Most people don't have any trouble understanding that an undersized commercial air conditioner will make it difficult to keep your business cool. Yet not as many people consider that oversized AC units can be just as problematic. If you would like to learn more about how an oversized air conditioner can undermine its own usefulness, read on. This article will present two compelling reasons.

You'll end up paying more to operate it.

At first glance, this may not make much sense. Common logic would seem to suggest that the larger the air conditioner, the more efficient it will be at cooling. Yet the abbreviated cycle times of an oversized AC unit actually will end up costing more because the machine will end up turning on and off with a much greater frequency.

This leads to what are known as cycling losses. To understand the relationship between cycling losses and decreased efficiency, it helps to compare your commercial AC to that of an automobile. Cycling losses are equivalent to the greater amount of gasoline consumed during periods of stop-and-go traffic. Though driving at a highway speed ostensibly requires a greater energy supply, the car is able to utilize the supply of gasoline much more efficiently than it would in stop-and-go traffic.

Not only will the short cycle times of an oversized air conditioner increase the cost of operation, but they will also put more stress on the components of your system. This will hasten the rate of wear and burnout, meaning you may find yourself having to replace the compressor and other costly parts much sooner than you should.

Your indoor air quality will decrease.

Those short cycle times will also end up causing problems for the air inside of your business. The fact that the AC won't be running for as long at any given time means that it won't be able to perform one of its most important secondary functions: filtering the air. This leads to an increase of dust, pollen, and other airborne contaminants. Likewise, there will be a greater proportion of unwanted microorganisms such as mold spores and dust mites this way.

Your air-conditioner system is also responsible for controlling the humidity inside of the building. An oversized air conditioner won't be as effective at lowering the moisture level, thanks to the fact that it will only process a small amount of the total air supply before shutting off again. Elevated moisture levels inside of your HVAC system will only exacerbate problems such as mold and mildew growth. 

Talk to an HVAC contractor such as C & D Cooling & Heating Co to find out what size of unit is right for your business.