Installing the right air conditioner in your Fort Worth, TX home is important. If your AC is too small for its service area, it will always struggle to extract heat and humidity. When North Texas temperatures rise, undersized cooling equipment overworks and underperforms.
This could leave you with a living space that feels muggy and oppressive or all-around unsafe living conditions. At Airco, we help locals choose the right air conditioners for their homes, budgets, and needs. Read on to learn the key signs of undersized cooling equipment, the risks, and the best solutions.
Why AC Size Matters in North Texas
In summer, the average daily high in DFW is 91 degrees Fahrenheit. With a poorly sized AC, the temperature inside your home could rise much higher. Conditions like these place residents at risk of heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and other temperature-related health issues. However, they can be especially detrimental to aging adults, newborn babies, and those with chronic or terminal illnesses.
North Texas also experiences elevated humidity in the summer months. When local temperatures rise, humidity holds steady at 60% to 70%, and outdoor moisture invariably finds its way inside. With an undersized AC and insufficient humidity extraction, you could contend with problems like widespread mildew and mold, unpleasant AC odors, and decreased indoor air quality (IAQ).
Signs Your AC Might Be Too Small
Poorly sized cooling equipment is often the result of DIY AC installation. Although you can find air conditioners in many big-box stores, choosing one without the guidance of a licensed HVAC contractor could lead to serious sizing issues. If you think your AC lacks the right capacity for your home, be on the lookout for the following signs.
It Runs Constantly Without Cooling Enough
Undersized air conditioners lack the power to create and maintain the conditions that consumers want. The average AC cooling cycle is between 15 and 20 minutes long. While a properly sized AC might run just two to three cooling cycles an hour, an undersized unit could run nearly nonstop.
Worse still, it will do so without affecting any significant change in the indoor climate. If your AC runs all the time but your home still feels muggy, overly warm, or downright oppressive, your air conditioner is probably too small.
Uneven Temperatures in Different Rooms
Undersized air conditioners have a hard time moderating airflow and distributing conditioned air. As a result, you might have rooms or other remote spaces that always feel warmer than everywhere else. Uneven temperatures or hot and cold spots throughout the building are also a strong sign of poor AC sizing.
Higher Energy Bills Than Normal
When undersized air conditioners run longer cooling cycles and more of them, home energy bills rise. If you’re paying more than normal for home cooling, poor AC sizing is a likely reason why.
Frequent Repairs and Wear
Longer and more frequent cooling cycles can decrease the lifespan of your cooling equipment. Undersized air conditioners operate under extreme stress. This extra stress can cause ACs to ice over, short-cycle, overheat, or intermittently shut down.
Overworked ACs require more frequent repairs and sustain far more cumulative wear over time. While the average lifespan of an air conditioner is 15 to 20 years, an undersized unit might last a decade or less. It will also cost more to use and maintain throughout its lifetime. Installing the right size AC could save you a small fortune on air conditioning repair services and prevent premature equipment failure.
How AC Size Is Measured
Choosing the correct AC size for your home isn’t about finding an appliance with the right physical dimensions. Rather than physical dimensions, AC sizing refers to cooling capacity.
Cooling capacity for air conditioners is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs) and tonnage. BTUs are a measurement of heat, and tonnage denotes the amount of heat removed in a single hour. For every hour, one ton of cooling capacity equals 12,000 BTUs. DIY shoppers use online charts and other basic tools to estimate how many BTUs they’ll need for their homes.
HVAC technicians approach sizing much differently. They use the Manual J Load Calculation instead. This highly complex calculation considers far more factors than square footage alone. In fact, the Manual J is so complex that using it requires special software. This calculation accounts for:
- Household sizes
- Insulation R-values and amounts
- Ceiling heights
- Layouts
- Window locations, sizes, and types
Rather than matching BTUs to the total square footage of homes, the Manual J Load Calculations considers total livable area. The result is a far more accurate calculation of a home’s requirements for AC capacity.
Solutions If Your AC Is Too Small
Knowing just how important sizing is for air conditioner performance will help you choose the right equipment for your next installation and get the right support. However, if you already have improperly sized cooling equipment, you still have options.
Upgrade to a Properly Sized System
Sometimes, the most cost-effective solution to improper AC sizing is early replacement. You’ll enjoy lower home energy bills, better temperature and humidity regulation, and increased home comfort. With professional selection and installation, you’ll also enjoy full warranty protection. Airco offers expert AC installation with accurate equipment sizing via the Manual J Load Calculation.
Improve Home Insulation and Air Sealing
Reduce demand on your cooling system by adding insulation and investing in air sealing. This will limit the loss of conditioned air and prevent warm outdoor air and humidity from entering. Tightening your home’s envelope could reduce your need for cooling capacity and make your current AC more suitable for your space.
Add a Zoning System or a Ductless Mini-Split
If an undersized air conditioner has left you with spaces that are unsafe to use when the outside temperature soars, you can install a ductless mini-split system.
A ductless AC can seamlessly support your central air conditioner by serving areas that don’t receive sufficient air distribution. With air handlers in perpetually hot spots, you’ll get reliable cooling and balanced temperatures throughout the building.
HVAC zoning is another effective solution for hot and cold spots. HVAC zoning divides buildings and HVAC ductwork into separate service areas or zones. Zone control systems efficiently balance air distribution by directing conditioned air to the areas that need it.
Zoning your HVAC system will limit demand on your air conditioner and reduce the impact of sizing-related wear. Zoning or ductless mini-split installation can also improve humidity control.
Why Work With Airco for AC Sizing & Installation?
At Airco, we’re committed to providing homeowners in DFW with energy-efficiency cooling systems and accurate load calculations. As a trusted, local HVAC company, we have extensive experience in the DFW climate. We also stand behind our work with a Total Respect Guarantee, our No Lemon Guarantee, and a solid workmanship warranty.
Don’t miss out on reliable cooling and humidity control. If you think your air conditioner is too small for your Fort Worth home, schedule an AC evaluation with Airco today!
