Thousands of homes across the United States and in Chicago have made this mistake, and it could be costing them their comfort and their hard earned money. The problem is caused by improperly sized HVAC equipment, and many homeowners make the same mistake over and over again without even knowing what the problem was in the first place. They come to accept the discomfort and extra cost as normal, and don’t consider that there may in fact be a problem that could easily be solved.
Too Big and Too Small
The phrase, “go big or go home,” doesn’t apply to the HVAC industry. Just because something is bigger and more powerful, doesn’t mean it is what is best for your home. A small unit may be more economical, but when a unit is too small it will cost you big in the long run. When a unit is improperly sized, these are some of the problems that homeowners often experience:
- High Energy Bills: This applies to both over-sized and undersized installations. When the unit is too big, it will cycle on and off more frequently than necessary. Firing up the unit frequently wastes tons of energy, and you will notice the extra cost on your heating and cooling bills. When the unit is too small, it won’t be able to provide adequate heating and cooling. As a result, the unit will run for extremely long periods of time in order to try and meet the temperature set on the thermostat. The long run times waste loads of energy that could be saved with a properly sized unit.
- Humidity: When an air conditioner is too small for the size of the home and the climate, it won’t be able to lower the humidity in the home. You will either have to compensate for the extra moisture with a dehumidifier or suffer the discomfort and potential damage that excess moisture can cause.
- Temperatures: HVAC units that are too big or too small are not able to properly heat and cool the home. You will end up with uneven temperatures from room to room and floor to floor, and with the weather that we deal with in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, these temperature differences can lead to extreme discomfort.
- Return on Investment: Purchasing new heating and cooling equipment is any large investment for any family to have to make, but many people have been attracted to replacement because of the energy savings that new high efficiency equipment can bring over time. However, when you purchase an improperly sized unit, you will not see the same return on your investment as you would if the unit was correctly sized. Improperly sized units drain energy, require more repairs, and fail sooner than units that have been custom fit to your homes needs.
Finding the Right Size
Sizing an HVAC system to your home is more complicated than just calculating square footage or looking at the btu’s on your current systems. At Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning, we take several factors into account when determining the proper sized furnace or air conditioner for a particular home. These are a few of the points our salesman check before quoting a customer on a new system:
- Home Size: square footage
- Climate
- Insulation
- Type and age of windows
- Sunlight exposure
- Ceiling heights
- Room occupation
When this information is compiled, it gives our salesman a good picture of the type of system that will best accommodate the needs of your home. Other companies may quote over the home, or simply quote you on the same sized system you already have without performing any measurements. When a company operates like this, they are putting your family at risk of having an undersized or over-sized system.
At Four Seasons, we come to you for a free in-home estimate so that we can see first-hand the layout of your home and discuss your family’s needs one on one. This personal approach allows us to create a trusting relationship with our customers and, at the same time, create a customized system for their home. If you suspect that your furnace or air conditioner may be incorrectly sized, give Four Seasons a call and schedule your free, no obligation estimate today!
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Tags: air conditioner, Calumet Park, Chicago, efficiency, energy bills, Four Seasons, free estimate, Furnace, heating and cooling, Joliet, over-sized, save money, under-sized, Villa Park