Having an air conditioning unit provides extra comfort to yourhomes and may be considered a necessity — especially during the summer. It reduces humidity, which is unpleasant, promotes mold-producing moisture, allergies, and other nuisances. With an AC, you can filter the air and make your homes more livable and comfortable.

Choosing the Best AC Unit for your Home

There are a few things to consider before installing an HVAC in your home. First, you need to determine the size of the space you want to cool and the height of your ceilings. For ceilings above eight feet, the British thermal units (BTU) should be increased by 25 percent. If the area gets more heat from the sun or is heavily shaded, consider increasing or decreasing the capacity to at least 10 percent.

Assessing your needs is another factor to consider. Do you live in a mobile home? Or a 2-story single family home or a condominium? How cold do you want your home to be? Do you need the window-type unit, the split AC system, or central air conditioning? Find out the benefits ofeach type of system to help youdecide which one to install in your home.

If you’ve just bought a new home and your HVAC unitisn’t doing the job, there may be a reason for it, such as incorrect installation by professionals. Homebuilders, on the other hand, are also cost-conscious and sometimes skimp on the size of your home’s HVAC system.

Before you hire a professional to fix your system, here are some reasons your HVAC may not be working as well as it should:

1. Not enough returns to feed air back into the system

Insufficient returns limit the air heated or cooled by your HVAC system. To determine whether this is the problem, you will need to do an inspection of the return air and make sure it’s efficiently working. You may need to temporarily open the air handler cover and see if it lacks adequate airflow. To alleviate the problem, you’ll need to consider adding ducts and return air inlets to increase the airflow.

2. Needs a zoning system to correct hot/ cold spots in portions of the house

If you only have one HVAC system installed for a 2-story or 3-story home, some of the rooms may feel colder than the others. The reason being is the lack of temperature monitoring in different rooms. The zoning system lets your HVAC read separate thermostats, thus providing the right cooling to various locations. For the zoning system to work, ensure there are no major air leaks in the homes. Leaks are a waste of energy and your money.

3. Poorly placed compressor

Your compressor’s performance greatly depends on where you place it. There are cases when the builder put the compressor under a wooden deck behind the house. This location prevents the compressor from getting the airflow it needs to do its job correctly. Consider the room temperature and make sure it’s cool enough. Compressors produce their own heat, and additional heat could shut it down. Should you decide to put it in anenclosed space, install an exhaust fan to keep air out and allow fresh air to enter.

4. Under-sized HVAC that can’t cool your square footage

The most apparent sign your HVAC isn’t working well is if your home includes under-sized equipment. Although insulation and temperature outdoors are factors that affect cooling, you may have an under-sized HVAC for a large space.If it’s too small, it won’t be able toregulate the temperature for your whole house adequately. To determine the right HVAC system for your home, identify the square footage of the home, determine the unit’s base BTU, and consider the impact of low or high ceilings.

In Case of Emergency

If your HVAC fails and still isn’t fixed, consider renting a spot cooler for emergency air conditioning. AC rentals are effortless to install and are energy efficient too. They can be the perfect solution to your temporary problems.

When the hot temperatures hit, make sure your home is prepared for it. Get professional builders who can correctly and adequately install HVAC systems to avoid future problems, and have a backup plan in place to deal with unexpected system failures.

RS Andrews is a full-service plumbing, HVAC, and electrical company that has been servicing in your area for many years. We provide top-quality services at affordable prices.