Sizing your central air conditioning unit can be one of the most frustrating parts of the process of installing a new air conditioner. Customers that solicit price quotes from multiple companies are routinely given different sizing recommendations and different reasonings for those sizes. So how are you supposed to know what size air conditioner you actually need? I’ll give you some simplified guidelines for how central air conditioning units are sized here in Denver, but... The bottom line is that it’s not your responsibility to try and figure out what size your central air conditioner should be. Find a company you can trust, make sure they offer 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee in writing, and let them take responsibility for sizing the unit properly! The company you choose to install your new ac unit will use a long-form calculation called a Manual J Load Calc to determine the optimal size of your new unit. But it’s understandable to want a general idea of the approximate size your central air conditioner should be without going to an engineering class, and that’s actually a pretty simple equation.

Here in Denver, you can get a rough approximation of how many tons your central air conditioner should be by dividing the square footage of your home by 600. It’s important that you not include any square footage in the basement in this calculation, regardless of whether your basement is finished or not. Dividing your home’s square footage by 600 does not work for homeowners outside the metro Denver area. The 600 figure is higher than the figure that would be used in other parts of the country because it has been adjusted upwards to account for Denver’s higher altitude. Approximate Sizing Equation For Central Air Conditioners In Denver Example: 1,500 s.f. / 600 = 2.5 ton ac unit 1,800 s.f / 600 = 3 ton ac unit 2,100 s.f. / 600 = 3.5 ton ac unit 2,400 s.f. / 600 = 4.0 ton ac unit Over 2,4000 s.f. / 600 = 5.0 ton ac unit Newer, more energy efficient homes can sometimes require slightly smaller units than the approximate sizing equation would suggest, but that depends on a number of factors related to the construction and style of home.

Please keep in mind, this gives you a general approximation on sizing for your air conditioner. Your heating and air company should attempt to fine-tune the size by performing a Manual J Load Calc. Hardwood Floors And Gas FireplaceThe load calculation may confirm that your home needs the same size as the Approximate Sizing equation produced, or it could indicate that you need a slightly smaller size.Asap Weight Loss Program If you are given a quote that recommends installing an ac unit that is more than 1/2 ton smaller than what the approximate sizing equation suggests, and that quote does not include a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee, you are taking a huge risk. Used Tires And Rims For Dodge Ram 1500It’s pretty rare that a load calculation will suggest installing a unit that is more than 1/2 ton smaller than the size you’ll get from the approximate sizing equation, but if it happens, you’ll want the contractor to make sure you have sufficient return air to handle the extra cooling capacity.

To be honest, allowing any company that doesn’t offer a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee in writing to install your new air conditioner is like rolling the dice. You have to cross your fingers and hope that they will install the correct size ac unit, as well as doing a good job on the installation itself. Without that 100% money-back guarantee you are basically on your own if there’s a problem. If you haven’t read it yet, check out our blog post titled How Does Size Affect The Cost Of A Central Air Conditioning Unit? a Basement Ventilation System Work? Moisture becomes heavier as it cools and settles to the lowest point inThat is usually the basement, or crawlspace. By pulling the moist, musty air out of the basement or crawlspace, it causes the dryer, conditioned air from above, usually the first floor, to flow down and replace the expelled air, acting like a broom in sweeping out the moist,This sweeping action of the air from upstairs is accomplished

by putting in a vent from the first floor at a point as far away from the location of the the BVS as possible. In the average home the air is completely replaced about once 1 or 2 hours with a BVS installed. To determine the rate of air exchange in your basement, multiply the length X the width X the height of your basement. Divide the result by 200, and this will tell you how many minutes it will take to change all the air in your basement with a BVS. It will save on your electrical bill, perhaps $50-$60 or more per It will change the air in your basement instead of re-circulating It never, ever, needs emptying. It will never freeze up. It is safer, healthier and quieter. It will not heat up your finished below grade basement, like a de-humidifier will in the summer time. If you leave your home to go south in the winter, or have a vacation home, it will smell better when you return. So the principle is

totally different from a de-humidifier, and is more accurately called a Ventilation and Humidity Control System and is the best alternative to a de-humidifier. You will not see any water since it does not condense it like aIt is instead removing the moist air and replacing it with dryer, conditioned air from upstairs. There are no bad effects of the air blowingSince it is controlled by a humidity sensor, this will not be aFirst of all, heat rises and you are pulling off cooler air at the lowest point in the house. Most houses in the winter have a problem with too little moisture and have to put in a humidifier. is easier to heat than moist air, so it will be easier to heat the air once the excess humidity is pulled out. If you have to use a humidifier in the winter, set the basement ventilation system at a higher humidity setting In an air conditioned house, the air conditioner is acting like a big de-humidifier, and so it

