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sallyd0929

What size spilt hvac unit for 800 sq ft??

Sally Dean
9 years ago

We currently have an 18 year old Freon 2.5 ton split hvac upstairs system (Condenser outside/ furnace in attic). It needs to be replaced, so we had several people come out and give us quotes.

One guy came out and measured our upstairs and got 800 sq ft (which sounds about right) and said we only needed a 2 ton unit. No one else that gave us a quote said we needed a 2 ton. They all just looked at the unit we currently had and said we needed a 2.5 ton unit.

Obviously we would like to save money if possible and a 2 ton unit would be several hundred dollars cheaper, but will we notice a difference if we go from a 2.5 to a 2 ton?

The man who told us to go with a 2 ton said that if we stuck with a larger unit it can cause the unit to have hard stops and starts which is not good for the unit nor for our wallets.

We asked some of the other people who quoted us about switching to a 2 ton and some of them said we might feel a difference. We are used to the 2.5 ton, so we might notice on particularly hot days for example that we are just not as comfortable as we were with the larger unit.

Any thoughts on this? We live in South Carolina, northwest corner. I believe that's considered Zone 2. When I research it, it says we could probably even have a 1.5 ton! So, I just don't know. It's a lot of money we're spending, so I want to make the right decision.

Thanks.

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