If a Heat Pump is Undersized or Oversized Yes, it really does. If a unit is too small, it will struggle to produce enough energy to heat and cool your home. To compensate, it will work harder to meet temperature demands, wasting energy and money or breaking down altogether.

If a heat pump is oversized for its area of operation then there are two main problems that arise; The heat pump will bring the room to temperature very quickly, which sounds good up front but the problem is that it will almost always be operating in its high power consumption mode, its “lower gears”.

An oversized heat pump will cycle quickly, causing harm to the motor. Heat pumps that are too big for your home lose efficiency and are more expensive to operate.

Not only will oversized air conditioners have short cycles, but the cycles will be frequent and cause temperature inconsistencies. An oversized air conditioning system will struggle to keep your entire home at the desired temperature and you will likely notice that certain rooms just don’t ever seem to be comfortable.

An oversized HVAC unit can make your home’s inside temperature uncomfortable. Oversized HVAC systems usually don’t run long enough for the dehumidification process to take place, resulting in cool but moisture-laden air that feels clammy and uncomfortable to most people.

How to Correct an Oversized Air Conditioner

1. Buy a stand-alone dehumidifier. If your AC system is too big for your home but you can’t afford to invest in a new one then a stand-alone dehumidifier may be a good choice for you.
2. Talk to a professional about adding ductwork.
3. Replace the air conditioner.

If your air conditioner has a bigger BTU rating than the room size needs, it will cycle off too quickly, waste energy, and will not adequately dehumidify the space. So a higher BTU than needed is definitely not recommended.

Below is a list of signs and symptoms an AC unit is too small for your home.

1. Your AC Never Stops Running.
2. Low Airflow.
3. Your Home Is Never Cool Enough.
4. Your Home Has Temperature Inconsistencies Throughout.
5. High Energy Bills.

Since an oversized AC is too powerful for your home, it will quickly cool your home then shut off, which can raise your energy bills and wear out your AC (from all the starts and stops).

BTU – British Thermal Unit – BTU is a very common term when it comes to HVAC equipment. One BTU is the amount of energy it takes to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. The higher the BTUs, the more power the system has.

An “oversized” air conditioner will cool your house quicker, but it will use more electricity and will not remove humidity adequately. Contrary to popular belief – and intuition – long AC system run cycles are far more desirable and energy efficient than short-run cycles.

A bigger air conditioner will cool the home faster. The thermostat, being on the main floor away from the walls and windows will typically be blasted with that easy cold air and will be satisfied in a matter of a few minutes.

Inside the indoor unit, warm air is cooled by the evaporator coil. Circulating inside the evaporator coil is a cold liquid called refrigerant. Refrigerant absorbs the heat from your home’s warm air and carries it to the outdoor unit. This could explain why your AC is taking so long to cool your home.

Ducts are responsible for taking cool air from your system throughout the home. Any type of faulty ductwork like improperly installed installation, or leaking or old ducts will force the HVAC unit to work harder to cool your home. Another issue could be that there is not enough ductwork reaching the second floor.