DOES SIZE  MATTER??

Most homeowners do not understand that an oversized or undersized system can make for a very uncomfortable house, and increased utility costs. If a system is too small, the homeowner will be uncomfortable. Summers will be hot and winters will be cold in your indoor environment. The system will run constantly. This will lead to raised utility costs by trying to overcome the heat/cooling load.

So what now what...... The temptation is to say "let's rip that undersized system out and I want the biggest I can buy. " This too can cause a house to be uncomfortable. Especially in the South, where summers are HOT and HUMID. Our systems need to have a perfect balance of... "please cool my house", and "I need the moisture out of my house, my walls have mold." If we oversize a system in our house the temperature decreases too quickly to remove the moisture from the air. So now we end up with a really cold sticky house. This becomes a perfect breeding ground for mold. The average person is comfortable at 74 degrees if there is 50% humidity. So what does it take to achieve this perfect number? A properly sized system is attached to a duct system designed to suit your specific house parameters. 

                                          HVAC MYTHS: 

    ***To determine the proper unit size needed for a house is just easy math. You take the square footage of the house and divide that by 500. So a 2,500 sqft house/ 500= 5ton unit. Sounds good, Right?

FALSE:  This calculation does not take into account many important design factors. First, your house is more than a one-dimensional box, it's a cube. This calculation does not include ceiling heights. Does ceiling height really matter? Ask anyone with a vaulted ceiling the answer is a definite yes. Also, where does the sun rise/set on the house? What kind and how many exterior doors/windows does the house have? What type of construction materials are the doors, windows, and house made from? Yes, brick versus siding matters to your house. What type of insulation does my house have? If you have a spray foam house that changes the design parameters considerably from regular batt insulation. Hold off on cutting all the trees off your property. That changes your homes comfort levels as well. The lack of understanding of your homes "comfort" level will lead to potentially costly problems. High utility costs, high humidity, mold/mildew, premature equipment failure (IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURE'S FAULT), and COMPLETE DISCOMFORT.

    *** There is no easy way to determine that my system is/can be designed properly, Right?

FALSE: Not only is it possible, but it is also required by your local codes. The IRC( International Residential Code), all equipment manufacture's, The Alabama Board of Heating and Air Conditioning, and Energy star all require a Manual J load calculation to be performed. A what...? All contractors, on new construction houses, are required to do a load calculation. This takes into account all of your houses design parameters. Can this be done on an existing house? Absolutely, Controlled Environment can do calculations for both new and existing houses.

    *** On the hottest days of the year, my system runs constantly, this means I need a bigger system, Right?

FALSE: When bigger isn't better.......A system that is designed correctly can still have long run times in extreme conditions. All manufactures "stress test" their units to handle long run times. One of the most important things for total home comfort is 45-55% humidity. Shorter run times on your air conditioner always = high humidity.