Can you have too many btus

Living in a warmer climate also means you need to add on between percent more BTUs per room. Read on:. If your air conditioner has a bigger BTU rating than the room size needs, it will cycle off too quickly, waste energy, and will not adequately dehumidify the space. So a higher BTU than needed is definitely not recommended. Installing an air conditioner that is too small for the space is also not recommended, since it will run continuously.

It will not be powerful enough to cool the space adequately. This costs more in terms of energy use, money and wear and tear on the machine. This point builds on the one we just made. An oversized air conditioner has many more stops and starts during a normal day than a properly-sized air conditioner. Greater use means more repairs and more money out of your wallet.

This is especially true in parts of the country where air-conditioning helps deal with a lot of moisture in the air. Since an oversized air conditioner does not remove enough moisture from the air, it can have very serious consequences for your home.

Wood products, paint and drywall can suffer from too much moisture. When you do buy a properly-sized air conditioner, however, you are definitely saving money on the upfront costs. You will also save money in terms of repairs and replacement parts. Properly-sized air conditioners last much longer, are more efficient and need fewer fixes than an oversized unit. We mentioned some of the best ways to determine if you have an oversized AC unit above.

But without a doubt, the best way to determine this is the moisture level in your home. If you notice mold in your home or paint beginning to peel in rooms where it feels particularly sticky, you should consult an HVAC technician to determine if the problem is an oversized air conditioner. This is also the case if someone in your home has asthma and you notice they have trouble breathing during periods when the air-conditioning is running.

Your best bet is to get an HVAC technician to inspect your home. They will give you an honest answer about the cooling power of your system. There are a number of factors that industry experts have observed over the years as to why installing too big of a unit is an issue.

If a contractor says to you that they determine the size of an air conditioner based on the size of your home without making any measurements, find another technician. There are fixes that you can make to solve the problem of an oversized air conditioner but the main one is quite expensive: Replace the unit with a smaller one that provides more efficient cooling and moisture control.

If that is a solution that is financially difficult for you at the moment, there are a couple of temporary options you can try to fix an oversized air conditioner:.

It is very important to us that you have the proper-sized air-conditioning unit in your home. We want to make sure all of our customers have equipment that works efficiently and effectively all year long.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you install a new system or upgrade an older one, or if you need repairs to your current system, call us today at You can also visit our contact us page and let us know all about your air conditioning needs. We look forward to helping you and showing you the best service possible. Schedule your maintenance appointment today or fill out our online contact form. Knowledgable and neat techs. Good value. Arrived on schedule.

It stands for British Thermal Unit. It is most frequently used when talking about heating and air conditioning units. Air conditioners come with a BTU rating. This rating essentially tells you how powerful the unit is. They are used to say to you the power of both heaters and air conditioners. Since BTUs measure the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water, this rating system makes perfect sense for heaters.

What do they mean for an air conditioner, though? Instead of heating, air conditioners remove heat from the air and circulates cool air back in. BTUs still work as a form of measurement in this case. Instead of measuring the amount of heat added to the air in your home, however, they measure how much heat is removed.

Just like with heaters, the higher the BTU rating of an air conditioner, the more powerful it is. When choosing a new air conditioner for your home, it is crucial that it be sized correctly.

Instead, sizing the air conditioner means choosing one with the right BTU rating. There are several different factors that go into making sure that you get the right air conditioner. The primary factor in determining how many BTUs you need is the square footage of your home. You can easily find a chart online that will let you know how many BTUs are required to keep that amount of space cool. The height of your ceilings matter, too. While the number of BTUs recommended is based on square footage, these recommendations typically assume that your home has ceilings that are 8-feet high.