HVAC system sizes are an essential element in determining the energy efficiency of your unit. The other factors are the British thermal units or BTU’s and the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER. Your home’s square footage needs the right BTU’s to cool the space. To keep energy costs down, you need a good SEER rating on your unit.
Before your HVAC system is installed, a professional energy management consultant will evaluate your home’s structure and location for the right HVAC system sizing. A number of factors are looked at to determine sizing. The square footage of the living space, the number and quality of windows and the direction they’re facing, the insulation in your home, the materials that make up your home and your home’s ventilation system or ductwork. The exterior forces that affect your HVAC system’s sizing are the sunlight your home is exposed to and the shade around your home.
The sizing of your HVAC system must be exact so that it will complete a full cycle. A system that is too large will shut off too quickly, cooling only a portion of your home. It will shut off and turn back on frequently and repeatedly, shooting energy costs through the roof. This leaves the building’s structure hot which traps humidity. A system which is too small will run constantly in an attempt to cool your large home and your energy costs will always be high. By getting the right sized unit, it will cycle properly, cooling the space and the structure, reducing the temperature and controlling the humidity.
By selecting the right sized unit to cool your square footage or the correct British thermal units (BTU’s), you can insure your home will be cool. Add energy efficiency to that and you’ll have a unit which functions affordably. That means you’ll need to buy the right SEER rated unit. Units with SEER ratings of 12 to 23 will offer efficient cooling for less energy usage. The higher the rating the higher the efficiency, approximately 5% less with each single digit increase of the SEER rating. To get answers about the right sized heating and cooling unit for your home, ask one of our HVAC professionals. Call us for all your HVAC needs.
