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One of the most important aspects in your selection of an Air Conditioning System is proper sizing. A properly sized system will not only provide superior cooling for your home, but just as importantly, it will remove more moisture. A home that maintains low humidity levels will feel much cooler at any given thermostat setting. Conversely, an oversized system will "short-cycle", meaning that it will cycle on and off more frequently because it cools too quickly. Short cycling will not allow the run time the system needs to maintain proper humidity levels. In addition the system life expectancy is reduced and your operating cost will spiral upward from the frequent on/off power surges. So how do you select the proper system size for your home? Here are your options:
1. Download a professional system sizing program
Software sizing calculations such as this one are required by many municipalities across the country when permitting a new construction home. No "best guesses" are allowed when it comes to a professional, code-correct installation. If you receive 2 or 3 different sizing "best guess" suggestions, chances are that all may be wrong if sizing software wasn't used in the estimating process. (It usually isn't) 2. Let us do the work for youIf the program in option 1 above is more than you want to tackle, let our professionals perform the calculations for you. The phone number to call is 877-316-3960 to take advantage of this service. Our experienced and friendly consultants will ask you for the details about your home and perform the calculations required to properly size your heating and air conditioning equipment. The cost is only $89 for a home up to 2500 sq. ft. Larger homes add $5 per each additional 500 sq. ft. Choose this option and receive a $49 credit with any AC Direct system purchase. 3. Use our free sizing calculator
4. Use your existing estimates from other contractors to determine your system requirements
5. Install the same size system as you have nowIf your existing system has cooled your home properly and other similar or like-kind homes in your neighborhood have the same size as yours, then you may not require a new sizing calculation at all. Simply use the model number from the outdoor unit to detemine the exisiting system capacity, or "tonnage". If you are replacing an existing system within your home, locate the model number from the outdoor section. Most manufacturers code the system Btu capacity into the model number. For example, model CKL24-1 is a 2 ton unit. Why? There are 12,000 Btu's per ton. The number 24 in the model number indicates the unit is 24,000 Btu's, divided by 12,000 Btu's per ton, equals 2 tons. 24,000 Btu's/12,000 Btu's per ton = 2 tons Use the following conversion information to determine your existing system size (use the model number NOT the serial number)
Remember, you are looking for one of the numbers 18-60 above within the model number of your existing outdoor unit. If you can't locate the model number from the outdoor unit or it is illegible, check previous service or repair tickets or call your latest service company to see if they have your system capacity on file, as most will |
Input all the required details and data about your home. This is by far the most effective as all of the guesswork, opinion, and "rules of thumb" are removed. Your system will perform as the manufacturer intended, your power bills will be as low as possible, and your comfort is assured. We offer this do-it-yourself sizing option for our customers to keep our estimating and other associated costs as low as possible to allow us to pass the sizable savings along to you.
(The $49 fee for this proprietary software is fully refundable with any system purchase). We do offer a free sizing program below that is not as accurate as this program but is much more accurate than "guesstimates" that are sometimes offered in the field.
This free, do-it-yourself program will help determine the proper heating and air conditioning capacities for your home. This is a detailed program so be prepared to spend about 30 minutes preparing dimensional and construction data about your house. Once you're prepared, the program will require approximately 20 - 30 minutes for you to complete. 