would be sending drier air into the basement, and when the basement ventilation system senses the drier air, it will slow the fan right down. Also, the reason many people who have central AC in the basement still have moisture problems is because the AC unit stops moving air as soon as the targeted temperature is reached, but this is before all the moistureSo the humidity ventilation system assists the AC to do it�s job, and drier air feels cooler, and the AC operates more efficiently. Also, since a basement ventilation system usually save at least $50 in electricity each month as compared to a de-humidifer, there is an energy savings from the first Since we need to vent out the 6� round pipe, we first try to find a clear bay between two floor joists, and make sure there are no wires or pipes in the way and go outside to check outside for obstacles. the unit is quieter than a de-humidifier and about the same noise level as a small window fan, we want to avoid putting it under the master bed.

Some people can hear the hum of motors when their head hits the pillow. If you absolutely do not want a vent installed in the floor, yes, it can operate without a vent from upstairs. will not operate as efficiently. It is highly recommended at that point to cut off the bottom of the door to the basement at least 1� high to allow some air to flow into the basement. In some installations, an 8� x 10� hole is cut into the stairwell wall into a first floor room, and covered with a finishing air grill on both sides. You should always respect the furnaces need for a large amount of air forThis is why the BVS is not to be installed any closer that 8� from a furnace or combustion type hot water heater. require a furnace installer to allow for a good air supply, and many new combustion type furnaces and hot water heater are direct vented. Since the unit draws less than one amp and uses less than 50 watts of electricity, it costs no more than leaving a light bulb on all the time.

De-humidifiers are small refrigerator compressors and are therefore costlyMold is ubiquitous, it is everywhere, and is a natural decaying material that contributes to the recycling of organic material. of control, and in excessive amounts can be detrimental. In all cases of extreme mold contamination, super simple and economical measures were not taken due to either distaste for �work� i.e. normal, regular, cleaning practices, being penny wise and pound foolish in not addressing water leakage or intrusion problems, or improper use of storage materials in needs moisture to grow and prosper, we help you to keep moisture from building up in your basement, crawlspace, by maintaining a 24/7Just as it is your responsibility to keep an eye out for crabgrass and dandelions on your lawn, and take measures to keep them from multiplying, your basement environment is your regularHowever, many customers have noticed an improvement in their basement with the use of a basement ventilation system.

Remember, you can keep introducing mold into your basement by walking over dead vegetation outside, and tracking it into you basement, or allowing dead leaves to blow into your basement, or storing planting and gardening materials inNever, ever allow particleboard shelving or plywood to be used in your basement, since that imports mold spores. cellulose and cardboard and books, etc., are 100% cellulose. if you have your basement filled with the aforementioned items and wonder why you have a mold problem. Ventilation System is perhaps the most effective tool at your disposable in the fight against mold. It will help pull mold spores out of the house, and keep them from hanging around and multiplying. If you have a serious mold contamination, you must either undertake a good thorough cleaning, fix any water leaks, including replacing any water damaged materials, including the carpet, and/or calling in a mold remediation company.

Remember, it is your vigilance and diligence that keeps you from getting Usually within a few hours of installing a system, people remark how much better their basement smells. This is because a BVS is diluting the smell existing in the basement by changing the air so frequently. However, after a BVS is installed, it is the owners responsibility to remove the sources of the odor such as old, molding cardboard boxes, rugs that have gotten wet and are now mold cultures, old clothes stuffed in an unheated, unventilated closet in the basement. This can be illustrate with clothes that have been thoroughly washed, but left in the washing machine and not put in the drier immediately. starts to cause a smell to develop very quickly, and just drying them later will not remove the odor. They must be rewashed and immediately putOr they must be hung outside to allow the natural ozone in the outside air to give them that fresh air smell.

It may also be necessary for the owner to wash all the walls and floor with a solution to kill mold that cannot be seen, but is contributing to the odor. spaces should ideally be covered with a cement dust cap or 6 mil plastic The most common word we hear back from many of our customers that had musty basements is �We love the basement ventilation system. It has done all we expected and more� Many replacement window companies have found that when they install new, expensive, tighter, replacement windows, the first winter the customers complain about their expensive windows sweating. a Basement Ventilation System the problem is corrected. contractor in Maine that installs vinyl siding told of a customer that had a new sliding patio door installed. For the following winters, she could not open the door all winter long, since an ice dam formed untilAfter the basement ventilation system was installed, she could use her sliding patio door, all winter long.