create a subpar cooling experience because your AC's compressor may turn off much sooner than it should.