Regardless of the heat you get from any ventilation method, purchasing an air conditioner should not be a sloppy process.
It’s an expensive, long-term commitment that has major impacts on both your electricity bill and comfort levels – so it’s important that you do your research and read well before purchasing one.
In addition, if you are going to use it in winter as well (in fact, air conditioning is the most efficient way to heat your home), choosing the right type from a beauty store is very important.
In a hot country like the Kingdom, it is tempting to choose the largest air conditioner you can buy, but bigger is not always better.
So how do you know what capacity you need?
We’ll walk you through this guide.
How do I calculate the capacity of the air conditioner I need?
Although room size is an important consideration, every home is different, and there are many other factors that will affect your HVAC capacity requirements.
“Take some time to evaluate the room and figure out what size air conditioner you need,” says Chris Barnes, air conditioning expert at Choice.
“I saved hundreds of money on my last air conditioner purchase by calculating that the smaller capacity model would fit in my home.”
These four things have the biggest impact on the size of the AC unit you will need.
When you use an air conditioner size calculator, you’ll get a more accurate estimate if you can factor in as many of these details as possible.
Room size: What is the length, width, and ceiling height?
Although floor space is important, so is the overall size – a room with high ceilings will require more energy to cool.
Insulation: Are the ceilings and walls insulated? What is under and above the room?
Roof insulation is one of the biggest factors in making your home thermally efficient.
Location: Where do you live?
A room in a hot area will need more powerful air to cool than a room in a cooler area.
Orientation: In which direction is the room facing?
A large north or west-facing window can let in a lot of heat in the summer,
while a shaded, south-facing window will be cooler.
Air conditioner size calculator
Look for a calculator that takes all the details of the room into account, including window size,
shading, window coverings, and local insulation.
The more information you can include, the more accurate the calculation will be.
And you can use the calculators found on the manufacturer’s and installer’s websites.
The size of air conditioner you need depends on where you live
The climate you live in will have a big impact on your air conditioning requirements –
you’ll need a more powerful unit in places that tend to get hot and overly humid.
While in sunny cities you need a much larger cooling unit, and you need another unit in cooler cities.
Why you should choose the right size
We recommend that you do a careful calculation so that you don’t end up with a system that is significantly over or under sized,
don’t be tempted to go smaller to save money, or larger to make your home cooler.
You can always use different sized units throughout your home for maximum efficiency –
a larger unit in the living room and smaller units in the bedrooms and study.
Here’s what can happen if you upsize your air conditioner or if it’s undersized:
Too Large: The unit may run repeated short cycles to reach the target temperature.
This could mean:
The room becomes very hot or cold
The unit is not removing moisture from the air enough
Increases energy use
Increased operating costs
More wear and tear on the system.
Too Small: The unit may have to operate at maximum output more often, this can mean:
The unit dries the air too much
More wear and tear on the system
Increases energy use.
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