Many times, homeowners don’t realize their AC is too small for their home until a professional evaluation. Most North Georgia and Upstate South Carolina homeowners first notice poor cooling during hot, humid weather. The real cause behind poor cooling performance could be anything from sizing to airflow, maintenance, insulation, and even ductwork. Getting a professional HVAC assessment is one of the best ways to determine if you have an undersized air conditioner for your home. In many situations, multiple factors can contribute to reduced cooling performance throughout the summer season.
Your AC Runs Almost Constantly
If your AC runs constantly, it’s a key indicator that it could be undersized for your home. An undersized air conditioner will struggle to get your home to your desired temperature setting. It’s important to know that it’s common for a lot of air conditioning systems to run long cycles during heat waves. However, if yours is running long cycles even under normal weather conditions, it’s a key sign that you likely have an undersized air conditioner. This constant operation can also place additional strain on your HVAC equipment over time.
Some Rooms Never Feel Comfortable
Another notable sign of having an AC that’s too small for your home is that you experience uneven cooling. This typically is the case in rooms furthest away from your air conditioning system, as your AC struggles to force air that far through your ducting. Getting a professional HVAC assessment is necessary whenever you experience uneven cooling because it could be due to several different issues, including sizing.
Some other causes include closed vents, ducting issues, poor insulation, and even having south-facing rooms. Rooms located above garages or directly under the roofline can also become noticeably warmer during the afternoon hours.
The Home Feels Humid Even When the AC Is On
Air conditioners help remove humidity as they cool your home. If the system cannot keep up with your cooling demands, your indoor environment may begin to feel sticky or damp even while air is blowing through your vents. Excess indoor humidity can leave your home feeling uncomfortable and warmer than the thermostat setting may indicate.
The System Struggles During Hot Afternoons
When the southern summertime weather heats up during the afternoon, many homeowners retreat indoors. Unfortunately, if you have an AC that’s too small for your home, you may experience higher indoor temperatures. A lot of the time, it can seem like your air conditioning system works just fine in the morning. However, your AC runs constantly through the afternoon and never gets your home to your desired temperature setting.
An undersized AC unit simply won’t be able to keep up with the changing temperature difference between the inside of your home and the outdoors. This can become especially noticeable during heat waves and periods of excessive humidity.
Your Energy Bills Keep Rising Without Better Comfort
Unfortunately, if you have an undersized air conditioning system, it will run for long periods while consuming excessive amounts of energy. However, you’ll still be stuck with an uncomfortably warm home. This not only leaves you uncomfortable but also with higher-than-normal utility bills.
Getting an HVAC assessment to see if you should upgrade to a different size air conditioning system can help increase your comfort and may lead to energy savings. Improving airflow and insulation can also sometimes help improve overall efficiency.
The AC Was Installed Before Home Changes Were Made
It’s fairly common for a lot of homeowners to install additions and enclosed porches. They may finish their garage, install new windows, or even change the layout of their home. Unfortunately, when a lot of these changes take place, most homeowners don’t think about their air conditioning system.
However, if your air conditioning system was properly sized for your old home before an addition, it’s likely undersized for your home with its new addition. Any increase in square footage can significantly impact your cooling demands.
Why Guessing the AC Size Can Lead to Bigger Problems
It can be easy to get frustrated thinking of an undersized air conditioner and just go purchase the biggest one you can find. However, choosing a larger unit based only on square footage or just wanting maximum cooling isn’t the best option. An oversized system can create comfort issues just like an undersized system. Oversized units will run shorter cycles and struggle to provide optimal indoor humidity control.
In fact, its short cycles will prevent it from adequately removing enough humidity from the air. This can leave your indoor environment too humid, making it feel hot and stuffy. This can, in turn, have you turning down the thermostat even more and increasing energy bills. It’s vitally important to have a professional HVAC assessment so you can get the appropriate size air conditioner for your space. Proper sizing is one of the most important parts of maintaining indoor comfort.
What a Professional HVAC Assessment Should Include
When you get a professional assessment for your home, it involves many different factors. Our technicians will evaluate your entire home, its layout, sizing, insulation, and so forth. They’ll examine your existing equipment, the state of your ductwork, and test its airflow performance.
All of these factors combine to determine the appropriate size air conditioning system for your home. This will prevent your AC from running constantly or experiencing uneven cooling conditions throughout your home. You can count on McGee Heating & Air to provide AC installation, maintenance, repairs, and replacement. We gladly service all HVAC brands, so all our customers get the assistance that they need.
Schedule AC Service With McGee Heating & Air
If you notice that your AC runs constantly, cannot keep up with your indoor humidity, or leaves your rooms hot, it may be undersized for your space. Continuing to run an undersized air conditioner can leave you uncomfortable and paying excessive energy bills. Getting a professional HVAC assessment is one of the best ways to determine the right size air conditioning system to meet your cooling needs.
McGee Heating & Air is a trusted HVAC provider serving Northeast Georgia and Upstate South Carolina, including Anderson, Easley, Taylors, Athens, Elberton, and Hartwell. We install all different types of air conditioning systems, including ductless mini-splits, Central ACs, and heat pumps. We provide financing upon approved credit to make purchasing a new unit more convenient for your budget. Simply contact McGee Heating & Air today to schedule your next professional HVAC assessment in Georgia or South Carolina.
