What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need for My House?

June 7, 2013 - PRLog -- When you first buy a home there are several things that have to be checked before you can move into it. There is usually an inspection that is performed on the home by a licensed inspector who looks over every inch of the house. They will be looking for any structural problems and whether or not all the equipment works. One unit that you will want to make sure works is the air conditioning unit. If you have to replace the unit you will have to choose one that is the right size for the home. Here are some things that you will want to know before making the choice.

Why the Right Size

Air conditioning units are made for all sorts of rooms and buildings. There are small window units, small outside coolers and even large roof units that are used for large businesses. The size of the unit that you need will depend on the size of the room and how much energy you want to save by using an efficient design. To start the processes of choosing an air conditioner consider the following:

•   Measure the rooms that will be cooled. You may be able to use the square footage of the home if you know it. Also include any basement areas in the total that will be cooled as this area is not usually considered in the square footage of the home.

•   When you have the total square footage take that number and multiply it by 25 BTU. It will not matter what the weather is like outside. What this gives you is the minimum BTU cooling unit that you will need. Each Air conditioner is rated in BTU's which stands for British Thermal Unit.

•   Trying not to get a unit that is too small since it will have to run all of the time and the life of the unit will be shortened. Do not buy a unit that is too big because it will fail to remove the moisture from the air. The moisture needs to be removed as part of the cooling process in order for the atmosphere of the room to be right.

Different Types of AC Units

There are various styles of AC units that you can choose from. Here are some for you to consider before buying one yourself.

•   Heat Pumps and Central Air Conditioning - Heat pumps are great for southeastern parts of the country. The pump can be used to heat and cool the area that it is attached to. Central air units are used based on the time of the year it will be used. These units are rated according to the seasonal energy efficiency ratio, also called SEER. The higher the number the better it will perform.

•   Evaporative Coolers - This style of cooling unit is known by a more familiar name, the swamp cooler. These units are used in dry climates. The way they work is that water is placed into the bottom of the unit and air is forced over the water and then into the home. The water cools the air making it comfortable in the home.

•   Window AC units are used to cool one room at a time. They are great for small areas that may not have central AC. They are rated much like heat pumps and central AC units are by the SEER system. The higher the number the better the unit.

Choosing the right air conditioning unit is important to the comfort of your home. It needs to be large enough to cool and yet small enough to remove the moisture from the air. When selecting the right unit be sure to consider the energy star rating that comes on most units. You will be able to save money and save energy.

Advent Heat Air and Plumbing is a leading HVAC company that services hundreds of residents in Oklahoma. For more information, visit: http://adventheatairandplumbing.com/air-conditioning-okc.