How Many Air Conditioning Units Do I Need?
It is that time of year. The outside temperature is hot and it is time to cool the house down. If you do not have a central air conditioning unit then you will probably be considering the use of window units. These are great, but a lot of people either overdo or underdo it. Below, you can find how many air conditioners you will need to cool things down effectively and efficiently.
When Calculating, Size Does Matter
The size of the air conditioner will depend greatly on how many air conditions you will need to cool down the entire house. One may think that by buying a larger air conditioner than is needed, it will better cool down the home. This is not true. In fact, according to Air Jackson, which does air conditioning repair in Auburn, CA, it can cost you extra money on your electrical bill while not cooling the house any faster or better. Check out the information on BTUs below to learn why.
BTU Ratings for Air Conditioners
Air conditioners will have a BTU rating from 5,000 all the way up to 36,000. Of course, the smaller a room, the less BTUs will be needed. How small of a room though, and what about larger rooms? Below, you can find a very simple formula to determine the amount of BTUs needed.
Measure the square footage of the room. Yes, in order to cool the entire home, you will need to go room by room. Remember, the smaller a unit, the less electricity it uses. It evens the cost out. So, measure the square feet of the room. Once that is determined, you can then decide on which size air conditioner will be needed. You can check out a chart here. Also, if you need assistance determining the square feet of a room, you can check out Calculator Soup.
Why Are BTUs Important?
It is important to have the correct size air conditioner due to the cost. That is not the only reason though. Air conditions work by removing humidity in the room. A small air conditioner cannot remove the right amount of humidity to make the room comfortable. It can actually cause a ton of other problems.
BTUs Are Not the Only Factor
While BTUs are important, there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration. After all, you need to know how many air conditioners you need, not just the size. However, the size of air conditioner does matter. Some other factors may be how open the room is. For instance, if one room is open to the other, you may only need one larger air conditioner to cool both rooms.
Some of the most important factors include:
- The openness of the room, such as one room connecting to another with wide doorways.
- The placement of the room. If the room does not receive much sunlight, then the room will naturally be cooler. The opposite is true for rooms in the sun; they will be hotter. You can simply increase or decrease the BTUs by 10 percent to account for this.
- Hotter rooms require more BTUs. For instance, the kitchen will naturally be hotter.
- Lower ceilings require less BTUs.
- The number of people in a room can make it cooler or hotter. Increase the BTUs by 600 for every additional person over two.
One Large Air Conditioner Will Not Work
Unless you are in a studio apartment, one large air conditioning unit will not work. While it may cool the room down, it may cost more in electricity due to the amount of work it will do. A smaller air conditioner for a multiple room home will work better. While the larger rooms should have larger air conditioning units.
Make sure that the square foot is measured before buying. By having the right air condition unit per room, then you will not have to replace it due to it over working. It can cause damage to the air conditioner. Don’t over work it.
Consider the Electrical Power
Some air conditioners will require a larger power outlet. This may require some electrical modifications. As noted above, some rooms are open to other rooms. The air conditioner can be used for both rooms. However, if the power outlet will not hold it then you can consider getting two small air conditioning units.
With all of this information you should now be on your way to knowing exactly how many air conditioners you will need to cool the entire home down effectively. Check out this YouTube video for more information.
