How To Determine Size Of Mini Split

An HVAC installer correctly sizing your ductless heat pump is crucial for many reasons. — *An HVAC installer correctly sizing your ductless oestrus pump is crucial for many reasons.*

If you're considering a ductless estrus pump (or several) for your dwelling house, you lot may be wondering which size of organization you lot need.

Well, it's a simple question with a complicated answer. You encounter, without sending a technician to your dwelling house to perform a load calculation, we tin can't accurately tell you what size your ductless heat pump should be. Whatsoever estimate we'd give y'all here would likely be wildly inaccurate without an in-person guess, which could cause potential problems downward the road.

This commodity volition embrace what goes into sizing a ductless heat pump and why the proper size is essential. We'll review the post-obit topics:

How We Measure Ductless Heat Pump Size (Chapters)
Why It's Of import To Become the Correct Ductless Heat Pump Size
What a Load Calculation Is and Why Information technology's Essential to the Sizing Procedure

Let's start past looking at how to measure a ductless estrus pump's size in the beginning place.

Want a Minneapolis-St. Paul pro to calculate the right size for your ductless heat pump? Call (651) 228-9200 or schedule an engagement online, and nosotros'll send a technician right over. We can also provide you with upfront pricing on the cost to install a ductless rut pump.

How Nosotros Measure Ductless Heat Pump Size (Chapters)

Many homeowners assume that the "size" of a ductless (mini-dissever) Air-conditioning or heat pump refers to its physical dimensions or weight. Instead, the size of a ductless oestrus pump is a reflection of its heating/cooling capacity.

Manufacturers measure out the cooling and heating capacity of a estrus pump in British Thermal Units (BTUs). One BTU is the amount of energy required to raise ane pound of water by 1° F.

Residential mini-divide estrus pumps have BTU outputs ranging anywhere from nine,000 to 60,000. The higher the BTU output of the unit, the more cooling/heating chapters it has (i.e., the "bigger" it is). You may also encounter the BTU output of a ductless unit expressed in tonnage. 1 ton equals 12,000 BTUs.

Why Information technology's Important To Become the Right Ductless Heat Pump Size

In the beginning, we mentioned that giving an inaccurate sizing estimate could atomic number 82 to problems downward the road. We'll explain why.

Why it'southward bad to install an oversized ductless heat pump

Let's say you buy a ductless heat pump that's oversized for the infinite you lot desire to heat or cool. Because it has such a large cooling and heating chapters, the estrus pump will cool/oestrus the room speedily and so shut off.

While this may not seem similar a bad matter, information technology causes the unit to turn off and on frequently, possibly causing damage to internal components. Plus, information technology leads to hot and cold spots throughout the room because the heat pump doesn't take enough fourth dimension to broadcast air properly.

Why information technology'southward bad to install an undersized ductless estrus pump

On the other hand, allow's say you purchase an undersized ductless heat pump. An undersized heat pump volition constantly struggle to heat or cool your room to the desired temperature. Every bit a consequence, you'll experience higher energy bills because the unit of measurement runs longer than it should. Additionally, your heat pump may need frequent repairs as internal components wear out due to the longer heating/cooling cycles.

Getting a correctly-sized ductless unit will help you avoid these issues. Let'southward look at how a professional can aid yous decide the right size.

What a Load Adding Is and Why Information technology'due south Essential to the Sizing Process

HVAC technicians employ computer software to perform a load calculation. A load adding helps the technician understand the heat gains and losses of a specific room (or all the rooms) in your home. After finding how much hot or absurd air is needed to keep the infinite comfortable, the technician can recommend a ductless organization with a matching cooling/heating capacity.

A load calculation involves circuitous mathematical equations that consider more than x different factors specific to your room. Some of these factors include:

The number of doors and windows in the room
The proximity of the room to the kitchen
The climate of you live in
The square footage of the room
The amount of sunlight the room receives daily
The insulation levels of the room
The height of the ceilings
The type of flooring in the room
The usual number of occupants in the room
The type of roof your home has
And more

Practice these factors really brand a difference? Admittedly.

Examples of how much these factors tin touch sizing:

If your ceilings are over 8 feet alpine, y'all should increase your estimated BTU output by 20%.
If the room is poorly insulated, you should increase your estimated BTU by 30%.
If the temperatures in your expanse often exceed ninety° F, increase your estimated BTU by xxx%.

As you lot search for an HVAC contractor to install your mini-split system, beware of contractors who utilise rule-of-thumb estimates to determine size. One of the most egregious sizing errors is just looking at the square footage of the room. As y'all can see in the listing above, square footage is simply one of many factors determining a ductless organization's size.

Make certain the contractor you rent performs a complete load calculation. That way, you can residue assured your new ductless heat pump is the right size.

Since 1918, MSP has provided the Minneapolis area with reliable HVAC installations. — *Since 1918, MSP has provided the Minneapolis expanse with reliable HVAC installations.*

Ready for a Minnesota Professional To Help You Size Your Ductless Oestrus Pump? Contact MSP.

Call (651) 228-9200 or schedule an appointment online today. Our good technicians will perform a load calculation to help y'all determine the correct size for your new ductless arrangement. We have over a century of experience providing Minnesotans with v-star customer service, gratuitous installation estimates, and excellent craftsmanship.

Visit our ductless installation page for more information about what to expect when working with MSP Heating and Air.