A summer without air conditioning would be hard to endure, especially in the southeastern U.S. where the heat and humidity are both off the charts. An air conditioner not only cools the air inside your home but it also helps dehumidify the air, which can protect your home from mold and mildew. If you’re considering the purchase of a new air conditioner for your home, it may be tempting to get the biggest one you can afford. However, it’s important to have your home evaluated by an expert in Residential Air Conditioning in Jackson MS to determine the right size for your house.
An air conditioner is sized according to tonnage. In air conditioning terms, a ton is related to how much cooling it’s able to do. One ton, for example, can cool 12,000 British thermal units (BTUs) in an hour. (A BTU is based on the energy required to cool a pound of water by a single degree Fahrenheit.) But what does that tell you about the size you need? In general, a one-ton air conditioner can cool an average of 500 square feet inside your home. This number can vary a good bit depending on how your house is designed. Residential air conditioning units come in sizes from 1 to 5 tons, and some houses may need more than one system to cover all the areas.
The right size air conditioner for your house is not too big and not too small. If your air conditioner is too big for your house, it will turn on and cut off regularly. Not only does cycling on and off use too much energy but it also does a poor job of controlling humidity, which is one of the most important things an air conditioner does for your house. On the other hand, if your air conditioner is too small, it will run all the time without keeping you as cool as you want to be. Any inefficiency in your air conditioning system will cost you more in energy every month.
You can come up with a ballpark estimate of the size of air conditioner you need based on the square footage of your house and the climate where you live. However, there are many other factors related to the construction of your home and your comfort needs that have to be taken into consideration. For more information about Residential Air Conditioning in Jackson MS, visit .
