Service Providers say that an undersized HVAC unit may:

• Increase energy costs
• Fail to properly heat or cool the home
• May cause the premature failure of components

“Tonnage” is the unit of measurement that describes the cooling capacity of an air conditioning system, and for each ton, the typical HVAC unit can cool 500-600 square feet of living space. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. To confirm that the home is equipped with a properly sized HVAC system, an industry recognized “load calculation” may be necessary, which takes into consideration several factors beyond square footage (e.g., number of windows, ceiling height, sun exposure, etc.). That said, a quick calculation based on the square footage may help determine whether an HVAC system is at least in the ballpark. TIP: Consider crunching the numbers if you are considering buying or selling a home where the original square footage has been increased… it might require a more powerful HVAC system!