Sizing of Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment

Most homeowners do not know the proper way to size equipment for their home (and some people in the trade embarrassingly). So I want to talk a minute about sizing.

Back in the day we sized by square footage of the home. Not so any more. And if ever there was a time where bigger isn't better it's now in the heating and air business. In fact we are trying to go as small as possible both to increase efficiency as well as to increase comfort.

So how do we do it? I size the equipment using a computer program which takes into account insulation, orientation of the home, window area, type and design of ductwork, location of ductwork and other things that will effect the amount of btu's needed as well as the amount of air flow.

I know quite a few installers and salesmen who will just upsize the unit a half or even an entire ton if the customer complains the unit "isn't keeping up".  This is the exact wrong thing to do in most cases.

Another component to sizing arises when it comes to multiple floors and when zoning is involved. A properly designed zoning system can help reduce the sizing needed but only if it is engineered correctly.

If you need help with sizing make sure the technician that comes out to your home explains exactly how size will be determined and don't consider yourself lucky if you get a bid on equipment where you are getting a lower price on a size that is larger than what some of the other contractors are bidding. Much of the cost of installation has to do with the ductwork many times so that cost may be reflected in their bid, while in my experience the crummy contractors will just upsize the equipment to compensate for the fact that they will not be addressing some of the other more complicated issues that arise with ductwork.

If you live in the Sacramento area and would like to contact me about this just give me a call at 916-751-6060 or visit my website at www.a1heatcool.com and complete the contact form.

Take Care!

James
A1 Heating and Air