Recommended Heat Pump Size and Why It Matters
Heat pumps do exactly as they say; they pump heat in one direction or the other, out of your home in the summer and into your house in the winter. But what size do most homes need, and why does that matter?
Risks of Too-Small and Too-Large Heat Pumps
The most significant risk of getting a heat pump that’s too small for your home is that it simply will not be able to do the job, and you will be left too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.
Conversely, if yours is too large – i.e. too powerful – for your property, the issue becomes that it may engage in short cycling, which means that it frequently turns off and on as it reaches the desired conditions way too quickly. This can damage or otherwise shorten its lifespan.
Factors That Determine the Size That Is Best for You
The number of Btu (British thermal units per hour) determines the size of a heat pump. Note that 12,000 Btu is equal to a ton.
A very rough estimate of the Btu that you need to properly heat and cool your home can be achieved by dividing your square footage by 500. In many cases, this figure will be between 18,000-60,000 Btu or 1.5-5 tons. However, you never want to simply use that number without further analyzation.
The reason why you should adjust that figure up or down is because several other factors also affect how much power will be necessary to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. Here are a few examples.
Ceiling Heights
Yes, your home’s square footage should be considered, but a more accurate way to think of it is to view this much more so in a 3D manner, and a way to account for that is to also consider the heights of your ceilings.
Window Sizes, Types and Sunlight
Window sizes and the quantity of them are important to take into account for one main reason. The larger they are and the more of them there are, the more likely it is that your insulation is poor, resulting in your cooling system working harder in the summer and your heating system overworking in the winter.
Also, if you have single-pane windows, you should get a more powerful heat pump in comparison to if they were instead double- or triple-pane.
The amount of sunshine that hits those windows is a factor as well. If it is considerable, this will result in greater power being necessary in the summer but less in the winter.
Doors, Ductwork and Overall Insulation
Is outside air regularly getting into your home through tiny gaps in your doors, ductwork and elsewhere? Poor insulation will result in you needing more power to be comfortable and paying higher energy bills.
You may want to get a home energy audit that identifies and helps you determine how to rectify air leaks that are occurring in your home before you turn your attention to the best heating and cooling system for you.
Your Climate
Of course, your climate will play a significant role in this calculation, and make sure to not only account for average temperatures in the summer and winter but also what the extremes tend to be. In fact, the latter is the more important of those two factors.
Heat Already in Your Home
Any heat that is already in your home will increase the power that you need in the summer and decrease that workload in the winter. Examples include appliances, electronics and the typical number of people who are home at any given time.
What Is Your Preferred Temperature?
What temperature do you and others in your home prefer? The lower this is in the winter and the higher it is in the summer will reduce how much power is necessary.
Impact of Cold Weather
Heat pumps work in all conditions, including when it is below freezing, but when the outdoor temperature drops to well below freezing, they can struggle to work as effectively as they otherwise would. However, the latter circumstances never occur in Miami so is not a concern for homeowners here.
Pros Know How to Size Heat Pumps
Professionals who are experienced with installing heat pumps in your area know how to take into account all of these factors and others, such as how air is circulated in various structures and where the unit should be placed, in determining what the best size is for any individual home.
If you are considering getting this type of heating and cooling system installed, reach out to One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating in Miami, FL. We will take into account each of the above factors and recommend a size that best fits your circumstances. Also keep in mine that our skilled technicians will always be on time, or you don’t pay a dime.
