Is Your HVAC Unit or Air Filter the Wrong Size?

Your home’s HVAC unit is essential to your overall comfort, no matter the time of year. For that reason, it’s best that your unit is the right size for the overall size of your home. There’s a chance your current model is either too big or too small for your residential property, and the same applies to the air filters inside the unit.

Learn to determine whether you’re wasting money and energy on an ill-fitting unit or air filter.

Your Unit Runs Around the Clock

If your unit never seems to shut off, then it likely can’t successfully reach your desired temperature because it’s not designed for your property’s square footage. Your unit runs and runs nonstop, but you never seem to be as cool or as warm as the temperature you’ve set. If this sounds familiar, then chances are good that your HVAC model is too small.

One of the biggest issues with this particular problem is the fact that your energy bills are likely shooting straight through the roof and into the heart of your finances. You can double-check to see whether the thermostat is at the right setting. If you’d rather not (or simply don’t have the money) buy a new unit that’s the right size, look into either a mini-split system or window units to see if that helps.

Your Unit Cycles On and Off

Maybe your unit shuts off, but then it clicks right back on, continuing this cycle over and over again. This happens when your unit is too big for your property. What happens is the unit activates and reaches your desired temperature much too quickly, causing it to shut off almost as soon as it clicks on. All that shutting on and off is just as bad on your energy bill as a system that won’t shut off.

Some Rooms Are Either Much Too Hot or Much Too Cold

Your home may have odd warm or cold spots, which is a common problem when your HVAC system is undersized. What’s going on is the system can fully cool or warm some of the smaller rooms in your house, but it doesn’t have the power it needs to do the same to larger rooms. You may need to reach out to a Columbus heating and cooling company to come out and take a look at your ducts to see if your airflow can be adjusted so that you’re more comfortable.

Alternatively, you can look into zoning. That way, your system can determine specific rooms that need more cooling or heating, better ensuring energy isn’t wasted.

It Feels Uncomfortably Humid Inside Your Home

Your HVAC unit is supposed to keep your indoor humidity at a comfortable level. If your system is too large, however, it won’t operate long enough to balance out the humidity. Besides a general feeling of never quite being as comfortable as possible, your allergies can suffer as a result of there being too much or not enough moisture in the air.

You’re Having Respiratory Issues

This point touches on air filters that are the wrong size. Specifically, air filters are designed to scrub the air circulating inside your home as clean as possible. Bacteria, dust, volatile organic compounds, and other such contaminants compromise your indoor air quality. Air filters can trap these contaminants, but not if your filters are the wrong size. What’s more is that all those free-floating particles can build up inside your unit, causing premature wear and tear.

Even if your filters and HVAC unit are the correct size, you want to do everything you can to keep them in good shape. Regular maintenance, air filter cleaning or replacement, and professional inspections save you money and keep your home comfortable. Do you get the feeling your HVAC unit or air filters are the wrong size? Reach out to an HVAC professional to see if your suspicions are correct.