Frequently Asked Questions
Equipment Size
What size system do I need for my home?
It is important that new or replacement equipment not be sized by "Rule of Thumb" or by the existing equipment. The only accurate way to determine the correct capacity of heating and air conditioning equipment for your home is to have a heat load calculation performed on your home. This will give your dealer the heat gain and heat loss design data for your home. These figures can then be used to select the appropriately sized cooling or heating system for your home, based on equipment performance data.
Many factors determine the size (capacity) system your home requires. Some of these are:
- square feet to be cooled and heated
- climate
- humidity
- number of windows
- insulation factors
- which direction your home faces
- heat producing appliances, and
- the number of people who will be in the home.
Oversized cooling systems will not remove adequate moisture from the indoor air due to short cycling. Oversized systems quickly cool the indoor air temperature, but they do not run long enough to remove the humidity. They leave you feeling stuffy and uncomfortable. Comfort is rarely achieved and electricity consumption is higher than with a properly sized system.
An oversized furnace is similar to an oversized cooling system. The furnace run time is short, creating uncomfortable air stratification and less air filtration. Also, the frequent cycling of the unit on and off can cause undue wear and tear on internal working components.
An undersized cooling system will not adequately cool your home on the hottest days and an undersized furnace will not adequately heat your house on the coldest days.
Contact a Trane Comfort Specialist dealer through At Home Services for a heat load calculation of your home and a recommendation of the best system to meet your comfort needs.
How do I verify the size of my air conditioner or heat pump?
The capacity in tons of the outdoor unit can be determined by dividing the 7th and 8th digit of the model number by 12, such as 4TTX4036A1000A - 36 divided by 12 = 3 tons.