Load Calculation for Heating & Air Conditioning Systems

There are many decisions to make when choosing a new HVAC system. Quality, efficiency, and price range are all important factors to consider. Having the right size heat and air conditioner is as equally important. If you have a system that is too small or too large for your home, it can seriously compromise the function, durability and efficiency of your new unit.

Under or Oversized Systems Will Not Cool or Heat Efficiently

With an air conditioner or heat system that is too small for your indoor space, the system will not be able to heat or cool your home effectively. An undersized unit will be forced to run constantly and use a ton of energy, and may never reach your desired indoor temperature.

In contrast, an oversized system will actually heat or cool your home too quickly; when the system does this, it shuts off before the structure of your home has been heated or cooled. As a result, the conditioned space will change too quickly and force your unit to turn on and off frequently attempting to keep your home at the right temperature. This process is very inefficient, and the noise from the system constantly switching on and off can be very annoying.

Important Factors for Proper Sizing

Quite a few factors go into determining the correct size of component(s) for your home. As a result, it’s a good idea to consult a professional Richmond air conditioning company in order to make sure that every variable is calculated correctly. Some of the factors that determine the right size of HVAC units include:

Once proper sizing is determined, you can start to think about SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) ratings. Systems with the same cooling and heating capacity can have very different SEER ratings, which means they will use different amounts of energy to cool and warm your home. On average, the loss or gain of one SEER equals a difference in energy efficiency of about 5 percent. Systems with higher SEER ratings a are costlier investment; however, they will produce lower energy bills.

You have come to the right place! An estimate on a new system is free. Let us help you determine what you need. We can determine is your unit is sized properly.