How Is Sizing Determined for my Heating and Cooling Unit? Is the size important?
First of all, capacity is the ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given amount of space. For heating, this is usually expressed in BTUs. For cooling, it is usually given in tons. Heating and cooling systems are sized according to their tonnage. One (1) ton equals 12,000 BTU/H. Residential systems can range from 1 to 5 tons. Sizing HVAC equipment is very important in determining your ultimate levels of comfort, cost and energy use. Never oversize! Oversized equipment increases the capital cost at the time of the installation and the costs of operating the equipment. Oversized equipment will not run as frequently or as long when it does run (known as “short cycling”), which accelerates the wear and tear on your equipment. It will also not be as energy efficient as a properly matched capacity unit. On the other hand, equipment that is undersized will have to work longer and harder to meet your comfort demands during temperature extremes. This results in lower energy e
