What Are the Signs That a Heat Pump Is Too Small for a House?

There are a lot of reasons why your HVAC system might be underperforming and costing you money. One of the far too common reasons that’s attributable to poor system design and recommendations from shoddy HVAC companies is the size of your heat pump. A heat pump is a type of HVAC system installed outside of your home that, unlike an air conditioner, can circulate either hot and cold air throughout your home depending on the mode you set.

Having the wrong size heat pump can lead to increased energy costs, uneven heating and cooling distribution and more frequent system breakdowns, which makes prompt and targeted repairs from an HVAC professional crucial.

How Can You Tell If Your Heat Pump Is Too Small or Too Big?

A heat pump that’s too small for your home will run constantly but won’t be able to output adequate warmth or cool air for your home, leading to high energy bills with little benefit. An oversized heat pump may short cycle, turning on and off in rapid succession. This can create a temperature imbalance in your home, where spots between rooms are either too hot or too cold.

In addition to putting a lot of extra strain on a system and shortening its lifespan, short cycling is also a distracting annoyance.

Elevated indoor humidity can be a symptom of either an oversized or undersized heat pump. Either situation can increase your home’s humidity levels due to a lack of power and effective cycling respectively.

If you notice any of these signs, the experienced HVAC technicians at Tom’s Mechanical Inc. will work fast to restore your home to a comfortable temperature, performing a load calculation to ascertain what size heat pump your home requires and installing it promptly.

What Is a Load Calculation?

A load calculation is a detailed assessment utilized to figure out what size heat pump a building requires to ensure efficient heating and cooling. In load calculation, an HVAC technician takes assiduous measurements of your home, including its square footage, ceiling height, the number of doors and windows and how many people are living there. They will then compare this to the building’s heat and cool load.

The heat load is calculated by assessing the amount of heat lost through the cracks and openings in your home – walls, windows, doors, etc. – during cold weather. In contrast, the cool load is determined by assessing the amount of heat entering the building through windows or from the heat emitted by people and appliances inhabiting the space. Depending on the size and layout of your home, the technician may need to calculate the heat and cool loads of each room.

Your HVAC specialist will calculate the heating and cooling needs of your space in terms of BTUs, or British Thermal Units. A BTU measures the amount of energy required to raise or lower the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. These calculations will determine the appropriate size of heat pump needed to efficiently maintain comfortable temperatures in your home.

The HVAC technician will combine your home’s measurements and BTU values into the Manual J calculation to arrive at your home’s total load calculation. This tends to look this:

(House Square Feet) x (Ceiling Height)

• (Number of Occupants) x 100 BTU
• (Number of Doors Leading to Exterior) x 1,000 BTU
• (Number of Windows) x 1,000 BTU

They’ll perform this formula for your home’s heating and cooling values to determine the appropriate output for your heat pumps. If your heat pump is adequately sized, they’ll ensure your ductwork is properly designed, insulated and sealed to prevent seepage.

We’ve Been Repairing and Replacing Heat Pumps for Arlington Homeowners for Over 60 Years

The team at Tom’s Mechanical Inc. is here to help Arlington homeowners maximize their comfort indoors with minimal costs. If you suspect that your heat pump is not the right size for your home, our expert technicians can perform a thorough load calculation to determine the best course of action that takes your needs and budget into consideration.

Whether you need HVAC maintenance, repair or installation of a new system, we have the experience and expertise to provide customized solutions that effectively restore your HVAC system to proper working order. Call (817) 277-4493 or reach us online to schedule a home visit and receive a free HVAC system replacement quote from one of our professionals today.