How Many BTUs Do You Need?
When choosing a new air conditioner for your home,
it is crucial that it be sized correctly. This doesn’t
mean that the unit needs to fit within specific
dimensions, though. 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 meter 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 meters, these
recommendations typically assume that your home has
ceilings that are 2.4m high. If you have higher or
lower ceilings, this will affect the power of the air
conditioner you need.
It’s not just the dimensions of your home that matter.
The location of your home and the type of floor plan
you have will play into how many BTUs are needed. Homes
in hotter climates will require more power than those
located in colder climates. A sprawling floorplan will
require more power than a compact, two-story one. Homes
with open floor plans will also require more power than
the ones that have smaller, enclosed rooms.
How well insulated your home is will matter. If your
home is not well insulated, it will lose the cool air
much more quickly. As a result, more power is
necessary to keep up with this loss so that the unit
isn’t running constantly. Another factor to consider
is how many windows your home has. Windows don’t offer
the same insulation as actual insulation. So, if you
have several large windows in your home, you’re likely
to require more power. Even with several large windows,
however, there are things that you can do, such as
adding light-blocking or insulating curtains, to help
keep your house cool in the summer.
Does More BTUs Mean Better Cooling?
We’ve established that higher BTUs means that the air
conditioner is more powerful. However, this doesn’t
mean that you should automatically go for the
largest unit you can find. In the case of air
conditioners, bigger does not necessarily mean better.
If your air conditioner is too powerful, it will
cool your home too quickly. While this might sound
like a fantastic thing at first, it’s pretty bad.
In addition to cooling your home, your air conditioner
also removes moisture. If it cools too quickly, that
means it shuts off immediately, which means your AC
doesn’t have time to remove moisture from the air.
Additionally, when it cools too quickly, this means
that it will cycle on and off more often to keep your
home to its set temperature. This means that your
unit is at risk for wearing out and breaking down
much sooner than you may have anticipated.
What Happens if You Don’t
Have Enough BTUs?
On the other hand, having an air conditioner with
too few BTUs is also problematic. Without enough
power, your air conditioner will constantly be
running to keep your home cool. Not only will
this cause your air conditioner to wear out much
faster (resulting in replacement sooner than you
might have anticipated), but you will also be
paying a lot for your electrical bill.
When choosing a new air conditioner, BTUs is a very
crucial component to consider. You can calculate
the necessary number of BTUs you need yourself, but
for the best results, it is always best to consult
with a professional HVAC technician.
