A regional chilling and AC expert has urged constructors and real estate developers in the Gulf region to correct the sizes of the current air conditioning units for the benefit of end-users.

“Correctly sizing the unit to a building unit should be at the top of the priority list of contractors and real estate developers so as to extend the life of the AC as well as enable customers to enjoy a higher quality service,” explained Mohammed Swairjo, general manager of Al Reyadah, a UAE-based contracting company.

According to him, the Gulf region is one of the world's largest users of AC units, as it needs them for more than nine months a year.

'Over-sizing or under-sizing the power of AC systems in a building will cause harm to end-users and building owners in the long run,' he noted.

Swairjo said the responsibility for this lies on the builders and contractors as in most cases they are the ones who select the AC type for homes.

'There is a general misconception that a bigger size was better for providing more effective service but this is not always true,' he explained.

'At the same time, a unit that is too small will run continually without cooling the room effectively, while an oversized unit will lose efficiency and the ability to properly dehumidify the room,' he added.

In addition to cooling the treated air with a refrigerant, central AC lowers the relative humidity of the inside air to between 40 and 60 per cent, he pointed out.

'This creates a comfortable environment without leading to the damp or clammy conditions created by an oversized air conditioning system, not to mention the higher initial cost of the larger AC compared with the right size one,' he stated.

However, Swairjo said under-sizing the system would be equally bad, as it would take longer to reach the desired temperature and humidity levels, causing the compressor to be constantly running.

'There is a proper and scientific method for calculating AC sizes recommended for use by professionals in the trade. It consists of taking information about the buildings’ construction materials, insulation levels, number of windows, sizes of rooms and doing a calculation based on these factors to determine the appropriate cooling requirements.'

An AC of correct size will remove humidity effectively as it cools, while a unit that is oversized will turn on and off too frequently, leading to loss of efficiency and the ability to properly dehumidify the home.

'This may result in higher utility bills and a less comfortable home. A unit that is undersized will run too often reducing the cooling ability,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service