Do you have a larger air conditioning unit in your home? We make it a point to stress to our customers that when it comes to air conditioners, bigger is NOT always better. Larger A/Cs are more expensive, louder, more difficult to find a space for – and the list goes on. Check out our top 5 over-sized air conditioner problems below and use this as motivation to have your current AC system inspected (and replaced if it is too large).
1. Poor indoor air quality
Besides lowering your home’s temperature, your A/C is also responsible for the removal of allergens, dust, and other particles that all greatly diminish your indoor air quality. more to the point, an A/C system that is too large for your home will not have to run as often to maintain the temperature, making it too efficient. In other words, the less often your A/C is running, the less time it spends filtering out irritants from your air – and the more time you spend sneezing.
2. Increased humidity
This is a big one, especially if you’re already living in a humid climate. In addition to everything else it filters, your air conditioner also removes moisture as it runs – but it can’t do this if it isn’t on. This means that your home’s humidity levels will spike, leaving you feeling sweaty and uncomfortable. The more humid your home is, the warmer it will feel (a humidity level of 60% can make 60 degrees feel like 80). Additionally, humidity leaves your home more vulnerable to mold growth.
3. They use more energy
If you’re thinking about getting an over-sized air conditioner in an attempt to lower energy bills, think again. Larger HVAC units actually use more energy because even though they run for shorter amounts of time, they also take more power to run. Since the unit will be able to get your home to temperature quickly, it will constantly be turning off and on in order to maintain temperature, which is not energy efficient.
4. They cost more
The upfront cost combined with the costs over time for a larger A/C unit will cost more money when compared to a smaller one, period. If you do need a larger HVAC system however, but still want to cut down on installation costs, make sure that you’re purchasing an air conditioner that is just large enough to properly cool your space efficiently.
5. Shorter lifespan
Because your over-sized air conditioner is constantly shutting off and on (it probably only runs for 15 minutes or less at a time), you’ll notice a huge increase in wear and tear on the unit when compared to that of a smaller one. More wear and tear means more repairs needed, and a shorter overall lifespan for your air conditioner. An appropriately sized A/C will run for 30 minutes at a time (at least) in order to get your home to temperature, effectively remove moisture, and keep your indoor air free of pollens and dust.
How do I avoid oversized air conditioner problems?
So how can you avoid these over-sized air conditioner problems? Go with a professional HVAC installer, and make sure that they perform a load calculation using the Manual J protocol. This estimation will provide them with an accurate idea of the right size A/C needed for your home, allowing you to get the best bang for your buck and skip having to deal with the problems caused by an over-sized air conditioner.
Over-sized air conditioners can put a heavy but unavoidable strain on your home’s power supply. If you want to proactively prevent a future power outage, consider installing a standby generator in your home so that you’ll always be prepared for an emergency.
