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One unit vs two for HVAC
Posted on 4/5/19 at 10:05 am
Posted on 4/5/19 at 10:05 am
I am building a house and looking for some input on my HVAC setup. I have a manual J calculation that shows I need 4 tons to heat and cool my 3100 sf living area home. Its a single story, open concept, split floor plan. What says the H&G board on going with one 4 ton unit or 2, 2-ton units. Pros and cons
6
Posted on 4/5/19 at 10:14 am to snake2985
What is the price difference and the recommended spit on tonnage? Is it 2 ton/ 2 ton or 2.5/1.5 or something else?
Posted on 4/5/19 at 10:19 am to snake2985
It depends on how your usage will be in the house IMO. We have a two story with no bedrooms upstairs. Only guest room and bonus rooms. So we have two units so we don’t always have to heat/cool up there. Will a portion of your house be used like our upstairs?
Posted on 4/5/19 at 10:28 am to VanRIch
There is one room that is off by itself, around 250 square feet, but I don't think its enough space for its own unit.
Posted on 4/5/19 at 11:38 am to snake2985
If you’re really only going with a 4T unit for that size house, then there’s no reason to split it IMO. There’s a huge cost disadvantage to having 2 2T units.
In general, like VanRich said, if the split is based on usage it makes a lot of sense. For example, bedrooms split from main living area.
In general, like VanRich said, if the split is based on usage it makes a lot of sense. For example, bedrooms split from main living area.
Posted on 4/5/19 at 11:43 am to snake2985
Either is fine when designed right.
Whether you go single system or two systems make sure you have a thermostat in the master bedroom.
Are you wanting zones?
Whether you go single system or two systems make sure you have a thermostat in the master bedroom.
Are you wanting zones?
Posted on 4/5/19 at 11:46 am to snake2985
We have two. My house was originally outfitted with one. Either a 4/5 ton. You can tell by the returns in the basement that they had a larger air handler in there at some point. There’s a basement, main level, and then a half story upstairs. The other half under the roof up there is attic space. A previous owner put a small heat pump in. There is still duct work and vents upstairs from the downstairs unit. Basically I only run the upstairs in the summer in the evenings to help cool it down before the kids go to bed up there. I was having the main unit serviced a couple of years ago and the guy said I probably have a few more years in it, but he recommended replacing with a 4/5 ton since the duct work is fine and leave the heat pump as a backup for upstairs. Or additional AC for those dog days of summer.
Also my parents built in the early 2000s and put in two. Most of us were off at college and my little sis was about to be. They planned it so we all had a small bedroom to stay in when we came home but they could shut that wing off when we were gone.
I like having two because the chances of both breaking down at the same time is fairly small. But it really only makes sense if the house is set up so that you can adjust each units usage based on how people are living there. You can get by a few days with ceiling fans if it does go out and it can’t be repaired the same day.
Also my parents built in the early 2000s and put in two. Most of us were off at college and my little sis was about to be. They planned it so we all had a small bedroom to stay in when we came home but they could shut that wing off when we were gone.
I like having two because the chances of both breaking down at the same time is fairly small. But it really only makes sense if the house is set up so that you can adjust each units usage based on how people are living there. You can get by a few days with ceiling fans if it does go out and it can’t be repaired the same day.
Posted on 4/5/19 at 3:15 pm to snake2985
i wish i had 2. I'm in south Louisiana in a 2350 living house with one 5 ton. It's already under sized. Then throw in the fact in the hot summers, i have to cool my living room, kitchen, office, etc at night. i wish i had a 3 ton for the living spaces on one side of the house and a 2.5 ton for the bedrooms. This is an indirect answer to your question. 
Posted on 4/5/19 at 3:30 pm to snake2985
Only 4 tons for a 3100 sq. ft. home sounds undersized to me. I just put in 4 tons for my second floor living area of 1650 sq. ft., and it replaced the same size unit I put in back in 92 when I first bought the house.
You must be very well insulated to get by with that much tonnage. If it were me, I'd have 2 units, one for the entertaining/utilitarian area and one for the bedroom area.
That way you can turn one off, or at least use it sparingly when the area isn't occupied to save on the utility bill.
You must be very well insulated to get by with that much tonnage. If it were me, I'd have 2 units, one for the entertaining/utilitarian area and one for the bedroom area.
That way you can turn one off, or at least use it sparingly when the area isn't occupied to save on the utility bill.
Posted on 4/5/19 at 8:16 pm to gumbo2176
quote:
Only 4 tons for a 3100 sq. ft. home sounds undersized to me.
I thought the same.. I always thought the rule of thumb is about 1 ton per 600 sf. Certainly, there are many factors, like height of ceilings, # of windows, etc.
Also, I've always had 2 units. I know it's twice that can go wrong, but if and when it does, you can always go sleep in the area of the house that the AC is still working.
This post was edited on 4/5/19 at 8:18 pm
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