When choosing an air conditioner, bigger does not necessarily mean better. If you choose a bigger AC unit, it may keep your home too cold for comfort. A too-small AC unit will have trouble cooling the room, especially if multiple windows allow heat into the room from outside. Consider the following factors when choosing the right-sized air conditioner.
1. Calculate the Number of BTUs You Need Per Square Foot
A report released by Energy Star shows that a typical person needs between 20 and 30 BTUs per square foot of cooling power. This means if your room has an area ranging from 250 to 300 square feet, you would need 7,000 BTUs to keep it cool. You must know how many BTUs your room needs to stay cool since this can play a significant role in helping you get the right-sized AC unit.
2. Check the Height of Your Ceiling
Most houses are built using standard measurements. But you should still check your ceiling height since some homes come with higher-than-average ceilings to give them a spacious feel. If the room where you plan to install an air conditioner has a ceiling height that’s at least 4 feet higher than the standard 8 feet, you may want to choose a larger air conditioner.
Rooms with high ceilings have a greater volume of air to cool, so they may force a smaller air conditioner to work extra hard to keep it cool. Cooling costs may rise as the small unit attempts to negate the heat in a high-ceiling room. If you have determined that your room’s ceiling is significantly higher than average, plan on installing a high-capacity air conditioner for optimal performance.
3. Look Into Your Room’s Insulation
Insulation works by preventing cold or heat from entering or leaving the room. A well-insulated room needs a smaller air conditioner to keep it cool. Several factors determine how well a room is insulated. They include:
- The material used for construction
- Window coverings
- The gap between the floor and the door
- Installation of insulation materials
- Choice of flooring
Simply put, the better your room is insulated, the easier it is to keep it cool. You should seek an expert’s advice about what you need to keep your room well-insulated. Other factors to consider when choosing the right size AC unit include:
- The number of occupants in your home
- The location of the room
- The type of air conditioner suitable for the room
In conclusion, you must install the right-sized AC unit for optimum performance. Now that you know about the factors that go into determining this, you should find it fairly easy to settle on a suitable air conditioner for your room. Once you have found the ideal AC, it is time to install it and that is where we come in. Call us at Alabama Home Pros for professional air conditioner installation in Montgomery, AL.