Reliable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, or HVAC, can do wonders for your home. Whether it’s keeping out the winter chill or beating the summer heat, well-maintained HVAC systems can do it all. So it’s understandable why so many homes in the United States have air conditioning systems and units installed.
But what kind of HVAC system is the best fit for your home? There are many designs and models from different companies to choose from, after all.
There are a few factors that come into play when you’re choosing the right air conditioning system. Among the most significant are the climate and the size of your house. Both of these things can help decide whether someone in Bangor should have centralized air heating or a homeowner in Knoxville should install ductless air conditioning.
Consider the Climate
The United States has many different climate zones scattered in all 50 states. The climate in seaside communities in Florida is very different from its counterparts in Connecticut or California. Generally speaking, the farther away you live from the equator, the colder the local climate becomes.
If you want to air condition your home, think about how warm or cold it gets in your area before settling on an HVAC system. If you live in New Orleans, your home would require more cooling power than someone who resides in Oregon due to your relative distances to the equator. The more cooling power an air conditioning system has, the more extensive, and expensive, it becomes. Don’t purchase an HVAC system that goes beyond what the climate of your hometown calls for, and you’ll save on high utility bills and costly installation fees.
Rooms and Square Footage
The size of your home will help you choose an HVAC system. The bigger the building, the more areas it has that require heating or cooling. You should also factor in how many people are living in the building because body heat can affect the temperature of a room. Someone living alone in a four-room apartment might not need as much cooling power as a family of four in a unit of the same size.
If you want to be more specific, you can calculate how much cooling power you need to effectively regulate the temperature of your home. Air conditioning units measure their capacity in British Thermal Units or BTUs. To find out how powerful a system you need for your home, know the area of each room you want to be air-conditioned. You could find this out by multiplying the length of the room with its width. Once you have the area, multiply this number again by 25. The results indicate the minimum BTUs an air conditioning system must have to effectively cool the room.
There are other factors, such as the cost of installation, that you must pay attention during a home improvement project like an HVAC system installation. But if you do your research and carefully consider the details, you could take comfort in the knowledge of a job well done, and in the climate-controlled environment provided by your new air conditioning system.
