First, we’ll start by saying that if you’re planning on installing an air conditioner, either for a new home or as a replacement system, you must not do the job as a DIY project, nor should you hire an amateur to do it. You need professionals for many reasons, and one of them is that they’ll help you avoid mistakes such as this one…

Purchasing the Largest Air Conditioner You Can Afford

This is possibly the biggest mistake that a homeowner can make when trying to decide on what air conditioning system to install. The error of thinking that a more powerful system will automatically be better is common, and honestly it is understandable. A powerful air conditioner should be able to handle any amount of heat, and when the heat is less intense, the air conditioner can simply be adjusted accordingly.

But this is a misunderstanding of how an air conditioner works. An AC needs to be “sized” by a professional so that it’s neither too large nor too small, because either will create problems.

Why Is “Too Big” a Problem?

It’s easy to see why an undersized AC won’t deliver. What’s the problem with an oversized AC?

It’s called short-cycling. When an air conditioner is too powerful for the space it is supposed to cool, it will so rapidly drop the temperature that the thermostat will erroneously register that the AC’s compressor has done its job. The compressor will shut down before completing the cooling cycling. The temperature in the space will quickly heat up again, causing the compressor to turn back on, only to shut down again soon after… and the process repeats and repeats and repeats.

As you can probably imagine, this places immense strain on the compressor and the other parts of the air conditioner. It also wastes power, since the start-up cycle is when the compressor draws on the most amps. Short-cycling results in a prematurely failed air conditioning that will cost far too much to run during its short life.

The moral of this story is what we stated at the start of this blog: when it’s time to install a new air conditioning system, call on professionals for the job!

Bud Matthews Services offers great air conditioning installation in Durham, NC.