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For homeowners · HVAC Sizing Check
Is your AC the right size?
A bedroom that never cools down, a unit that turns on and off every few minutes, a house that feels damp. Sometimes the system just doesn't match the house. We run a Manual J on your home and check the equipment you already have against Manual S limits, so you know where you stand before you replace anything.
Hablamos español.
Signs to look for
When the size may be the problem.
Each of these can come from other things too: dirty filters, leaky ducts, low refrigerant, a bad thermostat. The Sizing Check tells you if the size of the equipment is part of it.
Rooms that never get comfortable
One room stays hot in summer or cold in winter while the rest of the house is fine. Or the whole house can't keep up on the hottest days.
Bills that seem high
Your energy bills look high for the size of the house, and the system runs a lot without making it much more comfortable.
The unit turns on and off a lot
It starts, runs a few minutes and shuts off, over and over. That short cycling is common when the equipment is too big for the house.
A house that feels damp
It's cool but sticky, windows fog up or there's a musty smell. A unit that shuts off too soon doesn't run long enough to pull the moisture out.
What the Sizing Check is
Your house's load, next to your equipment.
First we calculate how much heating and cooling your house needs, room by room, with ACCA Manual J in Wrightsoft. Then we look up the model numbers of your outdoor and indoor units and check their capacity against the Manual S limits for that load.
You get a short report for each system: it passes, it's oversized or it's undersized, with the numbers behind it. It's done online from your photos and plans. We don't visit the house, and we don't sell or install equipment.
- MJManual J for your houseHeating and cooling load for each room and for the whole house.
- MSYour equipment checkedThe capacity of the units you have, compared with the Manual S limits for those loads.
- PDFA result per systemPasses, oversized or undersized, in a PDF you can share with your HVAC contractor.
- –Not includedPicking new equipment, duct design (Manual D) and the ENERGY STAR report. Those come with the upgrade below.
What we need
Two photos per system and the house.
Send what you have with the request. If something is missing or a photo is hard to read, we'll ask before we start.
- OUTOutdoor unit nameplateThe label on the AC or heat pump outside, with the model and serial numbers.
- INIndoor unit nameplateThe label on the furnace or air handler, usually in a closet, the attic or the garage.
- SYSSystems and roomsHow many systems the house has and which rooms each one serves. "Upstairs" and "downstairs" is often enough.
- PLNPlans or measurementsFloor plans if you have them. If not, room sizes, ceiling heights and window sizes. A clear hand sketch works.
- ADRAddressFor the local weather data and which way the house faces.
Nameplate photos
How to take a photo we can read.
The model number tells us the capacity of the unit. If we can read it in the photo, we don't have to come back to you for it.
- 01
Find the label
Outside, it's a metal or vinyl sticker on the side or back of the unit. Inside, it's on the furnace or air handler, often on the cabinet door.
- 02
Get light on it
Daylight or your phone's flashlight. If the flash glares off the label, take it from a slight angle.
- 03
Fill the frame
Get close enough that the model and serial numbers fill most of the photo. Hold still and tap the screen to focus.
- 04
Zoom in to check
Before you send it, zoom in. If you can read every letter, so can we. Add one photo of the whole unit too.
Don't remove panels or open anything with power to it. If the label is behind a panel or in a spot that isn't safe to reach, send a photo of what you can see. The model number is also on the installation papers or the invoice from your HVAC contractor.
Price and delivery
One price, and a way forward if it doesn't pass.
Starting prices cover up to 2,000 sq ft. Delivery counts in business days from the moment we have the photos and plans and you've accepted the estimate. You pay once, when you accept it. Your final price is in the estimate.
HVAC Sizing Check
- Manual J plus your equipment checked against Manual S limits
- +$0.06 per sq ft over 2,000
- +$75 per additional system
- Delivered in 2 to 3 business days
If it doesn't pass
- Move up to Manual J & S (from $210) to pick equipment that fits
- Or the HVAC Design Package (from $395) with the ducts too
- What you paid for the Sizing Check counts toward it
- Your contractor quotes the new equipment from our report
Sizing Check questions
Before you send the photos.
What is an HVAC Sizing Check?
It's a Manual J load calculation for your house plus a check of the equipment you already have against the Manual S limits for that load. You find out if each system passes, is oversized or is undersized.
Will it lower my energy bills?
The Sizing Check doesn't change anything in the house by itself, and we can't promise savings. It tells you if the equipment fits the house. If it doesn't, you and your HVAC contractor can decide what to do with real numbers in hand.
Do you come to my house?
No. We work online from your nameplate photos and your plans or measurements. That's how we can take homes anywhere in Texas and the rest of the US.
I don't have plans. Can I still order one?
Yes. Send room sizes, ceiling heights and window sizes. A clear hand sketch with measurements works. If we need more, we'll ask before we start.
I can't find the nameplate or can't read it.
Send a photo of the whole unit and of what you can see. The model number is also on the installation papers or the invoice from whoever installed it. Don't remove panels to reach a label.
What happens if my system doesn't pass?
You can move up to Manual J & S, which picks equipment that fits your house, or to the full HVAC Design Package with the ducts. You pay only the difference: what you paid for the Sizing Check counts toward it.
How long does it take?
2 to 3 business days, counted from the moment we have the photos and plans and you've accepted the estimate. We usually send the estimate within one business day.
How do I pay?
You pay once, when you accept the estimate: online by card or ACH, or by Zelle, bank transfer or check. The work starts as soon as you pay.
Do you sell or install equipment?
No. AG3 does HVAC design only. We don't sell equipment, so the result doesn't depend on selling you a new unit. Your HVAC contractor does the installation.
¿Hablan español?
Sí. Llámanos al (940) 252-4917 o escríbenos a [email protected].
Check your system
Find out if your AC fits your house.
Send the nameplate photos and the plans or measurements. We'll send the estimate back.
Hablamos español.