Too Large or Too Small? The Perils of Poorly Sized HVAC. Owning a home in Maydelle, Texas, comes with a number of expenses, and one of these costs is the energy it takes to heat and cool the space. The temperature fluctuates throughout the seasons, so you might even run your air conditioner and your heater on the same day once in a while. However, if your HVAC system isn’t the right size for your home, you’ll waste a lot of energy and could encounter problems.

Too Large

When building owners complain about uncomfortable temperatures within the structure, some HVAC contractors think the solution is just to install a bigger unit. But if the problem isn’t due to the unit’s size and capacity, a bigger one won’t actually fix it. In fact, you might end up spending a lot more on the larger unit as well as on higher utility bills each month for extra energy used within the bigger system. In Maydell’s hot, humid summer months, this could quickly add up.

If your unit is too large for your home, you may notice that it has shorter operating periods, which means it cycles on and off more frequently. This can cause premature wear and tear since it constantly has to start up and shut down.

Too Small

If your unit is too small, you’ll have a different set of problems. One shared complaint among owners of oversized and undersized units is higher energy bills. When your unit is small, it will have to run for longer periods of time to reach the desired temperature. Because it has to run longer, it can also wear out the components faster, requiring expensive repairs more often.

How to Determine the Right Size

Instead of just throwing a larger unit into your home, your HVAC technician should perform a load calculation to determine the proper size. During the test, the technician will look at duct conditions, window types, building materials, room size, insulation, regional weather conditions, shading, and whether the room faces the sun.

Our team of experienced HVAC professionals at McWilliams & Son Heating & Air Conditioning performs manual J load calculation testing to get the right size every time, so call us at 877-936-1974 for more information.

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