Here in Florida, the summers are notoriously hot. By May, most homeowners will already have their home’s air conditioning system turned on. But if you live in a home that doesn’t have central air conditioning, you won’t want to wait that long to get it installed. These units are an investment and Air Tech of Central Florida offers affordable selections and services.
If you’re planning on purchasing a new HVAC system, it’s important to understand how to choose one that will meet your needs. You could end up with a system that either won’t keep you cool or will cost a small fortune to operate if you aren’t prepared. Here’s how to choose the right size HVAC for your Florida home.
HVAC Load Calculation
When it comes to HVAC systems, your goal is to install one that has the exact amount of power required to cool your home. If you select one that’s too small, it will struggle to cool your home and run for longer than necessary. If you select one that’s too big, it will operate efficiently but cost more money to run.
Fortunately, there’s a mathematical formula to figure out what size HVAC system your Florida home will need. It uses multiple calculations that take the design and size of your home into account. It looks like this:
- Total square footage X ceiling height
- The average number of people in the home X 100 BTU
- Total number of exterior doors and windows X 1,000 BTU
Then, you add the resulting values together to figure out how much cooling power your home needs. What you’ll end up with is the total number of British Thermal Units (BTU) needed to cool your home. However, that number alone isn’t your final answer.
When you’re looking at HVAC units, you’ll notice that their capacity isn’t measured in BTUs. It’s measured in tons. To figure out the right size for your home, you’ll need to take the number of BTUs from your calculation and divide it by 12,000. The resulting number is the size of the HVAC system you’ll need. Air Tech of Central Florida is trained in these calculations and can help you get the right numbers and the right size, leaving nothing to chance.
Additional Considerations
There are additional factors to consider when selecting the size of your unit. One of those considerations is humidity. Here in Florida, we experience plenty of humidity during the height of the summer season. Your home’s HVAC system has to accommodate for that humidity to keep its interior cool and comfortable at all times. That often means Florida homes require a slightly larger HVAC unit than the standard calculation would indicate.
Humidity isn’t the only issue. The type of insulation and windows you have in your home matters, too. If your windows are older, they may not do a great job at keeping the heat out and the cool air inside your home. If your insulation is insufficient, it will affect the size of the HVAC unit you’ll need.
You’ll also want to evaluate your indoor air quality! This is often overlooked, but crucial nonetheless. Indoor air quality directly affects your HVAC unit’s ability to perform efficiently. Improving your indoor air will help protect your HVAC equipment by reducing strain on the components and preventing serious pressure drops. We offer services to improve your IAQ and help in your overall air conditioning selection!
Choose the Right Size the First Time
At the end of the day, it’s critical to choose the right size HVAC unit for your Florida home. Our licensed and trained professionals can explore different unit models, their benefits, and help find a system that will fit your budget. Letting the professionals at Air Tech of Central Florida assist you with this decision will ensure that your system is the correct size, installed properly and performing reliably through the seasons.
So, if your home needs a new HVAC system, don’t wait! Contact Air Tech of Central Florida today and let us help you to make this all-important decision. We offer cooling, heating, and plumbing services as well as club membership and financing specials! Indoor air quality, ductless mini-splits and commercial services are available as well! We proudly serve the entire central Florida area, and we’ll see to it that your home is as cool as can be for this summer and the years to come! Give us a call today!
Author Bio:
Luigi Ferraro
Specializing in residential and commercial HVAC services, Air Tech offers a wide range of solutions to meet the heating and cooling needs of their customers. Their team of skilled technicians is trained to handle the installation, repair, and maintenance of HVAC systems with expertise and precision.
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