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5 simple steps to find the right size air conditioner

What size air conditioner do you need? Find out here

Key considerations

  • Size of your room matters
  • Location, orientation and roof insulation impact the aircon performance significantly
  • The right size of the aircon is important for efficiency and low running costs

When it comes to air conditioners, bigger isn't always better. You need to find the size that is perfect for your needs. In this blog post, we will walk you through five simple steps to finding the capacity you need for your air conditioner. So whether you are replacing an old unit or buying one for the first time, follow these steps and you'll be sure to get the perfect aircon size!

Step One: Find Out the Square Footage of Your Home

The first step to figuring out what size aircon you need is to measure your home. Measure the ceiling height, length and width of each room in your house, then multiply them together. That will give you the square footage for that room.

If there are any parts of a room where an air conditioner would not be effective (such as a garage or pantry), subtract those from your total square footage number before adding up all other rooms in your home to get a final number for how large your house is overall.

Step Two: Choose an Air Conditioner Type Based on Your Usage

If this sounds confusing just think back to when you were younger and played with different types of blocks. Remember how some blocks came in sets that had one type? These are called “single-room air conditioners.” If they have multiple types (such as two or three), those are known as “multi-room air conditioners.”

For example, a single-room aircon might be good for your bedroom because there is only one entrance into the room but it wouldn't work if you wanted to cool down an entire house full of rooms at once. A ducted air conditioner would work great if you need to cool your entire home or office. Instead of having multiple air-conditioning units for multiple rooms, a ducted aircon would work like a charm.

Step Three: Find Out The Aircon Size You'll Need

Air conditioning units come in different sizes, so this step will help determine which size aircon unit best fits your needs. The larger the air conditioning unit, generally speaking, the more powerful it is and thus faster at cooling down rooms than smaller ones would be.&nbsp

If you have a house that's over 2000 square feet in size then an AC unit with 2.5-5kW might work best for your needs--just make sure to measure everything out before making any decisions!

Step Four: Pick An Aircon Brand With Good Reviews

This step should come as no surprise after all these other steps. When buying an air conditioner, there are two things you want to look for when choosing your brand: reviews from experts (such as those provided by Consumer Reports) and feedback given by customers who have bought similar products before—these will help guide you towards making an informed decision about a particular model.

Step Five: Check For Aircon Installation Services In Your Area

Look for licensed and trusted aircon installers in your area. A DIY installation might void your warranty and it is best to hire an experienced technician to safely install the unit.

Why does the capacity matter?

The size of the aircon unit affects a plethora of factors - the cost of installation, repairs & maintenance; efficient cooling, and lastly operating costs.

Too big a unit will have to work harder to achieve the desired temperature. This will:

  • Increase the energy use and running cost
  • Make the room either too hot or too cold
  • The room will feel uncomfortable as your aircon wouldn't be able to dehumidify the air
  • Deteriorate the unit faster and decrease its lifespan

An undersized unit will have to work harder to achieve the desired temperature. It will keep on running without significantly cooling the space. This will:

  • Put strain on the system and increase wear and tear
  • More energy usage and high utility bills

And why are location, orientation and insulation important?

Orientation - A room facing north or west will let more heat in and require more energy to cool down the room compared to a south-facing room. It won't get direct sunlight and require less energy to keep it cool.

Location - Cooler places like Hobart and Canberra will require a less powerful aircon than hot regions like Brisbane and Darwin.

Insulation - Insulating your home, i.e the roof and windows can prevent your home from getting too hot in summers and too cold in winters. Insulation slows down the rate of heat gain in summers and heat loss in winters. Plus, a well-insulated home prevents mould and mildew from damaging your home and your health! Without proper insulation, your home would require more energy to stay cool in summer. But it will also damage your aircon in more than one way. For example:

  • Your aircon will get mould
  • The filters will get dirt and debris
  • You may even see ice forming on your aircon

One quick way to get the right-sized aircon

The team at All Purpose Air Conditioning is here to help. We will give you the expert advice you can count on!

We provide services in Brisbane, Gold Coast and surrounds. Chat with our team on 1300 405 295 or complete our online enquiry form.