If I had to guess what the number one question people ask me it would probably be “How big of an air conditioner would I need for ‘X’ square feet of the house?”. Of course, the next or preceding question is “How much will it cost?”
I am always intrigued with these questions. I know most people just want to know the answer; it’s kind of like they are looking for those bright yellow sale tags at your local appliance mart that tell you how many pounds of clothes you can put in that chrome plated washing machine with the price and financing options spelled out for you.
So, when my customers or people who know what I do for a living, see me here come those questions:
I have to pause and be careful what I say next because, you see, I have this tendency to answer questions with questions. (It’s annoying I know but I like to find out what is motivating the questions before I answer). I usually get the same of just a few responses to “Why do you ask?”
- “Oh, mine is getting old and I know I’m going to have to replace it soon” and sometimes in the same sentence, “and I was thinking I need a bigger one”.
- Or, “I got a price already and it seemed high”. Some times they know someone who has gotten a quote and want to compare prices.
- And, “I heard I need one ton of air conditioning per 400 square feet of space”.
Before I start let me tell you that because of the internet and exposés on the news channels, people are getting more educated about air conditioning, its functions and a wide array of products and services that are out there. I like to help educate our customers; the more they know about their home and their homes comfort system the more likely they are to choose the right equipment and options to suit their needs.
Don’t get me wrong, I sell air conditioning units. BUT, more importantly, I sell comfort. If you’re uncomfortable, you will blame your air conditioning unit and your service provider. But I have found over and over again that it’s usually not the ‘equipment’ that is to blame it is the application or installation. Now we’re not talking about the ‘bright yellow tag’ anymore.
When I ask ‘has anyone ever run a load on the home?’ I almost always get a “what’s that?” Load calculations are necessary to properly size an air conditioning system for any type of structure, and they are all different. It can be compared to a tailor that measures all your dimensions for a custom fit suit; no two are really the same.
An air conditioning system is more than just ‘the box’ too. The most important part of the ‘air conditioning system’ is the ‘air’ part; the ductwork. Before you ever consider replacing your existing air conditioning equipment make sure the ductwork is thoroughly examined and that the ‘box’ will be able to deliver the ‘air’ the ‘box’ is promising.
Without the proper amount of airflow, the ‘box’ will be in-efficient, noisy, and uncomfortable. Lack of airflow and poor duct design can also cause hot and cold rooms, dust, mildew growth on grilles and inside the equipment.
