What Are Air Conditioning BTU’s?
If you’ve been looking into getting a new air conditioner, you’ve likely come across the term “BTU.” You may have guessed correctly that more BTUs means more power, but there’s also more to the story. It’s important to get the right size air conditioner for your home so that everything can work efficiently and effectively.
What Does BTU Mean?
BTU stands for British thermal units. One of these units can increase a pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. When used in reference to air conditioning units, the number of BTUs tells you how much heat a particular unit can remove from the air.
If you get a unit with not enough BTUs, it will continue to run non-stop in an effort to reach the desired temperature. Putting a unit through that kind of continual work isn’t good for its longevity, and you’ll probably be hit with high utility bills.
It’s also not a good idea to get a unit with too many BTUs. When you turn it on, it’ll quickly get your home to the set temperature and then turn off. Once things heat up again, that cycle will repeat. This process is called short-cycling, and it can lead to increased wear on your AC components.
Important Factors
There are several things to consider when picking a size for your AC. Square footage is very important, and the following factors are as well:
- Quality of insulation
- Layout of your home
- Number of windows
- Amount of shade on the home
- Ceiling height
Contact a Professional
It can be a smart idea to have a professional assess your home. That way, you’ll know you’re getting an AC with the right number of BTUs. When Vent Masters goes out to customers’ homes in the Carefree, AZ, area, we’re careful and precise as we go about our air conditioning installation services. We’ve been around since 2003, and we have experience with installations, repairs, and maintenance of both cooling and heating systems. Our team also provides indoor air quality services. Call us to set up a consultation.
