Shopping for a new air conditioner can be overwhelming and confusing because a lot of factors go into the actual purchase. In order to make the right purchasing decision, you need to familiarize yourself with the features and specifications of an air conditioner, such as tonnage.
Tonnage is one of the most confusing jargons in the HVAC industry. The term has nothing to do with weight, and everything to do with a new air conditioner’s capacity. It refers to the amount of heat the new air conditioner can remove from a house within one hour.
For example, one tonnage has the capacity to remove 12,000 British thermal units (BTUs) in the span of an hour. The more tonnage a unit has, the larger its capacity to cool hot air.
Where Did the Term Tonnage Come From?
In the old days, the term “ton” was originally used to measure the amount of winter ice harvested from rivers and lakes. Before the advent of the modern air conditioner, these blocks of ice were very effective at extracting heat from air and were used quite often to cool a hot home. Thus, the blocks of ice that cooled the heat within homes were measured by their weight through tons.
How to Match Your House with a New Air Conditioner
While calculating BTUs and tonnage is not exactly rocket science, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered for new air conditioner sizing. It would be a mistake to simply compute the tonnage required on a room based on square footage alone, as every home is created unique and different.
The best way to accurately size a new air conditioner is to do a load calculation. This is known within the HVAC industry as a Manual-J calculation, and is the protocol used to measure the amount of tonnage needed in a home. Some of the factors that come into play when doing a Manual-J calculation for a new air conditioner are: the temperature and humidity regularly experienced in your home in St. Louis, the quality of insulation your house has, your homes orientation towards the sun, the number and sizes of windows, and the number of occupants.
Learn More About the Tonnage Required for Your New Air Conditioner
Admittedly, all of these variables can be a lot to take in at first glance. It is only with the help of a seasoned pro that can you come up with an accurate tonnage and load calculation which you can use to get a new air conditioner that is just the right size. This is where Galmiche & Sons comes in to the picture. We will figure the load calculation on your behalf and guide you to a new air conditioner that will be a perfect fit.
For all of your St. Louis heating & air conditioning needs, please give us a call at 314-993-1110.
